smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

'Mine's a pint, please'

For all the numerous and well-documented benefits of exercise, it...
Have your say »

RSS

Networking vital to thriving SMEs

Aug 30 2007

Social interaction is key to small businesses hoping to sustain a healthy level of growth, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has claimed.

According to the BCC, networking is vital for thriving young enterprises looking to keep pace with their main competitors.

Underling the importance of business interaction, a spokesman for the chamber says: 'Any business looking to grow should look at networking.'

He continues: 'Engaging in networking is beneficial because the only way you can grow your business is by interacting with people.

'And you can only do that by meeting people, whether you are meeting them online or whether you are meeting them in person at events, word of mouth is very much the best way of getting your business out there.'

According to Lloyds TSB, there has been a reduction in the number of smaller firms closing in the earliest years of the business - boosting their survival rate.

Comments

There are currently no comments on this article

Prize Draw

Enter our Small Business competition and win a laptop!

Are you an entrepreneurial legend in your local community? Has your business savvy seen you blossom during the boom times and bootstrap during the bad? If the answer is "yes", then you'll be intrigued to hear that Smallbusiness.co.uk has teamed up with Insurantz.com to discover 30 of the UK's best run small businesses. Click here to enter

Polls

Latest News

CIPD: Redundancies to remain high

The level of redundancies is set to remain high over the second half of 2009, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) claims.

London firms offered 2012 language training

Small companies in London are being offered free language and cultural skills training to help them capitalise on opportunities created by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Small manufacturers 'have £1.2bn red tape bill'

Small firms in the manufacturing sector face an annual bill of more than £1 billion just to comply with legislation, says the Forum of Private Business (FPB).

HSE: Firms are focusing on health and safety

New statistics show that the number of workers fatally injured in the UK over 2008/09 has fallen to 180.

Train to Gain 'is working'

The majority of employers believe the Train to Gain programme is successful, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills claims.

Bosses 'should tackle stress problem'

Businesses need to take more time to support workers who are feeling stressed due to the recession.

CBI: Recession changing working arrangements

Employers are changing how they organise their workforce in light of the recession, new research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) suggests.

Recession 'looks the same as in the 80s'

The ongoing downturn is proving to be similar to the deep recession experienced in the 80s, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) claims.

Business services 'facing large job cuts'

The business services sector could see more than 300,000 jobs lost in the next three years, a new report claims.

Unemployment tops 2.2m

UK unemployment has hit a 12-year high of more than 2.2 million, new figures reveal.

CIPD: Firms focus on retention

Companies are planning to concentrate on retaining their staff instead of recruiting fresh talent, according to a recent survey.

Guides & Tips

Don't blur the boundaries between permanent and non- permanent staff

Flexible staff

The recent sacking of 850 agency workers by BMW demonstrated how companies use non-permanent staff to protect themselves in a turbulent economy. But you need to know the pitfalls before hiring temporary workers.

Making staff cuts doesn't mean you have to give people the axe.

Reducing salary

There are other ways of reducing your staffing budget without having to take the axe to your workforce.

How to fight workplace bullying

Bullying affects up to one in ten employees. But intimidating behaviour, as displayed by presenters Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, can go unnoticed. Here Steve Williams, head of equality services at employment expert Acas and SmallBusiness.co.uk offer some tips for banning bullying.

Don't Miss

NICE work if you can get it

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has turned its hand to the management of long-term sickness absence with a consultation on best practice. This promises to shed further light on a perennial problem area. Nic Paton reports.

Making the most of training budgets in recessionary times

Make the most of your training and development budget in the face of the current economic climate.

Better absence management

Historically, managers responsible for absence management have failed to differentiate between frequent short-term absence.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Tax Guide, the FT Guide to Personal Tax is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and Jonquil Lowe, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as 100 tax-saving tips.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, the FT Guide to Business Start Up is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc, this unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.