With the launch of BranchOut, Facebook is giving LinkedIn a punch in the chops. BranchOut is an app that piggybacks on Facebook’s existing structure, just like Farmville and other independent add-ons. But BranchOut is no kiddie game - it’s all business.

You can install the app, create a professional profile, and start “building your empire” without affecting your normal everyday Facebook page (though it will post content on your wall).

Everyone’s favorite thing to do is create yet another social media profile, right? BranchOut soothes the pain.  If you have a LinkedIn profile, you don’t have to create a new one for BranchOut. One click allows you to import your LinkedIn profile. No muss, no fuss, no tweaking. Of course you can edit your profile once you have imported it from LinkedIn.  Your Facebook profile headshot will appear, but you can easily replace that.

Once you’ve signed up, BranchOut gathers the workplace data from user Facebook pages. You’ll be able to invite friends to BranchOut, and write a quick blurb to endorse or recommend them, as well as ask for endorsements from your friends. It’s a little easier to get someone to write one line for you than a longer LinkedIn recommendation … plus those one-liners are great to place on a job-seeking or business website.  There’s also a function which allows searching for job postings (free for 30 days).

Get the full story at Grow

TripAdvisor LLC says Google Inc. has refused its requests to stop using content from TripAdvisor.com, the travel information and reviews site, on Google services that could compete with TripAdvisor.

In an interview this week, Chief Executive Stephen Kaufer said talks between his company and Google broke down after the Internet search giant said it would continue to include TripAdvisor’s user-generated reviews of businesses such as hotels in its Google’s Place pages and Hotpot business-reviews service. Mr. Kaufer said those services compete for Web traffic with his company’s site.

A Google spokeswoman said in a statement: “We can’t comment on ongoing conversations with partners, but as we’ve said before, our goal with local search is to help Google users find the local information they’re looking for online. Each day we send millions of customer referrals to local businesses and third party websites, such as review sites, through local search. The overwhelming feedback we get from users, business owners and website owners is that they value the answers and traffic they receive from local search.”

The spokeswoman added: “Since announcing the availability of Hotpot in November, the response from both users and businesses owners has been enthusiastic.”

The stand-off stems from a broader conflict between Google and some large websites. In recent months, sites including Yelp, WebMD and CitySearch have complained about a Google practice of sometimes promoting links to Google’s own websites above those of non-Google sites in the results page of its search engine. They say the practice threatens to decrease — or has already decreased — Web traffic to their sites in order to boost Google’s Place pages or Google Health pages, among others that were created in recent years.

Google sells ads on individual “Place pages,” which give information on millions of restaurants, spas, hotels and other businesses, including store hours and location.

“We continue to have ongoing conversations with Google about the way Yelp review content is presented in their competitive local products,” a Yelp spokeswoman said in a statement.

Jay Herratti, chief executive of CityGrid Media, which owns CitySearch.com, InsiderPages.com and UrbanSpoon.com, said in a statement: “We are working to establish a dialogue with Google in an effort to create a publisher-friendly model that benefits both Google and the web, but we are not there yet.”

Google executives have said its Place pages are meant in part to help sites like TripAdvisor and provide numerous links to them.

The issue has surfaced as a topic of discussion during the Justice Department’s ongoing review of Google’s pending acquisition of travel-search firm ITA Software Inc. A representative of Expedia Inc., which owns Expedia.com, said the company has used the conflict between Google and other sites as an example of “what could happen should Google be permitted to acquire ITA.”

Google has said it wants to build its own travel-search service to help travelers find the best flights and prices. There is speculation that the service could appear above natural search results when people look for travel information, just as links to Google’s finance site appears when people search for stock quotes.

Mr. Kaufer of TripAdvisor – which also has a travel-search service that could face competition from the planned Google travel site – said Google told him the Place pages and Hotpot services are not competitive with his own. Mr. Kaufer said Google told him that TripAdvisor could simply make tweaks to his site so that the reviews would be invisible to the search engine.

