Category Archives: ISPs

Struggling Jobs Market Doesn’t Stop Entrepreneurs

Despite the challenging economic times entrepreneurs are helping to guide the UK economy through these difficult times, as both freelancers fight back against the high unemployment rates and new start up business look set to boost the national GDP significantly.

As a result of unemployment in the UK steadily increasing, as well as the number of unemployed people currently being the highest since 1994, research has shown that a significant amount of people are turning to freelance work, in an attempt to earn money – an increase of 12% since 2008. With the number of freelancers and new business owners on the rise, amidst a struggling jobs market, the strong business spirit is helping us all to avoid a future recession, and to make the very best of a bad situation.

In the current challenging economic environment, businesses are keen to reduce fixed costs costs, often by reducing the number of fixed staff they employ, and are instead employing freelancers. With freelancers working on flexible, short-term contracts, they are paid on a per work basis and are therefore not paid for the times when they aren’t needed, helping to minimise overheads.

This has of course shaken up the freelance industry, with a large amount of work available from many different companies. Whether it be a large retail company looking for a web designer to design and host their website, or an office based company needing a professional to undertake some administrative duties, it seems that outsourcing is the way to go about it, with more outsourcing websites setting up each month.

With many of the websites offering payment and project management platforms, as well as a whole host of other support, it’s a hassle-free way for those with the right skills to earn a sole income, or to supplement their income.

Many people who have been made redundant now seek work through outsourcing websites, in order to continue earning money during a challenging economic time. The amount of people freelancing in this way shows that they’re actively fighting the economic environment, and boosting the UK economy at the same time.

Furthermore, a recent survey has suggested that Britain’s newest start-up businesses are set to add hundreds of millions of pounds to the national economy next year, with outsourcing being the concept that looks set to continue leading the way. The survey, commissioned by T-Mobile and carried out by the Henley Business School, estimated that technologically-focused small businesses launched in 2011 could generated a combined £360m for the UK economy in 2012, generating somewhere in the region of 70,000 jobs.

Outsourcing websites have made it easy for freelancers, from freelance web designers to freelance graphic designers, to find work, whilst also providing businesses with a cheaper alternative in getting their workload and business functions completed. Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “OutsourceMyProject provides a useful service to freelancers and UK businesses. Our website connects freelance professionals with businesses looking to outsource their workload, and provides them with a platform to manage and complete their jobs. We’ve noticed that sign-ups to the site have increased rapidly over the past 12 months, which is undoubtedly a sign of strengthening freelance marketplace.”

Via EPR Network
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Plusnet to sponsor Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5

Plusnet, the Sheffield-based broadband provider, has announced that it is to sponsor the new series of Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5.

Celebrity Big Brother returns on January 5th for a second run, and Plusnet will sponsor the three week run. Plusnet credits will appear on Celebrity Big Brother and CBB’s Bit On The Side, with additional branding online and on short-form content at the official Facebook site, as well as on mobile and iPad.

Nick Rawlings, Commercial Director at Plusnet added: “We’re delighted to be kicking off 2012 with such a cracking TV sponsorship, bringing our brand to a whole new audience.”

The launch night of 2011 Celebrity Big Brother was Channel 5’s highest rating show of 2011 with audiences peaking at 5.6m.

The deal was brokered between Maxus and Channel 5, and creative is being produced by Karmarama.

Agostino Di Falco, Partnerships Director, Channel 5 said: “Celebrity Big Brother will reach more young adults than any other programme in January. The show kick starts Channel 5’s year, and it’s great to see Plusnet thinking along the same lines in developing this partnership”.

Channel 5 was launched as Britain’s fifth and final terrestrial broadcaster on the 31st March 1997.

Currently well over 30 million UK viewers watch Channel 5 any given week tuning in for programming as diverse as the CSI franchise, Extraordinary People, Fifth Gear, live UEFA Europa League Football, Home and Away and Neighbours.

Via EPR Network
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Private Firms Should Follow The Lead Of The Public Sector, Says OutsourceMyProject

Businesses in the private sector should follow the example set by an increasing number of public sector bodies and consider outsourcing.

That’s according to one of the UK’s leading outsourcing marketplaces, OutsourceMyProject.com, which says the number of organisations now looking at outsourcing in a bid to reduce their cost base is proof that bringing in the right external specialists can make a big difference.

IT services, finance, HR, payroll and logistics are all areas that are being outsourced by public sector organisations.

Loren Holland, managing director of OutsourceMyProject, said: “The large number of local councils and public organisations including police forces and fire services that have started outsourcing in recent months in a bid to reduce costs in the face of budget cuts shows how much of a difference the right professional services provider can make.

“At OutsourceMyProject.com we see first-hand how much companies are saving by enlisting the help of specialists. The fact that councils and other public bodies are making the same business decisions is further evidence of the crucial and growing role that specialists such as freelance web designers and freelance content writers play in helping businesses to remain competitive across a huge variety of sectors.”

The tender process for public contracts can often be extensive, with organisations spending many months ensuring they enter into a deal with the right partner. Loren said it is just as important for private businesses to make the right decision when it comes to choosing a professional services provider.

He said: “While most firms will not be dealing with 10-year contracts worth millions of pounds, it is still vital for the good of the company to ensure that the external specialist charged with completing a project is reliable and will finish everything on time and to the required standard. Posting a job through OutsourceMyProject ensures that you are always connected to the best freelancers in the business.

