Which is the most dangerous industry to work in?

New statistics reveal which industry in the UK has the highest fatality rate.

According to provisional figures compiled by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in June 2011, waste and recycling is currently the most dangerous industry to work in.

Five years ago there were seven fatal injuries per 1,000 workers in the waste and recycling industry but this figure has now risen to 8.7 deaths. Nine deaths were recorded in the industry during the period April 2010 to March 2011.

• Waste and recycling

Peter Woolgar, HSE’s head of waste and recycling, said: “The fact that nine people failed to come home safe and well from their jobs last year is a stark reminder to the industry that it still has a long way to go.”

The data shows that across all industries, there were 171 workplace fatalities in 2010/11 compared to 2009/10’s record low of 147.

Roger Bibbings, occupational safety advisor with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) called the rise in the number of fatalities “disappointing”.

Mr Bibbings said: “These figures show that continuing efforts in health and safety are required.”

The safety expert was particularly concerned that nearly half 2010/2011’s fatalities have occurred in two sectors – agriculture and construction.

• Construction

Construction has the highest number of fatalities for the year (50, with a rate of 2.4 deaths per 1,000 workers). The life of a construction worker can be extremely hazardous – with fatalities involving electrocution, being hit by falling objects and being trapped underneath vehicles appearing in the HSE statistics.

• Agriculture

The agriculture industry suffered fewer fatalities than the construction industry (34) but had the second highest rate (8 deaths per 1,000 workers).

Incidents involving fatal accidents in the sector included one in which a man was struck by a bale, one in which a man struck his head after being knocked to the ground by a bull and one in which a man was trampled to death by cattle.

• Other industries

Of the other main industries, manufacturing accounted for 27 fatal injuries (1.1 deaths per 1,000 workers) while in the services sector there were 47 fatal injuries (0.2 deaths per 1,000 workers).

• Tip of the iceberg?

Roger Bibbings of Rospa linked the rise in the fatality rate to major cuts in the health and safety budget.

He said: “Tragic as they are, notifiable fatal injuries are only the tip of a much larger iceberg; at least twice as many workers are killed on the roads while driving as part of their job; and thousands of workers are continuing to die annually from past exposure to hazardous agents such as asbestos.”

Why book Manchester virtual office space with Bruntwood?

If you run a business, there are many advantages to booking Manchester virtual office space through family-owned commercial property specialist Bruntwood.

For starters, you'll benefit from being able to direct customers and clients to an address in one of the UK's most dynamic cities. They provide virtual office space in Manchester city centre, plus in as a range of locations across Greater Manchester such as Warrington, Altrincham, Cheadle and Knutsford.

Secondly, you won't have to brace yourself for a major outlay because Bruntwood's facilities are pleasantly affordable. Believe it or not, you can book Manchester virtual office space for just £50 per month. For that figure, you'll be supported by a dedicated customer service team that handles your mail and incoming calls at no extra cost.

Thirdly, as a Manchester virtual office space customer, you'll be entitled to receive discounts on our selection of meeting rooms and conference facilities across the north of England. They also have meeting rooms and conference facilities in Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Finally, you'll be able to seamlessly move up to full offices when your business takes off. They recognise that taking out virtual office space is often a precursor to something bigger, so they've put together a range of places suitable for companies of all sizes. If you just need somewhere for a day, meanwhile, each of their buildings has individual desks to hire for £35 per day.

Would you like to discover more about their Manchester virtual office space? Call their customer service team on 0800 731 0300 or visit the Bruntwood website at www.bruntwood.co.uk.

That's Technology: Ethernet Fibre Fuels Rising Market Demands for Bro...

That's Technology: Ethernet Fibre Fuels Rising Market Demands for Bro...: "UK-based business communications company Intercity have joined with key UK carriers to offer their Ethernet Fibre solution to 50,000 current..."

LED Emergency Floodlight for Hazardous and Marine Environments

A new floodlight which combines maintenance free LED technology and a self-contained backup battery has been introduced by hazardous area lighting specialist Chalmit. The Solas is designed for use in both Zone 1 hazardous areas and harsh marine environments.

It's unique, in that it provides the same level of light output under normal or emergency conditions. This performance and durability offers a new solution for both lighting designers and engineers tasked with providing a safe working environment.

“We are excited about the possibilities the new Solas LED can provide,” explained Chalmit Marketing Manager Gareth Bruce.

“The initial concept was to replace an existing emergency floodlight, the 261E. In this product the batteries were contained in a separate box. The use of LEDs and smart driver technology allows the complete solution to be contained within the luminaire enclosure. Not only is the Solas a more efficient, compact and price competitive replacement for the 261E, it has also created a host of new applications due to its increased flexibility.”

Traditionally, battery backup emergency floodlights have been reserved for specific platform abandonment applications. The development of quality long life LEDs is proving to have a much wider appeal.

Such floodlights can now be used for continuous operation under normal lighting conditions. In contrast to high intensity discharge floods, the Solas is effectively maintenance free offering over sixty thousand hours of continuous operation. Another advantage of using LED technology is the efficient use of the light generated.

The Solas has a high light output ratio resulting in over four thousand lumens with minimal losses. These levels can be compared to a seventy watt high pressure sodium (HPS) floodlight. However unlike HPS lamps the use of LED results in a much whiter light closer to that of natural daylight.

The luminaire is compliant with both ATEX and IEC Ex standards and is suitable for use in a wide range of ambient conditions from -55 degrees C to +55 degrees C. The universal voltage; 110V – 254V AC/DC 50/60Hz, makes the Solas a truly global product. An industrial, non-hazardous version is also available that provides the same levels of ingress protection (IP66/67) and maintenance free capability.