He said blocking the search engine from seeing the reviews would not only remove them from Hotpot and Place pages but would also hurt his site’s ability to appear in normal search results. Google is a significant source of traffic for TripAdvisor.

“I don’t feel like it’s fair to force me to provide information to site that’s trying to compete with me,” he said.

Google has said it “built Google for users, not websites, and our goal is to give users answers.”

A partner in a Nottingham construction firm has been fined after a sub-contractor suffered permanent leg injuries when falling under a telehandler.

John Handley, a partner in J&C Handley, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at a housing construction site at Slalom Run, off Valley Road, Carlton, on 2 July 2009.

Nottingham magistrates were told that when a consignment of breeze blocks were delivered to site they were not packaged in such a way that a telehandler with forks could pick them up.

The breeze blocks needed to be transported from one part of the site to another. Mr Handley used a telehandler with a hydraulic grabber attachment but this meant the blocks were swaying as they were being transported. He then asked sub-contractor David Cotterill to walk alongside the vehicle and steady the load with his hands.

Unfortunately Mr Cotterill, 31, of Gedling, slipped and fell under the front wheel of the telehandler. He broke his right foot, ankle and leg and has been off work ever since.

Due to the nature of his injuries he will not be able to work in construction again and is now retraining for an alternative career. His injuries have also forced him to move from his three-storey house to one with less stairs.

HSE Inspector Lee Greatorex said:

“In an ideal world the breeze blocks should have been delivered to their intended destination on the site but this wasn’t possible. Therefore Mr Handley should have properly planned the work and made sure the delivery arrived in the right format for the forks of a telehandler.

“When this didn’t happen, a rope should have been attached to enable Mr Cotterill to steady the load at a safe distance.

“Had Mr Handley taken the time to think through a safe system of work then a man may not have suffered such serious injuries.”

Today, John Handley, of St Eia, Friday Lane, Gedling, Nottingham, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of persons not in his employment. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,000.

via nds.coi.gov.uk

A Wigan manufacturer has been sentenced after a worker lost part of his index finger in a drilling machine.

The 46-year-old employee from Leigh was drilling holes through an iron bar when his right hand got caught in the drill. His index finger was severed below the first joint, his middle finger was badly cut, and his ring finger was dislocated.

B&B Group Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at its factory on Dobson Parkway in Ince on 24 September 2009. The HSE investigation found the company failed to provide a machine guard around the drill bit to protect employees working on the equipment.

The court heard the drill took 30 seconds to stop after being switched off. It was still rotating as the worker reached to turn it on again after moving the iron bar to drill another hole. The glove on his right hand got caught in the rotating mechanism and pulled his hand into the machine.

B&B Group Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company, of West Bridgewater Street in Leigh, was fined £12,500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,703 at Trafford Magistrates’ Court in Sale on 21 January 2011.

Adam McMahon, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:

“A worker has suffered a life-long injury to his right hand because B&B Group did not make sure basic health and safety measures were in place at its Wigan factory.

“Manufacturers who fail to prevent access to dangerous parts of machinery are breaking the law and we will continue to take enforcement action against them.

“If there had been a guard around the rotating drill at the factory then the worker’s injuries would almost certainly have been avoided. This case highlights how important it is for manufacturers to make sure the health and safety of staff is their top priority.”

A total of 25 workers were killed and there were more than 19,000 serious injuries in the manufacturing sector in Great Britain last year. Information on preventing injuries is available at www.hse.gov.uk/manufacturing.

Buying a business in today’s economic climate requires that you, the buyer, be on the ball, with regard to business basics. This economic climate, as far as businesses are concerned, is a sellers market.

With the corporate downsizing, economic downturn and other factors, there are a lot of very knowledgeable buyers out there looking for one of the very few good business to buy. This means that you, as a buyer have a lot of competition. Consequently, you need to be well prepared. Professional business buyers, report that it takes anywhere from three months to three years to find the right business. So, if anything, what can be done to speed this looking process and at the end finally get a good business?

The decision, the first step is deciding to buy a business. Once you have made this decision and you are definite and firm about the fact that you are definitely buying a business, and the process has started.