Via EPR Network
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OutsourceMyProject Breaks The £1million Barrier

OutsourceMyProject, a UK web based marketplace which allows businesses to outsource work and business functions to freelancers and professionals in the UK and aboard, has just broken a major barrier after having £1 million worth of projects posted on the website since its launch.

OutsourceMyProject launched at the start of 2011 and has already helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and small businesses find a freelancer in service categories such as web design, e-commerce, graphic design, copywriting and administrative support.

OutsourceMyProject is a marketplace which connects skilled professional freelancers and professional service providers with UK businesses seeking to use their services. The website can be used to find and work with a variety of experts from web designers to translators, graphic designers to accountants.

Customers simply post their job on the OutsourceMyProject website, which is completely free of charge, and then receive proposals from experts within hours. The site provides the platform to evaluate and manage service providers with concerns over ability and experience of providers being mitigated by the websites comprehensive feedback and rating system. Furthermore, OutsourceMyProject.com also provides a range of web-based tools to ensure confidence in the execution of your project. These include an online payment platform, project management facility and messaging system to ensure open and clear communication between both parties, all within the safety of the OutsourceMyProject.com website.

Loren Holland, Managing Director OutsourceMyProject said: “Breaking the £1 million barrier within a year of launching the website is a major achievement and one we are all very proud of. This achievement is testament to the value proposition OutsourceMyProject offers small and SME businesses and the strength of the UK freelancing and outsourcing markets at the present time.”

The concept of outsourcing and the use of freelancers to provide essential business services have proved to be a lifeline for many companies over recent years, and this looks set to continue as we face a double dip recession. These difficult economic times have made it more important than ever for companies to tighten their purse strings and streamline their operations. Rather than employ new staff on a full-time basis, specific projects can be completed by freelancers, with exactly the right skills and experience, on flexible contracts.

The number of freelancers registering with OutsourceMyProject has tripled over the past six months. The website attracts everyone from unemployed skilled professionals looking to earn a primary source of income to retired workers and students looking to supplement their income. The website is becoming an essential platform for the UK freelance market, helping them connect with businesses seeking their skills and expertise.

One early customer looking to find a freelance web designer on OutsourceMyProject was Manchester based Edge Worldwide Logistics. Director Philip Edge said: “We posted our job on OutsourceMyProject and received over 20 offers to redevelop our company website from specialists in the UK, India and other offshore locations, all at a significantly lower price than I had budgeted for.”

Via EPR Network
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How To Survive A Double Dip Recession

With a double dip recession looking likely, businesses are streamlining themselves more than ever before, in an attempt to ensure the struggling economy doesn’t cause the closure of their business.

Cutting everything from staff head counts to workloads, businesses are keen to reduce costs by re-thinking their everyday operations and processes. One example of the type of change being made by businesses is that they are reducing the number of fixed staff they employ, and are instead working with freelancers. With freelancers working on flexible, short-term contracts, they are paid on a per work basis and are therefore not paid for the times when they aren’t needed, helping to minimise overheads.

Delegating work to freelancers in this way is called outsourcing, whereby an outsider is used to provide the product or service needed by the company in question. There are many different business functions that can be outsourced to freelancers, including everything from a company’s finance and account functions, to web design and other IT functions. Outsourcing work enables companies to cut their fixed overheads, by replacing in-house teams with third party organisations and/or freelancers.

The recent economic climate has resulted in potentially the strongest freelance market ever, with many professionals offering their services on flexible contracts, as these skilled individuals look to gain or supplement their income after losing their permanent job, or having their income reduced during these difficult financial times. With today’s society facing such economic uncertainty, freelance work can provide both greater stability and flexibility than a full-time job can offer, which is just one of many reasons working in this way is as popular as it is.

OutsourceMyProject is an ideal site to find freelancers and professional service providers who are capable of undertaking projects and business functions. Furthermore, the site provides a platform to not only find, but also evaluate and manage service providers and projects. Concerns over ability and experience of providers are mitigated by the websites comprehensive feedback and rating system. OutsourceMyProject also provides users with a safe payment escrow service to provide maximum protection to its users.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “Outsourcing is an increasingly popular concept and the benefits have the capability to protect a business during the potential double dip recession. It is essential to operate a streamline business in the current economic environment whilst also maintaining access to skilled professionals who can sustain a business’s front and back office functions. ”

He went on to say: “OutsourceMyProject is a website that connects businesses with freelancers and professional companies looking to offer their services. Customers post their jobs free of charge and receive offers from experts within hours. If you need a freelance web designer or freelance copywriter, to name just a few specialist categories, then we have hundreds of experts waiting to provide their services through OutsourceMyProject, at the most competitive rates. Best of all, posting a job to find a freelancer to complete work is completely free with no hidden costs.”

One recent customer of OutsourceMyProject was Midlands based firm Stephen Gaskets Ltd, who posted their search engine optimization (SEO) project. Rex Baynton the Managing Director of Stephens Gaskets Ltd, said: “We posted our project on OutsourceMyProject and within a few days had received over 20 offers and had appointed a freelance SEO expert. After just a matter of weeks we witnessed a drastic increase in orders via Google, as a result of the excellent work completed by the freelancer we appointed.”