In addition to normal emergency operation where the battery engages when the mains power goes off, the Solas can also be fitted with a remote inhibition switch. Similar in function to the earlier 261E, this enables the LEDs to remain de-energised (Off) when the mains power fails. By operating the switch, the LEDs can be energised and run from the internal batteries. This gives instant illumination with one hundred percent output, unlike HID lamp technologies. The use of remote switching thus ensures battery duration is maximised.

This flexibility means the Solas is ideally suited to provide emergency escape lighting for example; during platform abandonment conditions, where the sea must be illuminated to ensure lifeboats can be safely launched.

Chalmit is part of Hubbell Harsh and Hazardous, a division of Hubbell Inc. The company has worldwide distribution and a network of offices strategically located to provide sales technical support to the oil and gas industry. Free Chalmlite software is available to help electrical and mechanical services designers optimise lighting intensity for safety and efficient working.

www.chalmit.com

That's Technology: Bosch goes for Innovation Group

That's Technology: Bosch goes for Innovation Group: "Innovation Group has been selected by Bosch Car Service to manage and run a new online booking system for its UK network of independent ga..."

Eurostar reports continued strong growth

Eurostar, the high speed passenger rail service between the UK and mainland Europe, has reported continued strong growth in the first half of 2011. Overall sales revenues increased by 4% from £404 million to £421 million and passenger numbers went up by 3% from 4.6 million to 4.7 million.

This year-on-year growth is particularly strong given that in the first half of 2010 Eurostar benefited from increased sales revenues resulting from the ash cloud disruption, during which it ran 70 extra trains and carried 100,000 extra passengers. Excluding the positive impact of the ash cloud disruption on the 2010 figures, underlying H1 2011 sales revenues in fact grew by 12% in comparison with the same period last year.

Eurostar is reporting over the first half of the year, leisure sales revenues grew by 8% and leisure passenger volumes were up 4%.

Demand for bookings over the summer period is high and over 950,000 passengers travelled on Eurostar in July alone making this a bumper summer for high speed rail travel. As a result, over 20 extra services have been scheduled to run over the summer.

Whilst Eurostar has reported a rise in the overall number of passengers over the last six months, there has been a particular spike in the volume of international travellers.

Over the first half of the year the number of international passengers rose by 21% to over half a million travellers. This was driven in part by a strong increase in passengers originating from the US who increasingly see a trip on Eurostar as an integral part of a European tour.

Nicolas Petrovic, CEO of Eurostar, commented: "The growth in the number of travellers heading for London earlier in the year has gathered momentum and in the first half international bookings have gone up by over 20 per cent. With 'Royal Wedding fever', London 2012 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on the horizon, London is highly attractive and remains a 'hot' destination for international visitors."

In the first quarter of 2011 Eurostar saw a 9% rise in Business Premier sales revenues and this strong performance continued through the first six months of the year.

This uplift is a reflection of the high levels of transactions and activity among businesses operating between the UK and the continent, particularly the financial services sector.

Nicolas Petrovic continued: "Over the last six months we have introduced a range of upgrades to our business premier service including guaranteed boarding, new Alain Roux menus and on board taxi booking to ensure that passengers' time on board is as enjoyable and productive as possible."

European cover for company cars is a necessity for the holiday season

RunYourCars.com is urging fleet managers to be prepared with adequate European breakdown cover and other services this summer.

As the summer holidays approach, many company car drivers will be heading to the continent. RunYourCars.com urges company owners and fleet managers to ensure they have adequate breakdown cover, insurance and appropriate documentation for their company cars or face potential disaster. It has a range of services and advice to help them to be prepared.

The cost of a breakdown and potential repatriation of a vehicle from the continent can be complicated and run into thousands of pounds. Not only that, if a driver does not have appropriate documentation then they can face an on the spot fine and risk having their car impounded, causing significant downtime for businesses. Many drivers overlook the regulations, going on holiday without considering the potential consequences.

Steve Whitmarsh, Managing Director of RunYourCars.com, said “We have seen many situations where drivers have taken their company vehicles abroad without a second thought, believing that their company has already arranged adequate cover. Many are not aware of the legal requirements of each country they visit, where they should be carrying items like high visibility vests, spare bulbs, first aid kits and warning triangles – facing on the spot fines if they are pulled over.

“We want to make business owners and fleet managers aware so they can inform and educate their drivers and take the appropriate steps to avoid unnecessary problems when their staff travel for their well-earned family breaks. It does not cost a fortune to provide breakdown cover for staff travelling in Europe – in fact, we sell a membership package including RAC European cover for only £7 per vehicle per month, so there really is no excuse!”

Here are just some of the rules:

An original V5 registration certificate must be carried, and if your vehicles are leased or hired, then the driver must have a VE103R as a substitute V5 registration certificate, along with a letter of authority from the leasing / hire company. In addition, evidence of insurance must be provided, too. Most certificates are adequate, but you should check with your insurer that you are covered on the continent.

In addition to having the correct legal documents, there are a host of other requirements that need to be observed by people driving to the continent, and this varies by country. For instance, in France vehicles must carry high visibility vests in the passenger compartment for each passenger. For the latest legislation, drivers should check on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-adv...

Run Your Cars customers pay a low cost monthly membership fee per vehicle which gives them access to the following:

• An online fleet management system
• Free RAC breakdown
• Free Accident Management
• Online risk management solution
• Specially negotiated rates on hire cars
• Massive discounts on servicing at over 6000 main dealer and independent outlets
• Vehicle contract hire and leasing
For further information on these and other services from Run Your Cars go to their website at www.runyourcars.com.

FACTFILE:
Runyourcars.com is a trading style of Multifleet Vehicle Management Ltd, an independent fleet management business based in Henley In Arden, Warwickshire and backed by one of the most innovative private equity funds in the UK – Forward Group PLC.

