MANY months of lobbying on behalf of the Federation of Small Businesses Scotland’s 20,000 members recently paid off as the Scottish Government stuck to its manifesto commitment and implemented the Small Business Bonus.

THIS summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing will be a focal point for business travel from the UK, with companies looking to seize the commercial opportunities surrounding the event or simply sending clients and senior staff to enjoy the sport.

THE negative image of the youth of today cannot help but influence the views of employers across the country. However, one north-east company has proved that young people can be a huge asset. Liam Shearer, 20, is helping his employer not only to grow, but expand its services by launching an innovative new product throughout Europe.

DUE diligence has become commonplace in modern business as society has become more litigious.

CHANCELLOR Alistair Darling faced a difficult balancing act this year, with the risk that tax rises would potentially damage growth but the pressure of a widening deficit preventing a tax giveaway. So a neutral, “steady as you go” Budget was always likely. That proved to be the case, with the net effect of the Budget policy decisions being less than £1billion.

THERE will have been much celebrating among business owners and their advisers in recent weeks as they battled to get transactions completed before the deadline of April 6, when capital gains tax (CGT) almost doubled.

ABERDEEN and the surrounding area is an incredibly successful economic region, with people being attracted to the area from home and abroad due to the wide range of career opportunities. Valentina Colon works in business development for Aberdeen-based Hydro Group. She studied international business at Stirling University after moving from her home country of Venezuela. Valentina was first introduced to Hydro by a British Council initiative which places international professionals with Scottish companies.

MANY people associate business success with maximising their potential through progressing as far as possible within a sole, specific industry.

GLOBALISATION can be said to have arrived when events in New York can affect business in New Deer – but can they?

THE Procol Harum hit, A Whiter Shade of Pale, is famous for its distinctive organ solo, but the English Court of Appeal has reversed the decision to award 40% of the musical copyright to Matthew Fisher, the man responsible for the solo.

IF IT’S true that people are an organisation’s greatest asset and the source of its competitive advantage, then surely they should come pretty high up the priority list when it comes to merger and acquisition activity.

WE ARE now well into April and, with a new tax year started, there is no better time for small businesses to spend time spring cleaning their finances to help have a successful 2008.

IT IS exceedingly rare these days for Scotland to lead the way in introducing competition into public services.

WHO is your employer?

Thursday, April 24 – Speed networking event, Glen Mhor Hotel, Inverness.

STARTING a business is, for many people, the fulfilment of their dreams, but it is not an immediate ticket to untold riches and a life of idleness – far from it.

UP TO eight million people in the UK run a commercial operation from their own home – and the strong indication is that this number will increase sharply.

COMPANIES of all sizes, and operating in all industries, use technology to support their business and must continuously evaluate how this technology can provide a competitive advantage in a demanding and rapidly evolving marketplace.

SLOPPY attention to office working conditions could cost employers thousand of pounds in compensation, an office interior-design agency has warned.

THROUGHOUT the UK, 1.4million people are employed via agencies.

SPECIALIST corrosion, integrity and inspection firm iicorr recently carried out a restructuring by appointing seven new business managers and creating new business units to support future growth.

THE increasing number of people turning their lives around by choosing to start up a new business is highlighted in the Barclays Trading Places Awards.

WRITING a winning tender is one of the most challenging parts of business development and some question whether the time spent is actually worth it.

RECENTLY introduced rules on age discrimination risk discouraging companies seeking to employ older workers, a leading pensions lawyer has warned.

MORE than 15,000 ex-service personnel join the civilian job market through the Career Transition Partnership every year. Aberdeen-based Electro-Flow Controls (EFC) is one firm which has embraced this skilled workforce.

AS THE global credit crunch continues to bite, it’s not just the corporate giants which are feeling the squeeze.