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Plusnet Reveals Older Generations Are More Tech Savvy Than The Youth

A Plusnet study* has revealed that despite 59%** of UK households owning internet enabled PCs, over a quarter (27%) are not familiar with terms such as bandwidth, Wi-Fi, cursor, router and download.

Dispelling the myth that it is youngsters who are most tech savvy of all, the research by the business broadband provider found it was those over 55 who scored well with jargon-busting, as 72% claim they understand all of the terms perfectly. Exactly 39% of 16-24 year olds did not have a clue about these expressions, which is much more than the national statistic of 27%.

Over a fifth (22%) of those aged over 55 have taken lessons on how to use the internet, compared to only 8% of 16-24 year olds, showing that it is not just the older generations who should make use of such classes. Despite widespread belief that the older generations aren’t too confident with technology, when it comes to the internet, they are on par or even more self-assured than those in the younger age brackets.

Sending emails and shopping online are the stronger areas for those aged over 55, with 96% and 91% claiming confidence with these activities, compared to 94% and 83% amongst 16-24 year olds respectively. Online bingo however is something that the younger generations are big on, much more so than the older generations, with 50% of those aged 16-24 confidently playing online compared to only 24% of those over 55.

Talking about the survey, Jamie Ford, CEO of Plusnet said: “It just goes to show that despite the growing online literacy in the UK, people are still unsure of certain key terms and uses for the Internet. An interesting finding from our research is the increased knowledge of the over 55’s who have perhaps had to go out independently and source online learning through support sessions in their local community.”

“Although youngsters have greater exposure to the internet through their communication habits and means of education, it is the older segment of the audience who are making the effort to get to grips with the net, and therefore learning more about how it all works. Perhaps this Christmas it will be the grandparents’ turn to show the grandkids how to use their new gaming console or e-book.”

Via EPR Network
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Plusnet And “Go ON Sheffield” Help Hundreds To Get Online

Plusnet volunteers have assisted at a number of events around Sheffield city centre as part of ‘Go ON Sheffield’ which supports a nationwide campaign encouraging UK residents to get online.

A team of Plusnet volunteers have been busy helping out at several events across Sheffield as part of a UK campaign run by Race Online 2012, which aims to help offline residents take their first steps with computers and the Internet. In Sheffield alone, there are an estimated 95,000 residents* without Internet access.

Over 50 events were held throughout the City, at venues including Sheffield Town Hall, The Bankers Draft pub on Market Place, High Storrs School and Sheffield United Football Club, with volunteers from UK online centres, Heeley Development Trust, Plusnet and Sheffield University all assisting at the events.

The events catered for a wide range of people including those looking for work, wanting to get in touch with relatives all across the world or just wanting to learn more about the things they love. Betty Tilbrooke, 78, was one visitor who got online for the first time at the event held at Sheffield Town Hall. She said: “I’m sick of calling myself the invisible person because everything that’s interesting is on ‘www’. If I can do this, I can book my cinema and train tickets, and will even be able to order my groceries online if the bad weather comes again this winter. My daughter and son have been saying “Get online Mum!” for ages. If you don’t learn about computers, you’re going to be left behind.”

Plusnet, the broadband company with headquarters based in Sheffield, had 25 volunteers helping out at various events round the city centre. Katy Lomax, Head of Marketing at Plusnet, volunteered at the session held on Friday at the Bankers Draft in Sheffield City Centre. She said: “Even as someone used to being online, it’s not until you show someone the very basics of the Internet again that you realise how much it has impacted your own life. It’s really important that people who do know how to use it can help those who can’t, because without using the internet there is so much that you can’t do.”

Plusnet has sponsored the ‘Go ON Sheffield’ campaign and donated fifty free broadband packages so some of the new online converts can try their new found skills at home. The fifty packages will be given to those who could benefit the most from getting online at home with the winners being presented with their prizes at a celebration event being held at Sheffield United Football Club. The celebration event will also provide an opportunity to thank all of the volunteers who gave their time during ‘Go ON Sheffield’.

Helen Milner, Managing Director of UK online centres said: “‘Go ON Sheffield’ has been a really great way for us to engage with people in the locations they feel comfortable. The people that aren’t currently online are often resistant to formal learning environments so, by bringing the learning to them – in pubs, at football clubs and wherever they feel at home – we can break down these barriers and show them the real benefits being online can bring them.

“We wouldn’t have been able to run a campaign as big as this without the volunteers who came from all over the City, and they really made the campaign what it was. By working with Heeley Development Trust and volunteers from Plusnet, Sheffield University and all over, it really felt like we were bringing the city together for a really positive cause.”

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Plusnet Announces Business Relocation Into The Heart Of Sheffield

Plusnet, the Sheffield-based broadband and home phone supplier, has announced plans to occupy a centrally-based location in the heart of the City next year.

During the spring of 2012, Plusnet will begin moving all operations into grade-A office space at ‘The Balance’ on Pinfold Street, S1. The occupancy will be the biggest office let within Sheffield for the last five years, taking over 53,000 square feet.

Jamie Ford, CEO at Plusnet said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for our business and signals another milestone in our amazing story. With such rapid expansion over the last two years this move will enable all business operations including our customer services, to remain together under one roof. This is something incredibly unique for a telecoms provider in the UK.