Working in partnership with leading service providers, Run Your Cars offers businesses of all sizes a comprehensive range of fleet management services. Major investments in the finest fleet management system and pioneering, flexible, web-based customer service technology have resulted in Run Your Cars offering customers an innovative, industry leading fleet management solution.

Website: www.runyourcars.com

That's Technology: Spelling mistakes put top websites in a tight spot...

That's Technology: Spelling mistakes put top websites in a tight spot...: "Following a recent report by the BBC that online typos cost millions in lost revenue ( www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14130854 ) top online u..."

Enquiries for London holiday rental properties for summer 2012 131 times greater than for 2011

Figures from HomeAway.co.uk, UK arm of the market leader of the online holiday rentals industry, reveal that London homeowners are benefiting from an unprecedented demand for holiday rentals during the London Games. Demand for rental properties in London for the Olympic summer of 2012 has increased by 131 times as compared to the previous year.

It is expected home owners looking to cash in on the leap of interest could generate an average of £4,500 by renting their home during the 16 day-long event; an average of £2,000 per week. Londoners thinking about doing this can now find out how much a property similar to theirs could make using HomeAway.co.uk’s interactive Olympic Rental Map.

The Map calculates the average income you could expect to make from your home; taking into account the rental rate increase the Olympics is expected to spark as well as proximity to sporting venues and transport hubs.

The Olympics has the potential to earn millions in rental income for homeowners in the Capital. There are currently over 700 London properties available for rent on www.HomeAway.co.uk and the company is expecting weekly rental rates for those properties to increase by almost 150% on average, echoing a trend for price spikes seen during the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg.

Tim Boughton, UK General Manager, HomeAway.co.uk said: “We have observed a steady increase in tourists looking for holiday rentals, with particularly high peaks in demand around major global sporting events. These latest figures confirm that London will be no exception. Enquiries for London properties have skyrocketed, particularly those properties in close proximity to the key Olympics sites and with good transport links to London’s top attractions. This, combined with the expected repetition of the 150% increase in rental prices seen at the 2010 World Cup, means savvy Londoners will truly be going for gold next summer.”

www.HomeAway.co.uk

B & V staff applaud Apprentice star Tom Pellereau

BBC Apprentice star Tom Pellereau’s spectacular win this week has been applauded by staff at one of the UK’s largest legionella control and water treatment companies – as the 31 year old inventor has just spent several weeks working on a top secret project with the company.

Tom, who this week was awarded a £250,000 business partnership with multi millionaire mogul Lord Alan Sugar, has been working at B & V Water Treatment’s offices on a revolutionary product due to be revealed fully this autumn.

Tom, whose personable approach and creative thinking won him the through on the TV show contest, has been working with members of the B & V research and development team in his capacity as director of life sciences company Biomimetics Health Industries which creates chemicals aimed at killing well-known contagious micro-organisms.

B & V MD Simon Ward said: “All of us want to congratulate Tom Pellereau on his new business partnership with Lord Sugar. We have been working with Tom for a while now and we were all very pleased to watch him excel on The Apprentice. For Tom to go onto to win the competition is an amazing achievement and we are all very happy to see a great person that we all really enjoy working with do so well.

“His geek like status is proving an inspiration to a new generation who are now discovering both science and being kind and thoughtful are positive qualities in a world often dominated by more aggressive types. It’s good to see science and ‘goody goodyness’ becoming qualities to aspire to.

“Tom is a fantastic guy to work with – friendly, approachable and an old fashioned gentleman. We’re privileged to be able to work with him – and so proud of his incredible achievement. His success shows that you don’t have to be a Rottweiler to succeed in business – his so called ‘underdog’ status pretty much sealed the deal.”

The bespectacled inventor, who has a masters degree in mechanical engineering and innovation from Bath University, is already rumoured to have been offered a role presenting a BBC science programme.

New Channel 4 Undercover Boss series highlights feedback management failure in British businesses

The new Channel 4 Undercover Boss series shows senior management “getting under the skin” of their own firms - anonymously - to get real world insight into how the business is being run at the frontline. But are they - and many other businesses - missing a trick when it comes to keeping their finger on the pulse of their customers and employees, asks www.managemycomplaints.com (MMC)?

Bosses from Ann Summers, Southern Fried Chicken and Isuzu Trucks are discovering that there is a lot of unknown insight and feedback to be captured from both customers and employees.

According to Andrew Withers, Managing Director of Southern Fried Chicken: “customers don’t complain, they just don’t come back”. But perhaps they would complain if they felt they would be heard - and if staff had a means of capturing complaints and easily feeding this back to head office.

Commenting on the programme, MMC’s Andrew Aldred says: “The Undercover Boss series highlights the importance not only of capturing customer feedback but internal employee feedback as well. It is ironic that it takes a senior executive working anonymously to uncover what really happens at the sharp end. As a long term business strategy, it doesn’t scale.

“However, there are ways for businesses to be able to capture both customer and employee feedback far more efficiently and cost effectively. Feedback management systems can allow employees at the frontline to capture any and all customer complaints and feedback and give senior management far greater insight into vital issues that have a direct impact on the business. This is not a costly strategic initiative. From only £55 month, businesses of any size can start to exploit staff and customer insight immediately.”

Continues Aldred: “Most businesses prefer that complaints and feedback are dealt with at a local level. Of course, it makes perfect sense to the business to manage complaints and feedback this way. However, the reality is that complaints and feedback are rarely logged or reported back up to head office.

“Add to this that no manager wants to promote the fact that he or she has the 'worst' store or department for customer service then complaints and feedback will always remain hidden. By using a feedback management system like MMC, businesses could give front line staff the means to provide proper evidence to head office about the things that really do matter to customers as well as justifying their recommendations - which often go unheeded by senior management.”

The result, according to managemycomplaints.com, is that companies can never really be sure of the true scale of their problems and what the impact on the business is.

