Archive for category Business

Web Design Gloucester at Affordable Prices

Posted by newsanim on Tuesday, 3 May, 2011

Website Designers GloucesterMany businesses are finding industry very difficult, with retail sales holding at a level over the last six months and the cost of business rising at the same time. So when it comes to eCommerce and Website Design, if you are a Gloucester based business – you have a local company who are changing the trend of web costs by holding their costs to a monthly plan instead of “all up front” as it has always been in the past.

This means that now you can get a website design, hosted with a domain name related to your business starting from just £15 per month!

Staggering when you consider that just two years ago a Quad Bike company that we have dealings with, paid nearly £15,000 to have their site built by a website designer – oonly to find that 2 months after they instructed the build that the country went into the recesion – making their new business based in Cheltenham, a difficult hill to climb.

We spoke to Steve Davis, the creator of OnKitz – the Affordable Website Design company, and he said this:

“We have noticed a distinct change in the industry over this last 12 months, which has meant we have had to completely change the standard business model for website design. Gone have the day’s where people have thousands to get their site up and running -and it is more like they only have hundreds instead.

Not only this, many design agencies see only how well a site looks, and not the most important part which is how well it performs in search results when people are looking for keywords and phrases related to your business. We have spent the last 18 months working with some of the best website platform companies in the world, and whilst making sure we can still give fantastic designs, the sites are also friendly to search engines”

So, even if you are outside of Gloucester, you can still get this amazing service from OnKitz . To say they are a local firm with an international portfolio would be an understatement – and having seen some of the great sites they have produced for their clients, I can see why they are changing their business model – and making things far more affordable for small to medium size businesses.

Speak to them – there is no pushy sales drive and they tell it from the hip – making it far more understandable to those who have little or no knowledge of the website design industry.

Go take a look at their site, and see exactly what we mean; Web Design Gloucester

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Tiffany & Co Jewellers Boycot Alaskan Gold Mine Plans

Posted by David French on Wednesday, 3 November, 2010
Pink Salmon in Alaska

Black Bear Catching Pink Salmon in Alaska

With the price of gold reaching a record high yet again, it is not unreasonable to think that the mining companies are looking at investing in other areas to find more gold, but at what price?

Tiffany & Co, one of the world leaders in retail jewellery, today announced that they would be joining the boycott in support of the Alaskan families who reside and work in Bristol Bay.

This is the third company in a short time that has made this announcement, following in the footsteps of Fraser Hart and Beaverbrooks.

The planned excavation of the Bristol Bay river was being headed by Anglo American and a Canadian partner, Northern Dynasty Minerals.

Although they claim they would not damage the pink salmon inhabitants of the river, jewellers from the UK and USA have said that they would not purchase any old that had been taken from this area, purely on ecological rounds.

The supposed infrastructure would cover approximately 30 square miles of the Alaska river head, with approximately 85 miles of road to access the site. Not only this, local campaigners claim that the estimated contaminated waste from the mine would fill two valleys.

Salmon fishing in the Alaskan districts produces over $320 million a year and employs 12,500 people across the country.

As fishing is in the biggest decline ever, all we can do is hope that the linkingof arms between some of the worlds largest retailers of gold and silver, will be enough combined weight for the companies to abandon plans and look somewhere else.

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Beware of Board Council Officials in Cheltenham

Posted by Ian Carmichael on Wednesday, 3 November, 2010
Royal Well Parking Problem

Traffic Warden Chatting With Taxi Drivers for 30 Minutes

Whilst many big businesses are struggling to make ends meet, the ‘one-man-band’ local shops and establishments are finding things even tougher, thanks to a local council’s bureaucratic stupor and Cheltenham Borough Council and their Highways Safety team.

For me, a brisk walk into Cheltenham town centre is a weekly ritual, dropping in at the barbers on my way round to grab a quick hair cut. And it’s not because I enjoy the walk or fresh air – oh no, more to do with the fact I can’t park my car near the barbers due to the amount of local private hire taxi’s parked outside their office.

And today was no exception, but when you arrive in ‘Royal Well’ to see the local traffic warden standing around and joking with the drivers of the taxi’s, it makes you slightly angry, especially when he was there from 11:05am till nearly 11:40am.