“At the same time, the move gives us the space to necessitate further expansion as we continue to grow at pace and cements our commitment to Sheffield for the foreseeable future.”

Plusnet, set to celebrate its 15th birthday in February 2012, currently employs close to 700 staff. Throughout its history it has been based in Sheffield and in 2010 took the decision to move off-shore service teams in South Africa back to the city. Since this time, Plusnet has been one of few business broadband) service providers to operate a UK based 24/7 customer service team and in 2011 alone won six awards and has been highly commended 13 times across the broadband industry*. In September, 2011 Plusnet also became officially Which? Recommended.

Jamie Ford continued: “Our staff have worked incredibly hard to achieve this success and I am delighted that we are in a position to reward them with a state-of-the-art working environment. As we continue to grow, I hope the new building acts as another factor to attract local talent to our business.”

Tim Bottrill, partner at Knight Frank and Plusnet’s Adviser and procurer for this deal said: “This is the biggest office let within Sheffield for the last five years and something that we are proud of at our office in Sheffield. The Balance provides Plusnet with an excellent, new HQ facility in the heart of Sheffield. The building benefits from air-conditioned offices which include better meeting facilities; reception area; 24 hour security; landscaped recreational space; staff restaurant; cafe bar and parking. The building also provides excellent access to Sheffield’s extensive network of public transport trams and buses.”

Plusnet is refurbishing four floors in the building and will neighbour current occupants including HSBC and Hill Dickinson. Currently operating from two sites in the city in Tenter Street and Victoria Quays, Plusnet anticipates the move to be complete by the end of May 2012.

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OutsourceMyProject Continues To Provide Freelancers With Work

Several months after first launching, the outsourcing website, OutsourceMyProject, is continuing to provide freelancers with work. Enabling many different businesses to have their work completed by skilled individuals, the work costs significantly less than it would do when sourced from a high street company, which is why the concept has really taken off.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “My business partner and I launched OutsourceMyProject with an aim of providing a platform for UK businesses to engage with the UK freelance workforce, whilst also providing UK businesses with the opportunity to outsource their workload to freelancers abroad.”

He went on to say: “With more freelancers signing up to the website every day, whilst an increasing number of businesses are also posting jobs onto the site, it’s thankfully going from strength to strength. At a time where unemployment rates are continually rising, OutsourceMyProject is the ideal marketplace for unemployed UK workers to not only offer their services, but to be able to put their skills to use and be paid for it too.”

With shocking figures released today by the BBC, a record 1 in 5 people under the age of 24 are currently unemployed. Clearly backing the concept of outsourcing, and more specifically backing the purpose of outsourcing websites such as OutsourceMyProject, now is a great time for people out of work to be able to make money from home.

With a jobless rate of 8.3%, and a figure from October 2011 announcing that 1.6 million people are now claiming jobseeker’s allowance, the unemployment rate is the highest since 1996, whilst the total number of those who are unemployed is the highest since 1994.

To date, the concept of outsourcing professional services has been limited to large companies and organisations. However, OutsourceMyProject is a website that enables small and medium sized businesses, as well as entrepreneurs and individuals to be able to successfully find a freelancer and outsource business abroad.

Helping businesses to work within their ever-tightening budgets, OutsourceMyProject is a concept whereby significant cost savings are generated. This is most commonly through the outsourcing of work to low cost economies that have a highly talented skill base, such as various information technology roles and back office support roles to countries like India.

Freelancers firstly sign up to OutsourceMyProject, upon which they are then able to create a freelance profile and use the fair and transparent bidding process to secure the work that appeals to them, such as opportunities to become a freelance logo designer or as freelance graphic designers. With companies able to cherry pick the exact talent they’re looking for, and consequently choosing the freelancer they feel can carry out the job to the required standard, it’s a great way to build up strong working relationships, and is a concept that encourages competitive bidding from both UK and global providers.

With any cost saving method being essential in combating the ever-struggling economic climate in today’s society, it seems that outsourcing is an ideal concept not only for thriving businesses facing budget cuts, but also for companies who simply wouldn’t be able to survive without these savings in place.

OutsourceMyProject provides a sought-after service that helps UK businesses to cut fixed employment overheads whilst also cutting the costs of service providers too. For example, sourcing a competent web designer on OutsourceMyProject is considerably cheaper than sourcing someone at the same level from a high street company.

Thanks to the concept of outsourcing, the freelance jobs workforce is growing, with the possibility of working from home and making a living for yourself being much more of a reality today than it has ever been before. With the digital world growing too, as well as the increasing capabilities of technology continuing to pleasantly surprise us, perhaps this is the way of the future and something we will see a lot more of over the next year or so.

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OutsourceMyProject Gives Its Backing To National Freelancers Day

OutsourceMyProject.com, the UK’s leading outsourcing marketplace, has given its support to National Freelancers Day which takes place tomorrow (23).

The event, which is being held for the third year running, is designed to celebrate the strength of the freelance sector in the UK and promote the use of freelancers by companies of all sizes, specifically with regard to how they can help businesses through the current tough financial environment.

National Freelancers Day has been organised by PCG, a group which champions freelancers, contractors and consultants across Britain. To celebrate the event, PCG has organised for a number of webinars to take place throughout the day aimed at helping experienced and novice freelancers alike. Setting up an effective business framework, finding and winning work, self-promotion and understanding opportunities and threats are all topics that will come under the microscope.

