News

November 29, 2013

Also in the news this week – 29 November 2013

Managers use too much business jargon

Office workers are frustrated by excessive use of business jargon, according to a survey of 2,500 workers conducted by Jurys Inn Hotels and CrossCountry trains. 39% of respondents said the excessive use of business jargon was their number one pet hate in business. Managers are the most excessive users of jargon according to 23%, followed by sales (21%). However, 55% admit to using business jargon themselves, with "close of play" being the most used term (16%), followed by "thinking outside the box" (16%). "Going forward" (15%) is the third most popular phrase.

SMEs borrowing more on credit cards

New findings from the latest BDRC Finance Monitor for SME lending reveal a continued rise in the use of credit cards by small firms, from 15% in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 20% in the third quarter of this year. In the same period, overdraft use has fallen from 20% to 16%. The report also highlights a slight dip in confidence among SMEs in the past quarter – in Q2, 51% of small firms were looking to grow their businesses in the next 12 months. In Q3, that figure has dropped to 47%.

New top level domains released

Seven new generic top level domains (gTLDs) – including .bike, .clothing, .guru and .plumbing, are now available as part of a "sunrise" period aimed at trademark owners and will become publicly available from January 2014. "We anticipate significant demand for these TLDs," said Jan Corstens, project director of Trademark Clearinghouse. "Trademark owners have a first mover advantage, by being given the opportunity to secure web addresses that match their marks ahead of others."

Last chance to apply for Round 5 of Regional Growth Fund

UK businesses have just over a week left to apply for a share of £300 million from Round 5 of the Regional Growth Fund before the deadline at midday on Monday 9 December 2013. Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said: "I would encourage any businesses that can generate significant private sector investment and sustainable jobs to bid for a share of the £300 million available from the fund." The Government has already supported over 400 projects with £2.6 billion from the RGF. Round 6 of the Regional Growth Fund will be launched in the summer of 2014.

Business owners rely on apps on daily basis

More SME owners are relying on mobile apps to run their businesses, as 51% say they spend at least two hours a day working from their mobile devices, according to a survey by PeoplePerHour. The research found that 66% of SME owners said that without smartphone apps they would find it difficult to run their businesses effectively on the go. In addition, 76% said they use smartphone apps on a daily basis. 53% said they regularly used social media management apps and 23% rely on apps to manage their time.