Business Butler

The basics about Hashtags  What is a hashtag? A Hashtag is  a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and facilitate a search for it. How do hashtags work? A hashtag is used   within a post on social media to help those who may be interested in your topic to be able to find it when they search for a   keyword   or hashtag. Why use hashtags? There many reasons why you should include hashtags in your post- ·        Hashtags allow an opportunity for increased engagement of your  ·        It also allows brand building. As you develop the post it can cause customers to develop a brand image which can help enhance reputation. ·        Find your audience. Since the user has searched for that specific hashtag, they are more likely to be interested in what you have posted. ...

Working from home can be a great option for some people, it allows for flexibility, can save costs and commuting time. However it’s important to consider the disadvantages of working from home for both your business and your employees. Common problems of working from home that lead to people opting to work in an office such as a coworking space include: 1. Impact on your mental wellbeing Working from home full time can lead to social isolation and you may not have any face to face contact for extended periods of time. Social isolation can have a detrimental effect on your health, leading to stress and depression. 2. Lack of separation between work and home life Working from home can cause the line between home life and work life to become blurred, especially if you don’t have a dedicated office and are working in a bedroom or living room. 3. Setup costs Setting up a home office can be expensive, especially when you’re used to working with high-speed internet, multiple...

The demand for hot desking is constantly increasing, with more shared work spaces in the UK than the global average, hot desking is becoming a great option to save space and allow for flexible working. Whilst the needs of each business vary, advances in technology meaning workers are more mobile alongside more coworking spaces being available, hot desking is gaining demand from a wide range of businesses. Hot desking allows the rules of traditional office spaces to be redefined and for people to choose where they work based on their needs each day. We have put together a list of the pros and cons of hot desking , to help you decide if it’s right for you and your business... Pros 1) Flexible Hot desking allow for people who are not in the office full time to be flexible and have a desk as and when is necessary. It’s also useful when a larger group of people need to work together and seating arrangements can be easily adapted as necessary. 2) Daily Rates Many coworking s...

Coworking is becoming an increasingly popular option for small businesses and freelancers, but why should you consider coworking rather than working from home? Check out these advantages to find out if coworking is the right option for you and your business... 1) Join a community Working from home can be very isolating and you may go for days at a time without any face to face contact, working in a shared office space allows you to join a community of likeminded people in a similar situation to you, have people to chat to and socialise. 2) Create a work-life balance Whilst working from home can be great, the lines between your work life and your home life often become blurred. Hotdesking in a coworking space can allow you to create some separation between work and home. 3) Use professional meeting spaces One of the key benefits of coworking is that many spaces have dedicated meeting rooms that can be used. Inviting clients or prospects to a meeting room shows pr...

Now growing in popularity worldwide, coworking is a self-directed and flexible work style. Google define coworking as  “the use of an office or other working environment by people who are self-employed or working for different employers, typically so as to share equipment, ideas, and knowledge”. Coworking can benefit businesses of all sizes, whether you're an SME, a start-up, a freelancer or a corporate. Coworking is becoming an increasingly popular option for individuals and businesses, allowing people to work within a community, have a professional space to meet clients in and to create a distance between home life and work life. Coworking spaces are opening in most major cities with an annual growth rate of  over 24%!  It is predicted that there will be more than 30,432 coworking spaces and over 5.1 million coworking members by the year 2022. Whether you're looking for an allocated desk or a hot desk on a daily rate or meeting rooms, coworking ...

It’s been announced that the University of South Wales, the Welsh Government and Thales, a global technology firm, are collaborating to create a £20m cyber centre. The National Digital Exploitation Centre (NDEC) which will be in Ebbw Vale, will be part of the Tech Valleys programme . The Welsh Government has committed £100m of funding to the programme which aims to create 1,500 jobs in the long-run. The centre, the first facility of its kind in Wales, aims to provide SMEs and micro businesses with facilities to both test and develop their digital innovations. The university will be running an advanced cyber institute at the centre, providing a base for academic research alongside a digital education centre designed to enable SMEs, schools and individuals to develop their skills and be able to protect themselves online. Construction is due to commence in spring 2019 with Thales having already moved into a project office at the site in Ebbw Vale. The cyber centre will help W...

No matter the size of an organisation, it’s important for all business to ensure human resources are considered and any necessary steps are taken and policies put in place. Human resources (HR) is used within organisations to maximise employee performance to help achieve company goals and is primarily concerned with managing the people working within an organisation in line with the organisation’s policies and to ultimately reduce organisational risk. Some small businesses and startups choose to ignore some of the basic principles of human resources so we have put together this short guide outlining key HR considerations for new businesses. Recruiting employees The mistake that many new businesses make is thinking that they don’t have to follow various employment laws that are in place to protect both employees and employers. When recruiting you must ensure that formal employee contracts are in place defining the role and the terms and conditions of the persons employm...

Becoming self-employed has become increasingly popular over the last couple of decades with the number of self-employed workers has increased from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017 . The benefits of owning your own business include doing something you’re passionate about, having more control over you income and working hours and being able to work around other commitments. Although you may have your business idea in place, setting up your own business may seem overwhelming, so we have put together an essential guide to help you with key parts of the process… 1) Look for help available from the Government There’s plenty of government-backed advice available in the UK to help you with creating a business plan, market research and more. Depending where you live there’s different resources available, check out the Business Wales website to find out the support available in Wales. 2) Decide the best structure for you There are several different types of self-empl...

It's been confirmed that no decisions will be made on the Newport M4 relief road until after the new first minister is in place, despite  Bridgend AM Mr Jones recently saying he still intended to make the key decision about whether to build the 15-mile new M4 to the south of Newport. The M4 relief road was originally proposed in 1991 and then dropped by the Welsh Government in 2009 due to costs rising to £1 billion. It was announced in July 2014 by the then Welsh Transport Minister, Edwina Hart that the scheme would again go-ahead and be completed by 2022. The scheme proposed a 14 mile second motorway running parallel to the existing M4 motorway to avoid the need to widen the Brynglas Tunnels , which does not conform to current motorway standards due to its lack of hard shoulders, closely spaced junctions and narrow, restricted lanes.  The issues with the tunnel lead to heavy congestion at peak times and frequent traffic accidents.  Whilst the scheme a...