Loren Holland, managing director of OutsourceMyProject, said: “Highlighting the role that independent workers play within the UK economy is a great thing and the more that can be done to promote the work of specialists such as freelance web designers the better.

“Experience running OutsourceMyProject has shown us that more and more companies are recognising the benefits of working with freelancers, especially in the current financial climate when having access a wide range of skill sets without having to shoulder the cost of employing specialists on a full-time basis can really make a huge difference.”

Events are being organised to celebrate the day and promote freelancing around the UK and OutsourceMyProject has called on those working independently to get involved, share their experiences of freelancing and help to make the community stronger.

Loren added: “We’d urge all freelancers, whether they’ve been involved in the sector for five minutes or 50 years to take part in National Freelancers Day and if possible, attend an event in their area.”

Via EPR Network
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Freelance Workers Are On The Increase

With an increasing number of companies struggling and having to make staff redundant and put recruitment on hold, it’s no surprise that more people are choosing to become freelancers, and that outsourcing the services they offer are in demand now more than ever before.

Simon DeGale is a freelance web designer who uses outsourcing marketplaces to source work. After leaving his full-time job in London to become a freelance web designer, Simon has never looked back. Not only does he now have an ideal work/life balance, but he also gets to spend time with his two young daughters; something he wasn’t able to do as much whilst working in London. Working in the freelance industry has also allowed him to take charge of his own workload and to secure exactly the type of work he wants to be doing.

One particular website Simon DeGale uses is OutsourceMyProject, a UK based platform that offers various different professional services within a freelance marketplace. To date the concept of outsourcing professional services has been limited to large companies and organisations, but OutsourceMyProject enables both small and medium businesses, as well as entrepreneurs and individuals to successfully outsource business both home and abroad.

OutsourceMyProject helps businesses decrease their costs significantly, through outsourcing work to freelancers and/or low cost economies that have highly talented skill bases. OutsourceMyProject works by offering both a transparent and competitive bidding process on each project, which results in competitive bidding from UK and global service providers.

With any savings that can be made being a lifeline for many companies at the moment, outsourcing is the ideal concept to use to make such savings. Companies and individuals that use OutsourceMyProject can perform their due diligence on each service provider by viewing each their unique profile and portfolio, along with analysing their ratings and feedback for past projects. With complete freedom and flexibility in customers appointing their preferred professionals, both parties are able to work on agreed terms.

With improved communication and technology making this type of work arrangement possible, freelancers are able to improve their offering. Last month’s employer survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), JobsOutlook, revealed that the UK economy has discouraged permanent employment, leading more business owners to seek freelance, contract and temporary workers instead.

According to the report, 83% of employers said that their use of temporary workers will rise or remain the same during the next year, whilst four out of five of them said this will happen within the next three months. Only 49% said they expect to add to their permanent workforce within the next 12 months, and this is compared to 66% in the previous month. However, short-term permanent recruitment expectations currently stand at 67%, compared to 74% previously.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: “These figures show that employers are waking up to the wealth of flexible human resources available to them. Rather than take on new staff on a long-term or full-time basis, specific projects can be completed by sourcing people with exactly the right skills and experience for each task. Whether a business is large or small, or even if someone working alone is looking for one-off assistance with a particular project, it’s possible to find a freelancer to offer invaluable support.”

A report published at the end of 2009 by Enterprise Nation, in association with British Telecom, found there were more than 2.8 million businesses operating full time from home in the UK, which represents a 16% increase from the prior year. Furthermore, home businesses contribute around £284 billion to the annual UK economy. Technology was cited as a key factor in enabling people to start and grow a business from home, with 81% of the Enterprise Nation survey respondents stating that technology is critical to the success of their home business.

These improvements in internet access have lead to a dramatic increase in the number of company employees working from home. Businesses are more flexible to staff working from home given the improvements in technology and business tools which give staff full access to servers and files from their home, such as cloud computing and drop box application.

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Invest In A Mobile App And See Your Company Grow

With recent research conducted by Acquity Group showing that one in four retailers now have a mobile app, it seems that businesses are keen to reach a new mobile audience.

There are many benefits to be reaped by companies with mobile apps, mainly due to the fact that almost everyone owns a mobile phone these days. With companies increasingly using mobile apps and processes in their everyday working lives, time is saved whilst performance is improved too. Other benefits include increased efficiency in terms of communication; the ability to download the same everyday applications that are on desktop PC’s; constant internet access; and quick completion of tasks.

Mobile phones have made it possible to talk, text, email, watch television, watch films, and listen to music, no matter where in the world we are. Through businesses investing in mobile apps, work can therefore be conducted wherever we are, with there being no need to be in the office to carry out a simple task, such as reading emails.

Today we are hearing of more and more businesses that have developed apps. Giving employees the opportunity to access any of their work regardless of where they are, companies are therefore increasing their employees’ productivity as a result.

With some companies developing a mobile app, or in some cases paying for a mobile app to be developed, they are most commonly either an app of the actual business, or an app that will help the business to grow and be successful. As a great way to promote a company, mobile apps will only get better, as in months to come it may be possible for additional services to be sold through them.

