Business Generation

Now that you are past the holiday sales rush and fully into the swing of the new year, you should have a strategy in place already to save your business money through your budget.

If you haven’t prepared your money-saving strategies yet, don’t worry. There is still plenty of time to start saving on expenses and increase your profits for the year! Here are a few tips.

Save the Lights

The lights in your office, retail store, or warehouse may not be on your radar during work and off hours. However, when the lights are on and not in use, it wastes money. The first step is to install energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs in your lighting fixtures. These bulbs can last up to 10 times longer than standard iridescent bulbs.

Part two of saving the lights is installing motion sensors in your building spaces. The

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Taking your business onto the worldwide web is a great way to grow and expand your company. Just because you run an established and successful business does not mean it is too late to continue to grow on the Internet. And even if you are just getting started, bringing your goods and services onto the ‘net is a fantastic way to get the word out there.

One of the best parts about taking your business online is that you’ll no longer be limited by physical boundaries. There was once a time when the things you bought had to be purchased only at establishments that you could actually travel to. The advent of the catalog and reliable mail delivery changed this, but the Internet revolutionized it.

Now, there is virtually no limit to where in the world your business can go. Conduct an online bidding war that has a man in China battling with a teenager from Topeka, Kansas over a rare baseball card. Sel

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PROVIDENCE – The crash rate for vehicles on Atwells Ave. is 400 percent higher than comparable areas nationally, while the injury crash rate is 250 percent higher than average, according the report Atwells Avenue Pedestrian Road Safety Assessments.

The report, prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. and commissioned by the city, uses traffic, speed and crash data and includes input from local business owners and officials.

About 17,000 vehicles per day cross the stretch of Atwells Avenue from Bradford Street to Knight Street and more than 1,000 vehicles during the peak hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; congestion is particularly problematic from Thursday through Saturday during the evenings.

“Conflicts such as motorists looking for parking, pedestrian crossings at multiple locations, combined with queues from the Dean Street intersection are major factors that contribute to this congestion,” the report said.

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The Mayo Wynne Baxter Corporate Challenge has been set up for Sussex-based organisations to race against each other in the Brighton Marathon.

To date, 14 businesses have signed up, including official sponsors, law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter. Head of marketing Jason Edge, said: It doesn’t matter how big or small your organisation is the race will be just as tough.”

With 15,000 competitors and an estimated 100,000 spectators, Brighton Marathon is fast becoming a landmark event for the county. Individual places for the marathon on April 10 have sold out so the Mayo Wynne Baxter Corporate Challenge is now the only way of entering the race.

To qualify for the Corporate Challenge, organisations must have a base in Sussex and enter a team of a minimum of three employees.

There is a cost of £ 45 per team member.

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Your small business can earn significantly more revenue if you accept credit cards from your customers. Though taking credit card payments increases your ability to accept payment from customers or clients, it also means paying a premium for the convenience. What are the considerations you should keep in mind when opting to set up a credit card merchant account?

First, what is a merchant account? Having a merchant account requires you to work with a credit card processor who handles the actual gateway between your customers’ credit card, your bank, and Visa & MasterCard (and Discover and American Express, if you so choose).

Conduct Your Processor Research

The first thing to consider before making a final decision on a merchant account is do plenty of research. Compare different credit card processors, especially on the basis of the other considerations noted below. S

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A business expert and best-selling author is sharing her knowledge.

Emma Jones, founder of home-workers’ website Enterprise Nation, will speak to Brighton and Hove entrepreneurs at a one-off free event next week.

She will be give tips to those who are thinking about launching a start-up venture.

Ms Jones will be joined by other local entrepreneurs at the event at Hove Staples on Davigdor Road, on February 16.

Jo Godden, who holds down a day job as a designer for ethical underwear company Pants to Poverty, will speak about the launch of Ruby Moon, which aims to raise funds to help entrepreneurial women in developing countries, next month.

Dan Wilson, author of Make Serious Money on eBay UK, will talk about online retailing.

On the evening, £1,000 worth of Staples vouchers will be up for grabs to help give prospective new businesses the best possible start.

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