Coventry Best 4 Business

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today unveiled a package of measures designed to address the cash flow, credit and investment needs of small and medium businesses.

The support package, which builds upon the commitments outlined in November's Pre Budget Report, consists of loan guarantees and a new Enterprise Fund aimed at helping companies struggling to access finance for working capital and investment.

The Government measures include:

• A £10bn Working Capital Scheme, securing up to £20bn of short term bank lending to companies with a turnover of up to £500m
• An Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, securing up to £1.3bn of additional bank loans to small firms with a turnover of up to £25m
• A £75m Capital for Enterprise Fund (£50m from Government augmented by £25m from the banks) to invest in small businesses which need equity

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:

But design is a powerful tool in a downturn.

Research by the Design Council shows that more than half of the UK’s businesses:

• ... are looking to design their way out of downturn
  Over half (54%) of the firms in our survey thought design would contribute to a large or great extent in helping maintain their competitive edge in the current economic climate.
• ... think design is more important now
  Similarly, 53% thought that design had become more important in helping the firm to achieve its business objectives over the last three years.
• ... think design is integral to the economic performance of the UK
  The same number agreed or strongly agreed that design is integral to the country’s future economic performance.
  

   

Fortunes can change for any business – large or small – sending a once successful and thriving operation into decline. Shifts in the economy, in consumer sentiment or changes in the marketplace are just a few of the factors that might leave a company in trouble and unsure how to get back on track. Even mighty corporations such as McDonald’s or entire industries like the Swiss watch industry have fallen foul of changes in the market, but both responded through an investment in design and innovation which helped to turn their fortunes around

In the last couple of years, Facebook has gone from a college photo-sharing site to a burgeoning business- networking platform for self-promotion, advertising and multimedia interaction. With new apps and add-ons, Facebook users can send each other a virtual drink, create and host events, advertise their businesses through social ads, and more. When Charlie Gibson hosted the debate for the 2008 presidential candidates along with Facebook, the little networking site became a powerhouse in the online-marketing community.

If you're thinking of tapping into the Facebook crowd for some high-profile advertising, take a look at this list of 100 tools and tips that will help you maximize all of the applications and opportunities that Facebook has to offer.

The Government proposes to introduce legislation in Finance Bill 2009 to provide a temporary extension to the loss relief rules for trading losses of both corporate and unincorporated businesses.