Business Generation

The stakes are high: in our inter-dependent world, we really are all in this together. Greece’s difficulties are our difficulties, and if a solution is not found, the consequences could be extremely serious. Serious, but eerily familiar.

Dawn Holland, an economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, told Channel 4 News: “The worst that can happen is a return to what we saw in 2007-08 in the banking sector. The banks ceased to lend because they were on the brink of bankruptcy. This brought the investment cycle to a standstill.”

This tipped several economies, including Britain, into recession – and it would be the same story if Greece is not dealt with and market confidence restored, she said.

Politicians have to get a handle on Greece.

Channel 4 News asked Paul Kavanagh, a partner at stockbrokers Killik and Co, to imagine the worst.

Read more…

The new Boeing 787 will be delivered to its first customer this week after lengthy delays postponing release over three years. The new Boeing airplane features more comfort, a mostly carbon fiber exterior, and best of all, better fuel efficiency.

Over 800 of the new 787s, being called the dreamliners, have been ordered by airlines. The first one will be delivered to Japan’s All Nippon Airways. The airplane runs at an amazing price of $185 million to $215 million, that’s per airplane. But the dreamliner may be worth the price. It is up to 20 percent more fuel efficient than current airplanes and will allow airlines to open up more routes that are popular, but don’t fill larger planes.

The benefits of the plane don’t just stop with the airlines. Customers will also notice and appreciate the difference in the planes. First, the windows will be larger and higher, allowing for easier viewing of the world below.

Read more…

The world of insurance can be confusing and when you’re a small business, it can be the last thing on your mind. However, without certain types of insurance you would be liable to cover the costs of any claims brought against you, which could be devastating and lead to the collapse of your business.

Public liability is a type of insurance that will cover you in the event that a member of the public or customer brings a claim against you due to damages or injury, whilst you are at their site or they are at your premises. But, if you are self-employed or are a sole trader, do you need public liability insurance?

The legal answer is no, but the best answer would probably be yes. Although it’s not a legal requirement, claims made against a small business cannot be absorbed as they can with a large corporation, so you will end up footing the bill for the claim and all the legal costs yourself. Dep

Read more…

Cloud data integration improves reporting, says Informatica

Provider of fiber-based communications services Level 3 Communications is using Informatica Cloud to improve the company’s business intelligence capabilities, said data integration software provider Informatica.

Level 3 Communications expects Informatica Cloud to provide the company a comprehensive view of both its on-premise and cloud-based data.

Informatica said that by integrating data from Level 3′s on-premise data warehouse with its salesforce.com CRM data, Informatica Cloud enhances the company’s ability to generate comprehensive, accurate and timely sales force management-related reports, which include critical data from salesforce.com.

The company claimed that Informatica Cloud also increases productivity for Level 3 by reducing the time to extract data from salesforce.com.

Level 3 is using Informatica Cloud’s data loading and data replication services as well as Informatica PowerExchange for Salesforce for data synchronisation.

Level 3 was able to provision, configure and deploy Informatica Cloud in less than one week, said Informatica.

Level 3 IT Technology Solutions Delivery senior vice-president Paul Farnsworth said Informatica Cloud provided a fast to deploy, low-maintenance approach for integrating cloud and on-premise data.

“The simplicity and ease of setup enables our IT team and business users to focus more on higher value data analysis and leave the implementation details to Informatica Cloud,” Farnsworth said.

It’s a fact of life in small business today. Where would we be without our computers? If there was once a time when a PC, laptop or notebook was a luxury to the small business owner, well, it’s long passed. So what are the burning issues in small business computing today? We thought we’d put together a roundup to get you started…

Google maps with Google Docs. The technology giant is known for much more than just its search engine and pay-per-click ads these days. Its applications, like Google Docs, are well-known and widely used in the small business world. Here’s how another of the innovative features works.

Google streamlines online advertising. In addition to other functions, you no doubt use your computer for advertising and marketing your business. And while social media marketing has become an increasingly popular trend, Google is also targeting the small business market with Google Express, a service meant to streamline online advertising campaigns.

Read more…

WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve said the economy grew at a slower pace in more parts of the country since the beginning of June as shoppers restrained spending and factory production eased.

“Economic activity continued to grow,” the Fed said in its Beige Book survey released Wednesday in Washington. “However, the pace has moderated in many districts.” Growth slowed in eight of the Fed’s 12 regions, compared with four in the last survey, the central bank said.

The report underscores Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s message to Congress earlier this month that maintaining record monetary stimulus is necessary to bolster the economy. Bernanke left the door open to additional action, including buying more government bonds, should the recovery appear in danger of stalling.

“Economic growth has cooled, not collapsed,” said James O’Sullivan, global chief economist at MF Global Inc. in New York. “The

Read more…