Managemycomplaints.com is the first specialist customer complaint and feedback management application delivered using the Software as a Service (SaaS) model. The cloud-based service enables all organisations to capture, manage and analyse complaints and feedback to improve customer satisfaction, increase customer service efficiency, and drive business improvements.

To help businesses get started, managemycomplaints.com has published a free guide on Where To Collect And Welcome Customer Feedback.

Call now on 0845 5 211 777, or e-mail: info@managemycomplaints.com for a free trial.

You can save £300 per car every year, no matter what the size of your fleet

You can gain the buying power of a much larger business no matter the size of your company OR the size of your 'fleet' of vehicles and save something like £300 per car per year. That's the promise of Runyourcars.com

Because Runyourcars.com has just launched a range of services aimed at giving businesses like yours far greater control of their fleets. Not only can firms and businesses manage their fleets better, Run Your Cars claims they can save around £300 per vehicle per year against a fleet purchasing the same services directly.

Steve Whitmarsh, the MD of Run Your Cars, said “Many businesses don’t like to outsource control of their fleets to a third party fleet management business because they believe fleet management companies will be looking after their own interests rather than those of their customers. This is particularly so with smaller businesses that don’t think they have the share of voice or scale/stature needed to be an important consideration to traditional fleet management operations.

“But with our service the customer retains full control of their vehicles and all of the decisions associated with them. However, we make it easier and quicker to manage their fleet and drivers with our intuitive online systems. Our customers can benefit from our purchasing power, manage vehicle and driver allocations and look after their duty of care responsibilities online 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. “

Run Your Cars customers pay a low cost monthly membership fee per vehicle which gives them access to the following:

• An online fleet management system
• Free RAC breakdown
• Free Accident Management
• Online risk management solution
• Specially negotiated rates on hire cars
• Massive discounts on servicing at over 6000 main dealer and independent outlets
• Vehicle contract hire and leasing

For further information on these and other services from Run Your Cars visit them at www.runyourcars.com.

myHermes delivers their one millionth parcel just in time for their two year anniversary

Parcel delivery experts myHermes is celebrating this week with the delivery of its one millionth parcel, only two years after it launched in the May of 2009. The door-to-door parcel delivery company has reached the million mark far sooner than it had anticipated, after witnessing two years of 'remarkable' growth.

Consumer demand for the service, which collects and delivers parcels to and from your door, avoiding the need for queuing at a Post Office, has seen parcel delivery volumes more than trebling year-on-year, with this year expecting to increase from 600,000 deliveries to 1.6 million. (EDITOR: With the closure of so many Post Office branches, just do not try to send a parcel on pension or benefits day!)

According to the Commercial Director at myhermes.co.uk, Jon Tobbell, the fast growth is evidence that the myhermes.co.uk service is a winner for consumers.

He said: “We’re overjoyed at how well consumers are responding to this innovative approach to parcel delivery.

“Consumers are becoming more and more price savvy and shopping around for ways to save more money. This, together with people leading busy lives, means the convenience of a door-to-door service, at prices cheaper than Royal Mail, has proved very popular. We’re looking forward to another year of strong growth.”

The millionth parcel was sent by Victoria Wilson, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, who was given a bouquet of flowers and a week of free shipping as a celebratory gesture. A regular user since June 2009, Victoria, who utilises the service for business and personal, said: "I was thrilled to find out I sent the millionth parcel through myhermes.co.uk. It’s a great service and has enabled me to reduce my shipping costs and eliminate expensive trips to the Post Office.

“I use myhermes.co.uk, not only because they are cost effective but they also have a great multiple upload tool on the website which makes sending a lot of parcels quick and easy. My courier is great, she lives locally and constantly provides a superb service. I can even select a ‘safe place’ option for collection and deliveries which guarantees that my customers receive their parcel if they are not in.

“I am delighted to have been given a week of free deliveries as I will continue to use myHermes.co.uk for both my business and personal use.”

myhermes.co.uk collects and delivers, door-to-door, six days a week throughout the UK and delivery takes between three and five working days. Customers can select a safe place for collection and delivery so they needn’t wait in. When delivering the parcel, three attempts will be made to deliver at the destination, not just an annoying card left and the inevitable trip to a sorting office after one failed attempt. It’s the best value door-to-door delivery service in the UK with prices starting from £2.75 per parcel.

FACTFILE:

Www.myhermes.co.uk

myHermes.co.uk is part of Hermes, the UK's largest home delivery courier network handling more than 115 million collections and deliveries each year.

Operating its own network of over 7,500 couriers myHermes provides doorstep collection and delivery for consumers, six days a week. Ordering is done online with prices starting from £2.75. The company also employs about 1,200 people across the country to support the network, which offers 100% UK coverage. All parcels are fully tracked and customers can use an online delivery status to see where their goods are.

Parent company Hermes, which rebranded from Parcelnet, is part of the Otto Group and commands 22% of the European business-to-consumer delivery market, forecast to be worth 10.5Bn Euros by 2016.

That's Technology: Adconion Media Group launches digital distribution...

That's Technology: Adconion Media Group launches digital distribution...: "The Adconion Media Group ( www.adconion.com/uk/index.html ) has confirmed a restructure of its UK business and announced the launch of its t..."

That's Technology: New Mobile Marketing module manages SMS campaigns ...

That's Technology: New Mobile Marketing module manages SMS campaigns ...: "Aprimo® has announced a new Mobile Marketing module for Aprimo Marketing Studio® On Demand (AMS On Demand) that adds tightly integrated text..."

Accommodation for 2012 Olympic Games to be provided by new service

A new service, providing accommodation during the London Olympic Games, has been launched by London Property Rental 2012. The properties provide accommodation for both families and groups and are located within fifteen minutes by train of Central London.