Is this what we pay our rates for, so that the traffic warden can pass jokes with drivers who are obviously parked illegally, yet for some strange reason he never issued a fixed penalty ticket which made me ask the question “are they exempt?”

And if that wasn’t enough to get the blood warm, what happened next just placed the icing on the cake…

Sitting patiently waiting to get my hair cut in Royal Well Barbers, and in walked an official looking person with a high visibility jacket on. He approached the barber and asked if he could step outside for a minute. Now, I know that wasn’t the strange part, but what struck me as slightly odd was no formal introduction or reason ‘WHY’ he wanted the barber to go outside and talk.

He finished his haircut, popped outside and then the next thing was like ‘World War III’ was about to start with the barrage of words between the guy in the green jacket and the barber.

The barber walked back in and told us that the official looking guy was infact a Cheltenham Council Official who requested he removed his sign from outside the shop as he ‘did not’ have permission to put it there and it was causing an obstruction.

Just out of curiosity, I asked the Council Official what was the problem with him having an ‘A’ Board outside his shop? “We are presently investigating complaints of ‘A’ Boards which are causing problems in the town centre” said Clive Evans, Street Safety Officer for Cheltenham Borough Council. “But I can’t see what it has to do with you, nor why you are getting involved?”

A fair point, but when you report for a News website – you have a vested interest in letting others know when something isn’t how it should be.

OK, I can understand that people do get a little upset from time to time about the size of ‘A’ Boards and how they are situated outside of business premises – but this was just outragous, a normal size ‘A’ Board outside a Barber’s Shop which measured 600mm wide x 900mm tall – tight against the wall with 2 clear metres to pass on the pavement.

Anyway, understanding that Gary Monnier (the barber) was a little annoyed with the way Mr Evans approached the situation would be an understatement, but witnessing the whole fiasco myself, I can see his point. Who does Mr Evans think he is walking into a business with customers waiting to be served, and asking the owner to step outside for a minute without an introduction?

Royal Barbers in Royal Well, Cheltenham

Business Without Offending 'A' Board

Thinking that it was all over and I could get my hair cut finished, in walked Mr Evans with a clear envelope in his hand with some A4 documents inside – outlining the ‘Objects on the Highway’ current fee’s for 2010/11 for Cheltenham Town Centre.

So I have two questions for the council, which are:

  1. “If someone reports a business for having a sign outside, does it make it better if you pay the council £175.00 administration fee (non-refundable) and £125.00 per year to keep it there?”
  2. “Are Private Hire Taxi’s exempt from being issued with a parking ticket?”

Well, we approached Cheltenham Borough Council on both counts, and so far we have not received a response after 2 hours of waiting. (Shame we can’t issue them with a ticket for exceeding normal waiting times!)

The owner of Royal Well Barabers’ point was that he needs a sign outside so people know when he is open, because his shop can’t be seen from the road due to the amont of vehicles parked outside.

Whilst we were there, we witnessed 7 private hire taxi’s parked up like they were on a ‘rank’ and littered on the kerbs on both sides – and the spaces outside Mr Monnier’s shop which are supposed to be for customer parking being hogged by 2 more.

Makes you wonder of the council have an account at the taxi company with special rates?

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Pfizer Launches Mass Recall On Lipitor Drug

Posted by newsanim on Saturday, 30 October, 2010
Pfizer Inc - New York

Pfizer Recall of Lipitor Drug

Pfizer Inc – 30th October 2010

Today, Pfizer have launched a mass recall on their Lipitor drug amidst claims that cholesterol reduction tablet was giving off odors which resembled moldy and musty material that was damp.

The manufacturer based in New York have told press that they have recalled a total number of 38,000 bottles of the 40 milligram drug, which appears to have only been dispensed in the USA.

Concerns were sparked after two users of the drug reported the damp odor coming from the bottles, which Pfizer have now confirmed were supplied by another bottle manufacturer.

This is the third time in as many months that Pfizer have been caught by this odor, one in August and two in October – where by they have had to recall close to half a million bottles in total.

No matter what this recall brings to the surface, it’s pretty simple to say that the drug industry have had a strange year of it, with Johnson & Johnson having to recall some non-prescription drugs which could be purchased directly over the counter, and GlaxoSmithKline who had to settle an out of court payment of $750million regarding the case which was paced against them with respect to the Puerto Rico manufacturing deficiencies.