A company that’s recently invested in a mobile app is the financial services firm Prudential. After launching new mobile tools in a bid to make it simpler for clients and business partners to access the company’s products and services, Prudential is definitely tapping into the previously unknown world of mobile apps. Not only that but Prudential Retirement, part of the Prudential Financial group, has unveiled a new website optimised for mobiles, which will allow account access to 2.5 million of its retirement plan participants whilst they’re on the move. In addition to this, the company has also invested in a retirement income calculator app for smartphones, which has been designed to allow users to calculate their estimated monthly retirement income, as well as their estimated monthly retirement income need.

The fact that mobile app development is becoming popular all over the world makes it easy for mobile app freelancers to secure work. Not only is app development a task that requires the knowledge of someone highly skilled within that particular area of development, but it’s also a task that’s costly and therefore needs to be completed correctly first time around. The opportunity for a mobile app developer to pick up work is great for those working in the freelance industry; with many freelancers often signed up to various different outsourcing websites in order to secure such work, as well as to ensure they’re contacted by those who want to make use of their skills.

OutsourceMyProject is an example of an outsourcing website that has many skilled people signed up to it, from freelance web designers to freelancer programmers. As a UK based platform that’s been created to open up the global market place for professional services across a wide range of sectors, OutsourceMyProject helps businesses and those in the self employed industry to decrease their costs significantly. A freelance mobile app developer, for example, can be found to complete work within a specified budget, without the need for companies having to compromise on the quality of work delivered.

Via EPR Network
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UK Business Turning To Freelancers To Survive Challenging Economic Times

In what’s undoubtedly a tough economic climate for many UK businesses, an increasing number are turning to the skills of freelancers in an attempt to stay afloat during these challenging times. With the services of freelancers helping businesses to not only continue to get their jobs done, but to reduce their fixed overheads at the same time, the workloads of many freelancers continue to increase, as more companies start to realise exactly how outsourcing can help their company.

As a result of the freelance market being stronger than ever before, both in terms of supply and demand, freelancers are increasingly giving businesses other options, such as a being flexible alternatives to the permanent staff they’ve always had. With freelancer web designers and freelance translators, for example, completing work within the desired time, and in many cases ahead of schedule, the appeal of freelancers is clear, especially when their prices are often a lot cheaper than those quoted by high street companies. With businesses being able to save money whilst also getting the job done and without having to sacrifice the quality of it, outsourcing is a win-win situation for all involved.

A recent survey has shown that 66% of companies who took part in it said they were more likely to start outsourcing their work during difficult economic times. This is, of course, great news for freelancers, as being in this role can also bring its fair share of difficulties too, such as work not being guaranteed. With freelancers often being essential to start up businesses who need access to affordable, flexible specialists, the outsourcing market is growing constantly.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject, an up-and-coming online freelance outsourcing company said: “With significant savings to be made through outsourcing work to freelancers, it’s no surprise that an increasing number of UK businesses are choosing to have their workloads completed in this way. Savings are commonly made by outsourcing work to low cost economies that have highly skilled workers, such as India, as an impressive amount of money can be saved yet the job is carried out just as well.”

Loren Holland went on to say: “OutsourceMyProject is a UK based platform, which has been created in order to open up the global market place for professional services, across a wide range of sectors. Outsource My Project enables small and medium sized businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals to successfully outsource business within the UK and abroad, whilst also helping self employed individuals to secure work. With the transparent bidding process of many outsourcing sites meaning that businesses are free to pick and choose the type of freelancer they want for the job, the concept is appealing to say the least.

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OutsourceMyProject – An Essential Money-Saving Tool For Every Kind Of Business

With many businesses trying to carry out their everyday work with a limited budget, it’s no surprise that each day brings the unfortunate closure of another company, whether it be a struggling design company with an unmanageable workload, or a well-known company failing to make ends meet.

In today’s society, everything costs money, and these costs seem to always be on the increase, which makes every new day a struggle for many businesses. However, a company called OutsourceMyProject (OMP) looks set to turn everything around, with an aim of being an essential source of skilled labour and a money-saving tool for every kind of business, no matter how big or small.

Many companies would jump at the chance of being able to outsource some of their business functions to specialist service providers for a small fee, and that’s exactly what OMP allows businesses to do. As a result, over the past year a steady flow of companies have taken the time to learn about outsourcing, whilst also taking advantage of the benefits they themselves have been able to reap from the concept.

It’s no wonder that outsourcing marketplaces, such as OutsourceMyProject (OMP), have therefore helped to keep many companies afloat when they would have otherwise crumbled. OMP prides itself on helping businesses find specialists with the skills they require at an affordable rate, in what is undoubtedly a financially straining economy.

Cedar Falls Care Home, based in Walsall, is just one company that’s saved a significant amount of money by outsourcing their work through OMP, and has gone from strength to strength since first signing up to the website. Managing Director of Cedar Falls said: “We read about OutsourceMyProject in the news and thought it was a great way to find experts who could provide the services we needed at affordable rates. We loved the idea of posting one project and then sitting back and receiving multiple proposals in a competitive environment.

“We’ve used OutsourceMyProject to find several experts to help with projects; the main one being a web developer and SEO expert, who helped to build and promote our company website. We posted our project on OutsourceMyProject and within hours we received several great offers from experts in the UK, as well as other low cost economies, such as India. We went on to find a freelancer based in Wales, who built our website for 50% of our original budget!

