Building a brand is not the sole preserve of large companies – the Coca Colas, Microsofts and BMWs of this world.

Small businesses can also build recognised and trusted brands.

But what is a brand?

A brand is, on one level, the symbol, words or mark that distinguishes a company from its competitors.

But branding is about more than simply the effectiveness of the logo design and font used for the company name. It’s also about the reputation of a company, which is determined by public perception of the product or service, customer service and increasingly, it’s social and environmental credentials.

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The UK's banks have spent more than two years asserting vehemently that their overdraft fees were fair and just.

Now the dam seems to have burst.

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From Entrepreneur.com: Stop startup problems before they even begin.

Here are five common mistakes that can sabotage your business - and how to avoid them.

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A new report published today reveals that the current trend towards banning personal internet use in the workplace could be costing British businesses up to £4bn every year[1] due to a resulting decline in staff productivity. 

The report by PopCap Games, proves that, far from distracting employees from their work, taking a 10-minute online break during the course of the working day serves to reduce stress while sharpening and refocusing the mind.

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From Businessweek: For both groups, flexibility, adaptive capacity, and ability to perform are of paramount importance.

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From NJBIZ: Even SBA-backed lenders are reigning in their loans

The credit crunch that has been squeezing the economy has now caught the franchise industry in a vise.

“I’m sitting on mounds of loan applications, but banks are holding back,” says Nirav Mehta, a franchise broker in Warren who helped clients get about $150 million in bank loans last year. This year, he says he will be lucky if the total breaks $100 million.

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Of all the clichés in business journalism, describing a sector as “set for growth” among the most overused.
 
But if the description can be applied to any part of the UK sector, then it can surely be applied to recycling.

As the nation generally becomes more environmentally aware, both companies and individuals are looking to minimise the amount of waste they produce – a trend intensified by pressure from the EU.

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From the New York Times: Books aimed at the small business and entrepreneur audience far too often fall into two categories.

There is the “how I made $27 trillion in business, and you can too,” genre or the ones that say you only need to take care of customers (or cash flow or sales or something else) and you will be the envy of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

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Recession can bring with it opportunities as well as threats.

And even if starting up a new business when the economy is shrinking does prove to be a baptism of fire, it could strengthen you in the long run. If you survive, think how well you’ll perform when the good times return.

Here are some of the ways you can withstand a recession when you start a new business.

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Men are more likely to give negative reviews to UK businesses than women.

– Women more likely to recommend businesses to friends/colleagues
– Women prioritise quality over value for money
– Men give UK businesses 15% lower ratings than their female counterparts

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With the economy heading for the rocks, owners of businesses selling luxuries and non-essentials might be worried.

After all, it seems obvious that in tough economic times people will cut back on such goods.

However, it might not be as bad as you think. A story on the BBC today suggests the effects of recession on consumer demand are not always predictable.

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A culture of desk dining and feeling guilty for taking a full lunch hour exists in offices across the UK, according to a Reed Employment poll of almost 5,000 workers registered on www.reed.co.uk this month.

-          18% of workers take a full lunch break
-          44% dine at their desks –
-          41% feel guilty if they take a full hour

A staggering eight out of ten workers take less than 30 minutes lunch break each day and only 18% take a full hour.  A total of 44% of employees dine at their desks every day, even though 71% state that their company provides an area where they can take a break away from their desks.

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From the Financial Post (Canada): The majority of business owners could be headed for disaster this year.

Small business does best when it acts like small business. It does poorly when it blindly attempts to copy big business.

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From Businessweek: You may depend on a sliver of the year for the bulk of your business. Here's how to maximize the rest of it.

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According to a report published by the British Sandwich Association, the SUBWAY® Chain, maker of the world famous Sub, has hit the number one spot in the UK for sandwich sales - with nearly double the sales of its nearest competitor.

The great news coincides with British Sandwich Week, 11-17 May, which celebrates an industry worth a staggering £5 billion. According to the report, The SUBWAY® Chain has smashed all previous industry sales figures and its sandwich sales of £300m are nearly double that of Tesco which comes in second.

Subway has smashed all previous industry sales figures with its sandwich sales of £300m.

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From Management Today: Doug Richard has published his study of UK business support - and it makes grim reading for Gordon Brown...

The ex-Dragon, who heads the Conservative Party’s Small Business Taskforce, has just completed a wide-ranging review of the various support services on offer to start-ups and small businesses – and he didn’t like what he found. Richard said the current system – which involves a staggering 3,000 different services run by 2,000 different providers –  was ‘overly complex, ineffective and undirected’ and thinks that the whole thing needs a total overhaul.

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From Businessweek: Accidental entrepreneur Bob Williamson's personal turnaround led to the creation of his 180-employee, $26 million company.

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Investor/Partner in Fashion Chain Required
Investor or equity partner required to help expand the business and increase profits. Must have financial management skills. 

Run Your Own eBay Business
Sell popular goods without having to buy them first. UK dropship company offers “excellent profits”.

Textile Business For Sale
Home-based business with offshore manufacturing, website, inventory, etc. Patented textile product has
potential for global sales. 

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Video From The Times: The CEO of Marrone Organic Innovations explains why it is best to hire people who share your values.

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"The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape."
Bono, U2 frontman

"If you don't act now while it's fresh in your mind, it will probably join the list of things you were always going to do but never quite got around to. Chances are you'll also miss some opportunities."
Paul Clitheroe, Australian television presenter, financial analyst and financial adviser

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