A spokesman for Pfizer said that they were taking more than adequate steps to solve the problems, adding that they were already starting to use specialist plastic pallets in a hope it will drastically reduce the possibilities of contamination within the bottles.

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UK Airport Goes On High Security Alert

Posted by David French on Friday, 29 October, 2010
UPS Plane Sparks Terror At UK Airport

UPS Aircraft Sparks Bomb Alert

Whilst routine checks were being carried out this morning at East Midland Airport, a suspect package was found which placed the whole airport on high security until they had isolated the package.

The Police were called earlier this morning by East Midlands Airport, to attend the distribution centre after airport security had found the package.

Official spokesperson from the USA said that they had found the suspect package which was a toner cartridge which had been tampered with, and looked like wires had been placed in it with white powder inside.

Tests were carried out and the package was actually found to be harmless, never the less, it sparked a considerable concern amongst UPS staff as they had to move 2 aircraft away from buildings at Philadelphia and another 1 from their Newark, New Jersey depot.

And if that wasn’t enough problems for UPS in the US, they then got reports that Police in New York were attending another suspect package which looked like a bomb, on one of their delivery trucks which was on the road in Brooklyn.

A statement from the Department of Transport was issued earlier and said:  “There is a police operation ongoing at East Midlands airport.”

And a spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are aware of the incident and it is a matter for the police. The Department for Transport is taking the lead on this.”

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How Much Would Sex Cost You

Posted by David French on Saturday, 23 October, 2010

Sex.com - The Ultimate Domain Name Worth $13 million

More Importantly, Can You Afford It?

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Sex is always in the news today, with people selling products or services that are related to the internet for the pleasures of others who enjoy different things.

But whilst the word SEX is more commonly used in the english vocabulary, it still gets seen as being a cheap word.

That is not the case for SEX.COM – which went before the high court this week as the previous owners of the domain name, Escom LLC, have filed that Clover Holdings Ltd are the successful bidder for the elite web address.

Back in 2006, Escom LLC paid a few dollars short of $14 million for the domain, which at the time was the highest recorded price for a domain name. And whilst we are still in a quiet global trading period, no one expected the domain to reach close to the original price paid back in ’06.’

Obviously Clover Holdings Ltd could see something worth buying, because the bid they put forward to secure the purchase of the domain was for $13 million.

A spokes person for Sedo.com, one of the worlds largest domain name aution sites and market places said: “It still holds the record for being the most valued domain name.”

A bankruptcy judge will sit on the 27th October when the papers for the offer dor the domain name will be put before him.

No one from Clover Holdings Ltd was available to comment.

So, as the old saying goes, “Sex DOES pay!”

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British Weather Helps Business Economy in South Wales

Posted by David French on Saturday, 2 October, 2010

South Wales Business Boom Due To Weather and Ryder CupJust another typical week on ‘Costa UK’ with the weather playing a major part on not just the Golf, but the economy surrounding the Ryder Cup.

Due to the sudden rain on the opening day of ‘The Ryder Cup’ – and the problems trying to get the course to drain over the following 24 hours, Golf was going to be potentially taken into an extra day so they could complete the EU ‘v’ USA challenge at Celtic Manor in South Wales.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, as thousands of spectators who were due to fly back to their home countries on Monday, ended up spending the rest of their allowance getting accomodation for another night so that they could watch the completion of the competition.

Some fans who had travelled from the USA also booked a second night, as many flights that were booked to go on the Monday could not be re-scheduled until the Wednesday.

The Ryder Cup organizers had already stated that anyone who had a ticket for the Sunday, would be allowed access on the Monday without having to pay any more.

An official spokesman from marketing group Cardiff and Co said: “Obviously the weather was disappointing and the event organisers have worked very hard to deliver an outstanding event for Wales. As the weather continued to affect the play through the weekend, it was inevitable it would result in people staying longer in the city region.”

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UK Border Agency Has Successful Summer Clamp Down

Posted by David French on Wednesday, 29 September, 2010

UK Border and Immigration Agency Whilst the trumpets are being signalled for the next round of political initiatives, the Labour party have been issued with a new leader.