“We’ve used OMP for the past 12 months now and have found freelance experts ranging from web developers, to PR consultants, and freelance graphic designers, who have all provided their services at a fraction of the price we were previously quoted from high street companies.”

During their time with OutsourceMyProject so far, Cedar Falls has not only found a website designer for just £350, compared to the high street quote of £1000, but they’ve also enlisted the help of a freelance logo designer, who turned out to be 83% cheaper than the quotes received from the high street. And, it’s not just a database of designers that OMP offers, as many content writers, admin support freelancers, and those with a solid understanding of search engine optimisation (SEO) are registered on the site too, saving Cedar Falls 67%, 60%, and 50% respectively.

By realising the potential of OMP, Cedar Falls successfully found freelancers to fulfill their business needs; all for a total cost that would only have paid for a website design on the high street. It’s no surprise that through using OMP, Cedar Falls have saved a total of 64% to date.

The case study of Cedar Falls illustrates how OMP can not only help businesses directly, but it’s also an aid in helping entrepreneurs to launch their business ideas at a significant saving. OMP makes it both easier and cheaper for business ventures to be launched, whilst also providing companies with what is sure to become a essential aid.

Through OMP, businesses can not only find the most suitable professionals to complete their work, but they can also make all-important savings along the way. In turn, this has allowed businesses to consequently become leaner, whilst also making it feasible for them to reduce their overheads, through the use of both freelance and online workers. This is, of course, perfect not only in a difficult economic climate, but perfect for the digital world as a whole, paving the way of the future.

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AsaDrive offers a wide range of online storage plans and free trials to choose from

AsaDrive offers a wide range of online storage plans and free trials to choose from. There you will find some useful information which will help you choose the best one to suit your needs.

There are basically five online storage plans AsaDrive provides: two dedicated Online Backup plans, two Online Backup and Online Drive plans and one Business plan.

All of these plans are designed to fit different sets of demands and standards, according to the motivation and purpose of using AsaDrive Desktop software and the data storage service. You do not need to worry if you have not decided yet, as the online backup plans are available as free trials. This means the system will not charge you for fourteen consecutive days, during which you will be able to test AsaDrive Desktop software and maybe even drop a line to tell us how it felt!

The Online Backup plans make it available an unlimited storage amount for you to safely back up very large amounts of data. Unlimited bandwidth and access to the web portal are included, however the Online Drive and file sharing features are not included.

Of all the five backup plans offered by AsaDrive, the Online Backup and Online Drive is the most popular choice among users. This pricing plan consists of 2 TB storage space, a 0.5 TB to use with the Online Drive feature and also unlimited bandwidth for you to benefit from while taking advantage of your access to the web portal and file sharing. Unlike Drive, the improved Drive+ plan provides unlimited storage, a total amount of 2 TB to use with Online Drive, apart from web portal and file sharing. You should go with this option if you wish to mount your back up, online drive just like any other regular virtual drive and access it straight from your computer.

Last, but not least, the Business plan offers ultimate backup and storage experience, as it includes all features offered by AsaDrive. However, the included storage amount for Online Backup and Online Drive are yet to be determined. The most powerful of all five backup plans is recommended for computer clusters or large amounts of data resulting from the activity of a business corporation.

All five backup plans offer the best AsaDrive experience and are meant to meet any types of expectations from this software. So start thinking about which one best suits your needs, and if it happens for you to still remain undecided, you can download the free trial. You are strongly encouraged to feel how it is like to use this software and experience, for fourteen days, the true AsaDrive quality and care for your files and online safety.

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BT Offers Small Businesses A ‘Kickstart’

BT Business has launched a finance scheme offering start-ups the chance to lease up to £15,000 worth of technology and telecommunications solutions. Under the ‘Kick Start Scheme’, in conjunction with Shire Leasing, new businesses trading for under three years will be eligible for funding subject to credit vetting.

BT’s ‘KickStart Scheme’, available through BT Local Business, aims to help small businesses raise funds in a challenging economic climate and to avoid having to rely on bank loans, overdrafts or credit cards.

‘KickStart’ offers start-ups the opportunity to purchase a range of technology and communications products and services including business telephone systems, business mobiles, handsets, connection charges, software licences and IT equipment such as laptops, as well as small business IT support. The scheme is open to all industry types and has very flexible underwriting, aimed at delivering higher acceptance levels for new-start companies. An average £3,000 loan will cost less than £20 per week and can be added to as the business grows.

Declan McGlone, general manager of BT Finance, BT Business said: “The UK has an average of 270,000 start-up businesses every year. In light of the current economic climate we want to help these businesses access the products and services they need to get their new venture up and running. Our ‘KickStart Scheme’ offers finance over a fixed term, at a fixed rate, making it easier for customers to budget.”

One business that has already benefitted from a similar scheme with Shire Leasing is A.I. Global Media Ltd. The publishing company, established in November 2010, needed funding to purchase a technology and communications solution for its eight staff working on a new corporate finance publication.

