Video from Businessweek: Henrik Vejlgaard, author of Anatomy of a Trend, explains how to judge whether the latest fashion is a trend with legs or just a passing fad.

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From Ohio.com: Set your own hours as boss but the costs can be high.

Michael Whalen's road to franchise ownership started three years ago, when he was stuck in a corporate meeting in Arizona.

A well-traveled director of print and document operations for 200 OfficeMax stores, Whalen took a break to check in on his son's fifth-grade basketball championship game back home in Stow.

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Technology and more time off is top of  Christmas wish list.

Three quarters (72%) of UK businesses are confident about the future prospects in the New Year according to a Christmas poll from The Orange SMS Business Jury. New equipment or technology and extra holidays are top of the UK’s business wish list for Christmas this year, however six respondents (2%) did ask for a new PA!

When asked what is most likely to impact on business performance in 2008, businesses identified the credit crunch and weaker customer confidence (both at 23%) as likely to have the biggest impact.

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The costs of a data breach can be considerable - just ask Gordon Brown.

Apart from the easily calculable financial costs such as notification costs and loss of business, there's the less tangible threats to a company’s brand and continuity.

To avoid what sometimes amounts to operational paralysis, an organisation’s leaders need to follow some basic guidelines.

ID theft expert Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll Fraud Solutions, has front-line experience helping today’s businesses safeguard against and respond to data breaches.  

Below he offers 10 tips about how to protect yourself and your customers from fraud. 

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Addiction to business self-help books is causing a shortage of leadership skills among UK managers, says one workplace expert.

Millions of pounds are spent on management guides each year in the UK and, with 111,994 business management titles currently listed on online bookstore Amazon, they are sure to be popular stocking fillers.

Stephen Seymour, of leading HR, training and recruitment consultancy the Urquhart Partnership, believes books are great novelty gifts but not useful for practical business advice.

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From BusinessWeek: Why it's time to replace your company's bulky mission statement with a vision concise enough to fit on the back of a napkin.

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Robert Ward knows a little something about starting, selling and buying businesses having done all three with the same business.

He started the financial services business Robert Ward & Associates in 1984, sold it in 2003 to a sport and media company, and bought it back for a fraction of what he paid three years later when its owner went into liquidation.

Well qualified to speak about the subjects, Robert offers BOB his advice to prospective buyers and sellers, as well as people setting up their own business.

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New research shows incompetent interviewing skills are blamed for poor employee performance and bottom line results.

*       74% of people within business use poor interviewing techniques
*       35% of poor interviewing techniques result in poor performance in employees
*       24% believe it affects bottom line
*       33% of interviewers are poorly trained
*       25% of interviewers spend more than 40 minutes preparing for an interview

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UK owner managers are breathing a sigh of relief as a result of yesterday’s interest rate reduction to 5.5%.

New research from entrepreneur think tank, the Tenon Forum, reveals that nearly a quarter (22%) of UK owner managers surveyed say their company has been negatively affected by interest rates at the previous rate of 5.75%, so the quarter per cent drop will provide some welcome respite.

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From Businessweek: Housing collapsed. The dollar sank. Oil rose. The Dow fluctuated. Britney imploded.

At least there was the iPhone and a Police reunion tour.

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From Entrepreneur.com: Take the guesswork out of franchising with answers to these top 10 franchise questions - guaranteed to put you in the know.

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From BusinessWeek: Bakery Barn saw explosive growth in five short years, becoming a $6 million company. Now the founder thinks it's time for a new leader.

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Some of Britain’s leading female entrepreneurs have had their achievements recognised and celebrated at the annual NatWest everywoman Awards. 

Founded in 2003 by everywoman, the leading organisation for women in business, and sponsored by NatWest, the Awards recognise and celebrate Britain’s most inspiring female business owners.

The winners were honoured at a lavish ceremony at The Dorchester hosted by BBC presenter, Fiona Bruce and attended by Awards Patron Dame Mary Perkins and Elle Macpherson along with some 300 women of achievement, including pioneering women from industry, female entrepreneurs and representatives from government.

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From the Miami Herald: It didn't take David Lopez long to figure out the last thing he wanted was to be just another cog in a corporate wheel.

During his freshman year at the University of Central Florida while completing an internship at a Fortune 500 business, Lopez, now 26, was marched into the company cafeteria with his co-workers and informed that 50 would be fired on the spot. No questions asked. Clean out your desk. Go home.

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Just like great comedians, great entrepreneurs often come in pairs.

We've profiled Filo and Yang, Saatchi and Saatchi and Page and Brin on these pages before.

Here's another three successful business duos.

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According to a widely reported CBI survey, almost half of SME owners may put their businesses up for sale before April 2008 in order to avoid controversial increases in capital gains tax (CGT) under pre-Budget proposals.

But the pitfalls of selling a business in a hurry could actually wipe out the benefits of paying the current, lower CGT rate – warns Lindsay Pentelow, tax partner at international accountancy and advisory firm Mazars.

Lindsay points out that business owners considering a fast sale should keep in mind the following points: 

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"Leadership requires no introduction, because your Officers will acquire it by following your personal example, and because you will, it is hoped, give them every chance to acquire it."

Taken from The Royal Navy Officer’s Pocket-Book, 1944

Just released by Conway, The Royal Navy Officer’s Pocket-Book, 1944 is an authentic presentation of life in the wartime navy and issues of leadership, discipline and initiative.  

It's quite amusing, but the lessons are barely less valid now than they were in Britain at the tail end of World War Two.

Here are a few other suggestions and tips.

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From Businessweek: Your new business needn't be one of the countless ventures that don't make it to year two.

Veteran entrepreneur Barry Thomsen offers tips.

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