But, during the months of campaigning, the politicians have been keeping a quiet eye on the UK Border Agency during their summer clamp down of illegal workers.

Throughout the summer months, the UK Border Agency have been systematically raiding both business and residential properties across the country, including Cornwall, Leicestershire, Cumbria, Nottinghamshire and Shropshire.

And with a good hit rate, they have managed to arrest illegal workers who do not hold the correct documentation for working in the UK. With an average of between 2-3 workers at each business raid, the UKBA have managed to issue prosecution notices which have totalled close to £30,000 per business owner for not meeting the required standards expected.

The majority of cases that were reported either involved a fast food outlet, or a restaurant – as these types of places struggle to keep employee’s for more than a few months, and at extremely concerning pay rates.

One particular case which was unearthed by the UKBA found that one employer was giving his illegal workers only £15 per day, plus food and accommodation, bringing the total earning on average of £125 per week for around 85 hours – or just under £1.50 per hour.

But, now that these outlets have been found guilty once, the agency then keeps a close eye on them for the following 12 months to make sure they don’t follow the same path again.

And now that they have finished the purge on this style of business, they will continue into the winter with more raids on ‘Hand Car Wash’ businesses which set up at either shopper car parks in town centres, and petrol forecourts that have closed and gone out of business.

Statistics show that there is between 2 and 3 of these outlets in any town, which obviously should keep them busy for a long time to come.

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Builder Calls for Banks Building Walls Against Small Businesses to Stop

Posted by newsanim on Monday, 27 September, 2010

Cameron Hope at Barclay's BankBanks will always build a wall when it comes to borrowing money, because they have to be the one in control, especially when it comes to lending.

Well, this was taken to heart by builder, Cameron Hope.

The story is that Cameron Hope, who had previously tried to get a loan to help his business and develop some of the areas he was falling behind in, got refused the help so decided to get his own back on the banking industry.

Whilst the banks were closed on Sunday, Hope and a few of his helpers decided to build a brick wall for the bank to get over, in protest of the lack of help for small businesses.

Mr Hope, a 59 year old property developer from Bournemouth, went to his local branch of Barclay’s Bank in Westbourne, and laid a foundation for what might strike a chord with many other small businesses up and down the country.

Whilst in the process of building the 8ft x 4ft wall, Mr Hope was joined by other local business owners who had also experienced problems with the banking industry, covering the wall with placards saying things like ‘Robbed by the banks we own’ and how banks are just not lending enough.

This protest is basically saying to the Government that the “small business owners” have had enough, and that the banks are to blame for the slow economic recovery due to lending less and less to small businesses in general.

When asked, Mr Hope explained that selecting the Barclay’s branch was a random selection, and the protest was not directly against them, but the banking industry on a whole.

What is ironic is the name of the builder, Cameron Hope!

Who would have thought that these two words could have been placed together as a name, let alone a statement.

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Segway Owner Dies In Accident On A Segway

Posted by Darren Moore on Monday, 27 September, 2010

Jimi Heseldon | Owner of Segway – Yorkshire – United Kingdom

Jimi Heselden, the owner of Segway was found dead after falling from a Segway near to his home. Police and Ambulance Paramedics were called to the scene of the accident at the river Wharfe at Boston Spa, near Wetherby – where Heseldon had been seen riding his machine earlier in the day.

Police say that the 62 year old business tycoon had been riding his Segway machine not far from his home in Thorp Arch, and had tragically fallen down a 30ft cliff into a river.

Segway Cross CountryA member of the public was believed to have seen Jimi riding along the side of the Jackdaw Crag where it appeared he lost control of his Segway and toppled down the cliff edge.

A Police spokeperson said that Heseldon was pulled from the river at approximately 11:40 on Sunday morning, and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Mr Heseldon was obviously a well known and like person in the community, as well as being a very generous man. Over the last few years, he had donated around £23million ($34.5million) to local charities as well as The Hesco Bastion Fund which he set up some time ago.

Tributes have been pouring in over the last 24 hours from all around the world which have been greatly accepted by Heseldon’s family.

Police have said that there are no suspicous circumstances to the accident.

Mr Heseldon leaves his wife, Julie and five children.

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