Jane Peter, director, A.I. Global Media Ltd, said: “When starting out, it was crucial to launch the business in the most cost effective way possible. We needed to install a BT Versatility phone and broadband system, so that staff could work on the magazine straight away, but couldn’t afford any major spend. The leasing scheme allowed us to get the equipment we needed at a fixed rate and also meant we keep what capital we had in the bank to ensure we had some cash flow. This scheme really helped us get our business off the ground and we now have over 53,000 subscribers to our magazine.”

Karina Knudsen, Head of Business Development at the British Chambers of Commerce also welcomed the launch: “The BCC has long called for more support for small businesses. Financing that specifically helps start and grow new ventures will considerably reduce the current credit difficulties that owners face.”

New and existing BT Business customers will be able to take up the ‘KickStart Scheme’ offers as long as they have been trading for under three years, subject to a credit check. For more information about ‘KickStart’ and other BT products and services, interested parties can contact BT Local Business at www.btlocalbusiness.co.uk.

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Plusnet Finds Out What Customers Really Want

Price, customer service and easy set-up – these are the three most important factors consumers use to help them choose a broadband package, according to a new survey from Yorkshire-based broadband supplier Plusnet.

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) said price is the most important factor when choosing a home phone and broadband supplier. With this in mind, Plusnet is currently offering up to half price broadband for 12 months when new customers take its home phone service.

Additionally, 12 per cent said they would make a decision based on customer service and, finally, one in ten of those surveyed said the ease of setting up to a new service was the most important factor in choosing their provider.

Jamie Ford, CEO of Plusnet, said: “To many households, phone and broadband has become as important as gas and electricity. It is clear that people want a service that is value for money and at the same time easy to use. At Plusnet, we strive to give customers what they want; an honest, straightforward service at seriously competitive prices. In fact, if you find a better price for standalone broadband, we’ll match it.”

This month Plusnet will launch a new 0345 customer services telephone number, alongside their current 0800 offering. This means that not only can customers call free from UK landlines on 0800 432 0200, but the new 03451 400 200 number will be charged at normal landline rates and so can be deducted from inclusive minutes on a mobile phone plan.

For more information on Plusnet home phone and broadband, go to www.plus.net.

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Worldwide Roaming Information A Fraction Of The Usual Cost Thanks To Abroadband

Abroadband have become one of the few operators who offer roaming broadband at extremely low rates when compared to well known providers. Users can gain access to the internet for only €0.59 per megabyte. This flat rate global data roaming service has attracted many travellers to change their sim card when abroad. Until worldwide regulation is introduced to force other providers to lower their prices, abroadband will march ahead and gain more custom.

The operator began life earlier this year and looks set to post a healthy profit come the end of 2011. Abroadband was launched by Austrian telecoms giant ‘Telekoms Austria’. The idea was in response to the many complaints by travellers fed up with high data charges when using the internet abroad – hence the name ‘abroadband’. From the get go the service has been designed to counter ever increasing charges on roaming rates imposed by many other operators.

A revealing article that was published by the online magazine ZDnet in March this year showed that the reasons behind high data charges are simply down to profit. As many operators tend to offer many deals and bolt-ons in the domestic markets, many tend to take advantage of the unregulated roaming sector to gain back money. The reaction to this has led to new regulations being introduced in Europe that impose a cap on the amount of data customers can use in a month when travelling. This only applies to countries throughout the EU and abroadband offer their flat rate outside of Europe. So far the service extends to over 50 countries world wide and there are plans to increase this to more by the end of 2011 and into 2012.

Negative reaction to roaming rates outside of Europe has led to calls for other continents and countries to impose caps on other operators to force them to reduce their data charges. Abroadband has already left the competition behind though. The flat rate service is not the only benefit they offer customers. Being aware of the different ways people access the internet, the operator has offered three simple options to meet all connection needs. A worldsim card, a micro sim card and a dongle are all available on initial subscription to the service. With business travel on the increase, dongles and micro sims are becoming more popular. The BBC recently published a report on their website illustrating the different ways people are using to avoid roaming headaches when travelling (source: BBC). Abroadband have taken these methods into consideration and have acted accordingly on their website allowing customers access to connection options to suit their needs.

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OutsourceMyProject Welcomes Increased Demand For Flexible Staffing

Marketplace outsourcing service OutsourceMyProject has welcomed news that there is an increasing demand from employers for freelance and contract workers. The company has also affirmed the quality that an effectively outsourced task can bring to a project.

Last month’s employer survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), titled JobsOutlook, revealed that the tentative UK economy has discouraged permanent employment and led more business owners to seek freelance, contract and temporary workers.

According to the report, 83 per cent of employers said that their use of temporary workers will rise or remain the same during the next year; and four out of five of them expect an increase within the next three months.

Only 49 per cent expect to add to their permanent workforce within the next 12 months, compared to 66 per cent in the previous month; while short-term permanent recruitment expectations stand at 67 per cent, compared to 74 per cent previously.

Loren Holland, managing director of OutsourceMyProject, said: “These figures show that employers are waking up to the wealth of flexible human resources available to them.

“Rather than take on new staff on a long-term or full-time basis, specific projects can be completed by sourcing people with exactly the right skills and experience for each task.

“Whether a business is large or small, or even if someone working alone is looking for one-off assistance with a particular project, it is possible to find a freelancer to offer invaluable support.”

OutsourceMyProject is based in the UK and helps match businesses from a range of sectors to the right service providers, from freelance web designers to freelance SEO experts.

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