ConferenceCall.co.uk blog – Page 18 – Conference calling made easy

Published May 6, 2019

How to deal with a pay rise request

If business is booming, it’s down to the hard work of both you and your employees. And when things are going well, it’s always good to reward staff for their hard work, maybe with some extra time off, a bonus or even a pay rise.

But while it’s relatively straightforward to offer an employee a pay rise on your own terms, what if an employee comes to you asking for a pay rise, or even demanding one?

Last week, we showed you how to ask for a pay rise, here’s the flip-side – how to deal with a pay rise request.

Guides & How-Tos Small business

business small business

Published March 21, 2019

Is your cyber security up to scratch?

2018 was a big year for cyber attacks, with nearly half of businesses (43%) and a fifth of charities (19%) in the UK experiencing a cyber breach. As if those figures weren’t concerning enough, fewer than a third of businesses (27%) and less than a quarter of charities (21%) have formal cyber security policies in place, according to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2018 from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Here’s how to make sure your company’s cyber security procedures are all up to scratch…

Guides & How-Tos Small business Technology

business cyber security

Published February 8, 2019

Conference call to fight climate change

Global warming could be a more pressing problem than initially thought. A long-term forecasts from the Met Office have revealed that temperatures could temporarily reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time between now and 2023 – levels we weren’t expected to reach until between 2030 and 2052.

It’s a problem we all need to tackle, and here’s how conference calling can help fight climate.

Conference calling News Work from home

conference call work from home

Published January 28, 2019

How to set up a conference call to India

India and the UK have strong cultural and trade links – but trade has deteriorated over recent years and the two countries are no longer strong trade partners, and many big businesses have been put off trading with the country following billion pound tax rows and unpaid fees.

Even so, India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and the UK has a lot to offer India as far as universities, infrastructure and engineering goes, so if you’re not already trading with India, it could be time to start thinking about it.

Sat over 4,000 miles to the east though and keeping in touch could be a problem – but not if you do so via teleconference, or conference call, and ConferenceCall.co.uk is one of the few operators offering low-cost dial-in numbers to India.

And a conference call can be set up in a few simple steps, here’s how…

Is freelancing damaging your mental health?

There are loads of positives to freelancing and working remotely, not least that you can fit your work schedule around other priorities in life – doing away with the nine-to-five means freelancing can be particularly good for parents, who have to factor school runs and childcare into the working day.

A study from Kalido, a professional networking app, has found that as many as half (50%) of all workers are expected to turn freelance in the next two years. It also found that almost two-thirds (64%) of UK-based businesses currently rely on freelance workers in some capacity; and over a third (39%) of business owners predict that their use of freelancers will grow faster than their number of permanent hires in the next five years.

On the face of it, this is great for everyone’s life/work balance, but there’s evidence to suggest that a growth in remote working could lead to an increase in mental health issues, particularly for those who work alone at home.

Flexible working Work from home

flexible working work from home work/life balance

Published November 7, 2018

Why freelancing is great for parents

If you’re a new parent, or you’ve ever had to juggle a job with a baby or a toddler, you’ll know just how much of a hassle it can be.

If you’ve ever worked freelance, had last-minute jobs land on your lap and chase clients for payments, you’ll know how much hassle that can be too.

If you’ve ever done both, it may have surprised you to learn that both can work perfectly together.

Flexible working Work from home

flexible working work from home work/life balance

Published November 2, 2018

11 easy ways to build your business brand

Business is still booming in Britain – in spite of the ongoing Brexit confusion and the increasing likelihood we’ll slide towards leaving with no deal in place.

The vote to leave the EU had an almost immediate impact on the UK, as the pound drop sharply against other currencies, and we’ve seen significant amount of big businesses, including BMW and Land Rover, threaten to pull out of the UK. And it’s not insignificant that Barclays has announced it’ll be moving its HQ to Dublin.

Most worrying of all though, is that there is less than six months to go until the divorce from the EU is complete, and there are still so many unanswered questions! And, despite the rhetoric, no one has any idea what impact leaving the EU will have on businesses – worrying times, especially for the estimated 5.4 million currently plying their trade in the UK, almost all of which (99.3%) are made up microbusinesses and SMEs.

If you’re a business owner, you might feel you need all the help you can get to keep things ticking over, and building your brand is a good way to cement your market share. So if you think you may need a leg up the business ladder, GoDaddy, the world’s largest technology provider dedicated to small businesses, has come up with 11 top tips to help build your brand.

Guides & How-Tos Inspiration

business how to

Published August 1, 2018

Exporting to Thailand – everything you need to know

The third largest economy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten Southeast Asian countries that promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and socio-cultural integration among its members – Thailand is home to over 50,000 British residents, and the export of UK goods is worth around £1.96 billion a year. Service exports from the UK are worth around £708 million annually.

Top exports from the UK to Thailand include:

iron and steel
road vehicles
electrical machinery
power generating machinery and equipment
medicinal and pharmaceutical

If you think the Thai market could be good for your business, here’s everything you need to know about exporting to Thailand.

Around the world Guides & How-Tos Small business

around the world business dial-in numbers guide how to

Published July 25, 2018

Exporting to Switzerland – everything you need to know

Switzerland is a diverse and mature economy, and offers a great opportunity for UK-based businesses – bilateral trade between the two countries is worth £31.9 billion, and Switzerland is the UK’s tenth largest export market, with goods and services exports having grown by 130% in the last five years.

If this sounds like a good opportunity for your business, here’s everything you need to know about exporting to Switzerland.

Around the world Guides & How-Tos Small business

business guide how to

Published July 2, 2018

How to keep your smartphone secure

How much do you trust your smartphone? It might sound like a daft question, but just take a minute or two to think about the sheer volume of sensitive information your phone holds – from banking app logins to business messages and emails – and think how much damage could be done if this information fell into the wrong hands.

So, to help make sure your data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, here’s how to keep your smartphone secure.

Guides & How-Tos Infographics Technology

how to smartphone technology

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