Set up by experienced property professional Carol Fox, London Property Rental 2012 provides a home-from-home experience by offering fully vetted, high quality private homes in highly desirable areas of London – all within walking distance of excellent transport links. The properties, owned by affluent families who have chosen to be away from the capital during the games, are comfortably furnished, well-equipped and provide added benefits of free parking, fast broadband and digital TV.

According to Carol Fox, Director of London Property Rental 2012, “We were approached by a friend in the United States who asked if he could rent our house during the Olympics. We saw immediately how families and groups would benefit by renting a quality family home during the 2012 Olympics rather than standard hotel rooms - especially those groups who need multiple rooms and have arranged their own travel and tickets to the London Games.”

Up to 350,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit London during the eight weeks of the 2012 Games, estimates the European Tour Operators Association, while Lord Coe has talked of up to ‘a million’ extra visitors. This far outstrips London’s estimated capacity of 100,000 hotel beds.

Says Fox, “Families and groups who want to stay together may find it difficult to find accommodation during the Olympic Games that offers the benefit of an intimate environment but which is also cost-effective. In setting up London Property Rental, we will provide a quality ‘home-from-home’ experience where guests can relax and unwind away from the games yet still be in the centre of London within a 15-minute train journey, to explore tourist attractions or access the Olympic venues.”

She added: “It’s not too late for Londoners to put their property with us for rent during 2012 Olympic Games. We are always on the look-out for high quality family homes in excellent locations with good transport to add to our portfolio.

“We are finding that a large number of London home-owners are opting to go away during the Olympics and are accessing our service to earn money by making their property available for a 2012 managed let during July and August next year. And, in a lot of cases, the rental income generated will more than cover the cost of their summer holiday.”

FACTFILE:
London Property Rental 2012 offers private homes available for rent near the Olympic venues in Dulwich and across South London for visitors to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

London Property Rental 2012 is part of the Fox Vision family, a privately owned company run by Carol Fox and her husband Nick that has been trading for over 10 years. Based in Dulwich, Fox Vision provides a range of services including London property rentals, Home Energy Inspections, floor plans, lease plans and Energy Performance Certificates.

Fox Vision has launched London Property Rental 2012 to showcase private houses available for let in Dulwich for visitors to the London Olympic Games during July and August 2012.

For further information visit www.London-Property-Rental-2012.com

That's Technology: Tough jobs call for a Toughbook

That's Technology: Tough jobs call for a Toughbook: "Panasonic has launched the Toughbook CF-H2, its second generation, fully rugged tablet PC designed specifically for field workers. Setting n..."

That's Home and Household: Cheaper Power to the People? UK Consumers Fight ba...

That's Home and Household: Cheaper Power to the People? UK Consumers Fight ba...: "Hot on the heels of the news Ofgem, the energy watchdog, is to investigate the “Big Six” energy companies over possible “cartel behaviour” i..."

Facebook advertising cost-per-clicks increased by 22 percent in Q2 2011

Facebook advertising cost-per-click (CPC) rose by 22% in the second quarter of 2011, according to a Global Digital Marketing Performance Report from performance marketing company, Efficient Frontier and its subsidiary, Context Optional, a social marketing management company. Facebook CPCs are expected to reach 80% growth in a year, by the end of 2011.

Findings of the Global Digital Marketing Performance Report include:

• Facebook CPCs up by 22% in Q2 of 2011 over Q1, and this is expected to rise through 2011. If they continue to increase at 20% each quarter, this will result in 80% growth in one year.

• Facebook spend is around five percent that of search spend overall. However, for some advertisers this can peak at 25% during specific promotions, or at key buying times.

• Facebook spend currently is mostly incremental and not cannibalising search. Budget for Facebook is mostly coming from offline media such as TV and print. Efficient Frontier believes that Facebook will show the strongest growth in the months ahead.

• Brands are aggressively acquiring Facebook fans and those brands who are active on Facebook will, on average, double their fan base by October 2011.

• Analysis of 20 million fans managed by the Context Optional platform shows that for every brands post, there were an average of 100 comments per post in response. Brands will greater numbers of fans receive greater number of interaction; on average, each 17,000 fans generates one additional comment per post.

• Search spend growth in Q2 slowed globally, but still showed an eight percent increase year on year (year on year increase in 2010 was 17 percent globally). Search growth in the UK was seven percent year on year. Efficient Frontier believes this slower growth is, in part, the result of:

o advertisers focusing more on ROI than volume
o uncertainty in the Eurozone and the recovery of Japan from the March earthquake. Search is a strong indicator of macro-economic conditions.

• In the UK, Google continues to dominate with a share of 92.5%. (Note: as the Search Alliance is yet to be implemented outside of the US, Efficient Frontier reports Yahoo! and Bing separately.) Yahoo! was the only search engine that had a higher percentage of clicks than spend, reflecting cheaper clicks.

• The travel sector in the UK remains strong, with an 18 percent increase in ROI compared to the same period last year. Spend has increased by two percent. Despite the small spend increase, the sector has seen a 30 percent rise in clicks year on year (the result of a 15-30 percent fall in CPC over the same period), and a nine percent increase in click-through rate from Q1 to Q2 this year, as consumers become more specific in their searching.

Efficient Frontier’s global marketing director, Jonathan Beeston, says: “The biggest increase in spend this year is on Facebook advertising. Over the year, we expect it to have grown by 80% from last year. Budget for Facebook advertising is mostly coming from offline media such as TV and print rather than search.

“If the Yahoo!/Bing Search Alliance renews integration outside of the US next year, then the UK will see the same effect as the US: advertisers will move money towards Yahoo!/Bing to take advantage of ROI improvements.”

Methodology

The analysis was completed based on data from Efficient Frontier search engine marketing customers and the resulting Efficient Frontier Customer Index. The Efficient Frontier Customer Index represents a subset of clients who have spend data for six consecutive quarters or more, whose resulting metrics are then normalised to average industry category contributions established by multiple third party data providers.

For the first time, the report also uses data from Context Optional (which Efficient Frontier acquired in May 2011).

FACTFILE:

Efficient Frontier is a leader in online digital marketing, managing search marketing, display and social media campaigns for advertisers and agencies around the world. Efficient Frontier currently manages well over a $1 billion in annual digital marketing spend on behalf of its clients globally. The largest and most sophisticated advertisers and agencies partner with Efficient Frontier to achieve and sustain optimal digital advertising campaign performance.

In May 2011, Efficient Frontier acquired Context Optional, the leading provider of social marketing management for global brands and agencies. Context Optional’s Social Marketing Suite enables brands to create highly customized social media interactions that generate real value from their fans – through increased mindshare, word of mouth, website traffic and customer service recovery.

The Efficient Frontier/Context Optional combination offers marketers the opportunity to unite customer acquisition and engagement, creating an exponentially greater number of brand advocates across social media properties. Together, Efficient Frontier and Context Optional offer a complete solution for brands to acquire, activate and drive value from fans on Facebook and Twitter. The united Efficient Frontier and Context Optional platforms and aligned service teams ensure flawless execution of social marketing campaigns including strategy, creative, execution and optimisation.

Efficient Frontier is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in New York, Chicago the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and India, and technology licensing partnerships in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. Context Optional is headquartered in San Francisco. Efficient Frontier is a privately held company with funding from Redpoint Ventures and Cambrian Ventures. For more information on Efficient Frontier, visit www.efrontier.com and for Context Optional visit www.contextoptional.com.

If your mobile phone is controlling your life, time to take the control back

If your mobile phone is controlling your life, time to take the control back

If your mobile is controlling you and ruling your life, take control with this amazing new app that costs less than a bottle of water! MaziPhone will become your personal assistant, screening calls and sending polite messages when you’re busy or relaxing.

Then, when you’re ready for business, check your calls and get back to chat. MaziPhone works on all Android phones (2.2 and up) and is designed to put you back in charge without offending anyone. MaziPhone will allow selected callers to get through whilst going into voicemail and sending a text message to others if you choose. Or it can simply block and text all callers for as long as you want. So, whether you’re having lunch, in a meeting or just chilling out, MaziPhone won’t let you lose that business deal, relationship or juicy bit of gossip! It ensures you keep business contacts, loved ones and friends happy and up to speed with where you are until you’re available.

There are four ways to let MaziPhone take the stress out of your mobile:

1. Set MaziPhone to hang up then send a text to the caller. You might say something funny such as, ‘Hey, I’m having a nap right now, will call you when I’m up!’ or use a serious message - ‘I’m in a meeting, if this is urgent please call my home number, thank you.’ Pre-set messages can be up to 160 characters.

2. If you prefer, MaziPhone can just hang up, send no text message and put the caller straight through to your voicemail.

3. Or it can do nothing. This means MaziPhone won't hang up and the last call will be recorded on the homepage widget screen for easy and speedy viewing. Most phones need 2 to 4 clicks to get call history.

4. Or why not select your favourite contacts? This brilliant filter setting allows you to place a check against the contacts you do not wish MaziPhone to block. That means calls from friends, family or important business will come through while others are texted.

If you want to get your life back, put MaziPhone on your mobile. Find out more at www.maziphone.com

The Eco Boiler Range from Angel Springs

The Eco Boiler range by Angel Springs, provides not only huge cost savings, but is also a convenient product which can save in time and efficiency too, particularly in the workplace. And it can help your firm be greener, too.

Angel Springs are the UK’s longest established water cooler company. They also offer a range of water boilers which are both cost saving and useful for frequent use of hot water, such as a busy office kitchen, or canteen with many cups of tea and coffee made daily.

The Eco Boiler lives up to its name in terms of being energy efficient, with electricity being saved each time you use the boiler instead of boiling the kettle. This makes it a great household product for those with environmental concerns.

The Eco Boiler range offers fantastic value for money, and can pay for itself many times over in time.

John Murphy, Commercial Director at Angel Springs points out: “The Eco Boiler range by Angel Springs is yet another way of providing a useful service for our customers in a cost effective way.”

To find out more about the boiler range and take advantage of a free trial, visit www.angelsprings.com or call 0845 370 1177

That's Books: Warwickshire Entrepreneur Becomes #1 Amazon Bestse...

That's Books: Warwickshire Entrepreneur Becomes #1 Amazon Bestse...: "Coventry Entrepreneur and businessman Sean McPheat out sold the likes of Sir Alan Sugar, Sir Richard Branson and Duncan Bannatyne with the l..."

Luxury Magazine Title to Launch in Birmingham

69 Magazine LTD – publishers of youth fashion title, 69 Degrees Magazine - has announced plans to imminently launch a new luxury title in the West Midlands. Taking the tried-and-tested platform of sister title, dluxe LEICESTERSHIRE, which launched to great acclaim last summer, the West Midlands edition – called dluxe BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL - will focus exclusively on Birmingham and its immediate environs - a rarity in the current luxury magazine market and something the publisher is keen to stress.

Group Editor in Chief, Kevin Urquhart, says “It has been a number of years since Birmingham has had a luxury magazine title of its own. There are a great many magazines out there, but none that concentrate solely on the Second City. Birmingham is such a fantastic and vibrant 24-hour city that it justifies a title in its own right. My biggest dilemma will be what NOT to include!”

Content will appeal to the “New generation of Over 40s”, Kevin explains. “dluxe is targeted squarely at the educated and savvy consumer; our aim is not to be prescriptive, but simply give the readers a contemporary, beautifully designed editorial magazine that enhances their lifestyles – it’s our job to give them content that keeps them one step ahead of the Jones’s”.

He continues; “dluxe will cover everything from the latest fashion trends (re-interpreted to suit the more sophisticated reader), to inspirational interiors, celebrity interviews, luxury travel right though to ideas on the very best cultural exploits in the Second City. It’s also, very importantly, not just for the girls. We pride ourselves on creating magazines that fully incorporate the gents, too”.

The launch edition is due out late September and will be available in carefully selected venues in and around Birmingham, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield, as well as through the most exclusive letterboxes. It will be produced quarterly thereafter.

FACTFILE:

69 Degrees was first published in 1999. Fiercely independent, it has gone on to become the region’s most influential voice on ‘youth’ culture, fashion and lifestyle. The same Director team heads up dluxe BIRMINGHAM. It is backed up online at www.69-degrees.co.uk

(EDITOR: As a displaced but fiercely proud Brummie, I will take the opportunity to offer them my very best wishes)

UK Jobs App on iPhone and Android

www.1Job.co.uk has announced the newest update (2.1) to their popular job search application “UK Jobs”. The updated version has already shown itself to be very well-liked, ranking within the Top 10 Free Business Apps for iPhone. The Android Market version of the App is equally popular with a world ranking in the top 20 for the term ‘jobs’.

The UK Jobs App is owned and operated by 1Job.co.uk the UK and Ireland’s Job Search Engine. Using 1Job.co.uk, or the UK Jobs App candidates can search for the very latest jobs advertised on the UK and Ireland’s most popular job sites. The UK Jobs App is claimed to be the ultimate mobile resource for jobseekers on the move helping them to search and find their next job fast, even when away from their PC.

The UK Jobs App features and enhancements include:
- Simple keyword based searching – Find jobs by Job Title and Location.
- Improved and clear navigation – User friendly get straight to the jobs you want.
- Email Jobs – Send yourself jobs for viewing and applying later.
- iOS 4 compatible and Retina display support for iPhone users.

Julian Felstead, the MD of 1Job says, “The efficiency and reliability of the updated app has been dramatically improved. obseekers on the move need the convenience of an effective job search tool and our app provides this simply to them. By harnessing the power of our jobs database the UK Jobs App has access to over 300,000 job opportunities at any time.”

Recruiters and Job Boards can display their vacancies on the UK Jobs App by using 1Job.co.uk for their traffic acquisition. 1Job.co.uk offer a two week free trial of their pay-per-click product to companies displaying more than 50 jobs on their website.

Media and entertainment sectors see 34% rise in staff hirings

A new report indicates a healthy rise in hiring across the media and entertainment sectors for a range of job functions.

Permanent vacancy levels within media and entertainment across all the main business functions: Sales marketing and digital; HR; office support; finance; legal and executive search, have risen by almost 34% in May when compared with the average totals across February, March and April. Temporary roles have decreased slightly which is not surprising given the healthy increase in permanent vacancies.

This is according to specialist media and entertainment consultancy, Handle Recruitment which has just released its second report which tracks the percentage increase/decrease across all of its specialist disciplines.

Marketing roles have increased by 63% with vacancies on both the client and agency side. “The digital space continues to increase in importance within the media and entertainment sectors”, says Dominic Warman Director of Handle’s Marketing Division, “this is driven by the fact that these industries were early adopters of social media.

“There is a real need for people who can effectively create innovative campaigns across multiple platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Foursquare. Creativity on its own is not enough and there is a real emphasis on insight and analysis and those who can really add value to the bottom line. Solid commercial experience and skill sets around measurements and analysis are still key to the media and entertainment sectors.”

Average salaries have remained steady at around £40,000 suggesting a trend towards mid-senior level hires.

Support roles have seen an even bigger upswing - 72% in May compared with the average across previous four months. This is seen as a positive trend suggesting that increasing workloads are driving demand for experienced administrative and office support staff.

The market for finance professionals is incredibly buoyant at the moment with finance departments recruiting heavily within the media and entertainment sectors. “The digitalisation of music, films and books has seen the entertainment industry having to get more creative about the financial solutions to problems around piracy and sales,” says Tom Chadwick Director of Handle’s Finance Division.

Commenting on the results of this report, Peter Tafler, Managing Director said: “While there is no doubt that it is still a very competitive job market, our core markets of TV, film music and media are undoubtedly in the market for talent”

Thats Health: Opportunity to meet the 'new' buyers of Telecare a...

Thats Health: Opportunity to meet the 'new' buyers of Telecare a...: "With public sector health budgets under scrutiny and in some cases in the doldrums, the private healthcare sector has emerged as the new buy..."

Succeed with the power of GroupBuy

An innovative, forward-thinking exhibition display company is continuing to lead the way in event marketing materials, after joining forces with the UK’s first social sharing ecommerce platform, Gloople.

Since 1979, Clip Display, an Exhibition Stand Design & Contractor, has built an enviable reputation for quality, innovation and creativity to become Europe’s leading business to business ‘one stop shop’ exhibition and display manufacturer.

Now the Bristol-based company is pushing its position at the cutting edge of the exhibition supply industry even further, by harnessing the power of social media through Gloople.

Shortlisted for the 2010 Econsultancy Innovation in E-commerce Award, Gloople ‘makes shopping social’ by giving small to medium size retailers the impact of a big brand. Gloople enables SMEs to use social networks to connect with unlimited numbers of potential customers and their online communities of family, friends and colleagues, driving traffic to their online store.

Uniquely, Clip Display has used Gloople to transform their B2B relationship marketing by utilising the GroupBuy function – currently the only company in their sector to offer this. Customers use collective buying power to secure exclusive discounts on selected products, meaning there’s a direct benefit to sharing their purchase – and the ClipDisplay brand – with their immediate network and the wider business community.

Ben Townsend, digital marketing executive and webmaster of Clip Display’s online marketing activity Display Kit Shop, is no stranger to the power of social media, hosting a regular blog to share information on the ever-changing digital world. ‘I like to think I know what I’m talking about,’ said Ben. ‘And I think the potential of GroupBuy – and Gloople as a whole – for the B2B market is phenomenal. Customers have a real incentive to promote products to their wider social networking community – and to come back for more.’

Clip Display customers also have the convenience of signing in via their Facebook account, thanks to Gloople’s integrated store – with the added bonus of securing a 3% discount by doing so. Meanwhile, Gloople’s ‘Refer a Friend’ provides added support through recommendations, and ‘Ratings and Review’ generates positive online ‘buzz’ around their brand.

Easily customised, with three tiered packages and a wide range of fully integrated marketing tools, including group-buy apps, wholesale, portable storefronts and mobile platforms, Gloople allows retailers to create their own customised package of add-on features to suit their business and their customers. Retailers can even turn their customers into online salespeople, giving them the tools they need to promote products and services in return for commission.

With 2011 hailed as the year of social shopping by Gloople founder and social marketing expert Warren Knight, ClipDisplay joins a growing number of businesses using Gloople to stay at the forefront of the online shopping revolution. Are you next?

Gloople offers all new customers a free 7 day trial – no obligation, no credit card details required. Visit www.gloople.co.uk or call 020 3384 6315 for more info and to start transforming your business.

Divine Women Awards

Farmer-owned Fairtrade company Divine Chocolate and ethical jewellers Ingle & Rhode are delighted to announce the winner of the inaugural Divine Women Awards.

48-year-old Carline Ikoroha, is officially named the first ever Divine Woman in the UK for demonstrating a dedication to helping families that knows no bounds. Carline has devoted her life to her local community and over the past 15 years has touched the lives of around 1,000 children.

An Inclusion Mentor in a primary school in Enfield, North London, Carline is focused on supporting children and their parents. She has, without a doubt, made a positive and lasting change to the lives of those she has mentored; but she goes above and beyond her role. A keen volunteer in her spare time, Carline is focused on providing continual support and provision especially for those children that others may find harder to love.

Carline is quietly involved in a range of local voluntary activities and she approaches everything with an unassuming humility. From starting a breakfast club, to running a choir, to campaigning to keep the mobile library open – Carline is focused not on her but on improving the lives of all the children in the community.

Carline was one of six shortlisted finalists in the Divine Women Awards. The Divine judging panel, led by Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age and founder of The Green Carpet Challenge, then had the task of selecting the most Divine Woman. All finalists had amazing stories to tell, but the panel were really struck by Carline and the fact she is such an inspiration to others.

Livia Firth says: “I really admire all the women who were shortlisted for the Divine Women Awards. Every single one of them has made a huge difference in their communities, but Carline Ikoroha is the epitome of a Divine human being, with her selfless attitude and sheer dedication to children, she is a real change maker.”

Carline and the other five finalists all demonstrated passion and determination to improving community life and affecting real and lasting positive change. As the winner, Carline has been awarded a truly divine prize of a bespoke pendant worth over £1,000, made with Fairtrade and Fairmined 18 carat gold from ethical jewellers Ingle & Rhode.

The Pendant is a West African Adinkra symbol called Mpatapo which means peace and harmony, and is used in designs and crafts to represent reconciliation, peacemaking and pacification. Adinkra symbols were originally created hundreds of years ago, and feature on Divine packaging hinting at the Ghanaian ownership of the company. Each symbol has its own meaning and the Mpatapo was chosen by Carline because: “I hope for peace in the family and peace in the world. And I also think it’s important to be peaceful in this busy hectic world, especially with all the bad news you see on TV.”

Carline was presented with her unique Mpatapo pendant by Livia Firth and Sophi Tranchell, MBE and CEO of Divine Chocolate at a celebratory reception at The Gore Hotel in London. On receiving the Award, she said: “My winning this award and this whole event has serious wow factor. My initial thought when I heard my name being announced was to sing!

“I have never done anything like this before and I thank my friend Lisa for nominating me for the award and for coming with me today. And for supporting me in everything; she is my rock. I feel truly honoured to be here amongst the other extraordinary women I have met here today. The Divine Women Awards are celebrating the ordinary, every day things people do. It will probably hit me later when I get back to the real world doing something like the washing up!”
Sophi Tranchell said: “We had some wonderful nominations but to us Carline completely embodied the concept of a ‘Divine Woman’. She has certainly gone the extra mile, mentoring children, setting up a breakfast club, running a choir, introducing children to the excitement of growing and cooking vegetables, helping her church get Fairtrade status, she isn’t just an inspiration in her community, she is the heart of her community. The world would simply be more Divine if there were more people like Carline.”

The awards were designed to mark the centenary of International Women’s Day and to celebrate the amazing achievements of women across the nation.

The other five finalists were:

Anna Wallace – diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer, Anna set up the charity Living Beyond Diagnosis

Lisa Cherry – once living on the streets, Lisa turned her life around and set up Networking Women to help other women make the most of themselves

Janice Jinks – a foster carer for 23 years, Janice has helped around 30 children providing unwavering love and support

Sarah Holmes – single mum of three who persuaded the local council to re-open a community centre in a deprived area

Lucy Newham – when her son Leo was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome, Lucy discovered Downright Excellent, and she has since raised £140,000 in grants to help run sessions and adopt new teaching methods

Divine Chocolate and Ingle & Rhode would like to thank The Gore hotel for hosting this event.

That's Holiday: Stena Line delighted with new routes clearance

That's Holiday: Stena Line delighted with new routes clearance: "Stena Line has expressed its delight at the announcement that its acquisition of the DFDS routes from Belfast to Liverpool (Birkenhead) and ..."