The second step is to decide what kind of business. This is really, really important. What is the criteria for this business you are looking to buy? Do not make a wish list or what would be nice. Make a list of what is important. For example, if your standard of living requires $100,000 income, do not compromise by looking at businesses that make only $50,000.

That is unless you consider yourself a knowledgeable business manager and marketing person who knows that any business they buy will double in income and sales. That kind of buyer can buy a business that makes no profit and probably should.

Other criteria include; is it something you can handle? What kind of work are you willing to do? If you like sales and do not like running a factory, buy a distribution company, or sales organizations, and do not buy a manufacturing firm, unless you have a partner that likes running a production line.

I have people call me to inquire about buying a body shop that have no automotive experience at all. You can buy an auto repair shop, muffler shop, brake shop or lube store, and learn the business, with no experience to start. You probably should not buy a salvage yard body shop, or scrap yard with out being raised in the business. If you are a salesman you can buy almost any business.

All manufacturing, distribution or retail sales require good personal sales skills. If you are poor at communication skills, or English is a second language, consider buying a liquor store, gas station or hamburger stand, just a few of the businesses that do not require, personal selling, or do they?

About you. There are some things you need to prepare for the brokers when they start coming to you with possible businesses. You need to make sure that you have your down payment sorted out. Expected down payments are anywhere from 25% to 100% of the selling price. So make sure you know what you want to spend and then make sure you have the down payment easily available.

Then you need to get your financing options determined. You can get yourself pre-qualified for a business loan or an SBA loan. SBA loans are only available to businesses that have shown a five-year profit on their tax returns. If you are looking at businesses that are heavily unrecorded income, you must have cash or seller financing.

Being your own broker. You should determine who is going to make your offer. A broker, or yourself? If it is you then you should locate the necessary offer forms and study them carefully. Determine what must be in your offer so that you can put in an offer, the instant you find a business that meet your requirements. This is an important step, as putting in an offer tends to lock out other buyers while you look over the business. Make sure you have contingencies in your offer, which means you have lots of "get out of the deal" clauses.

I would like to suggest, for the less experienced buyer to hire as a consultant the sharpest attorney, business broker, due diligence expert, or business evaluation expert, you can find and pay him for his time to watch your rear end, in negotiations and in reviewing the companies you are considering buying. In real estate we call this a buyers agent, except with businesses the listing agent will not always co-operate in splitting the commission with a buyer’s agent. This means you need to be willing to pay your agent an hourly fee for helping you. Let me give you a real example.

The Car Wash Soap Manufacturing Business

David and his Father were looking for a business to buy. They were interested in a Scrap yard that I was selling. I asked their buying agent to bring them over so I could interview them and to explain this business to them. In three minutes it was clear that they should not even consider this business. We spent the balance of the meeting talking about the businesses they had looked at and the pros and cons of each. I gave them my honest suggestions about each from their description. They thanked me and left.

Two months later David called and asked if he could come talk to me. He told me about an FSBO “For Sale by Owner,” who would never pay any agent a commission unless he got his price, plus the commission. That of course doesn’t make sense to a buyer. David told me about the deal and I gave him my honest opinion about it. David asked what my time was worth and gave me a check for an hour’s time.

Two months again passed and David called and said, "I need to see you today." He proceeded to tell me about a Car Wash Soap manufacturing company that was suppose to be making $500,000 profit per year. The asking price was $2 Million. David wanted several things from me. He wanted my opinion of the business, he wanted me to help get the price down to a more reasonable amount and he wanted me to verify the income. It took me thirty hours of reviewing the books and talking to the seller to determine that the business was making only $350,000 per year including what was not on the books. The books were made complicated, intentionally so that no one could understand what was going on.

I related my findings and told David he had to do his own negotiations but I would coach him every step of the way. David paid my fee and I didn’t hear from David for one year. When he called, I asked what happened to the car wash soap business. He filled me in on the story.

He bought the business for more than I suggested because he saw where he could improve the business instantly. The profit turned out not to be $500,000 as the seller guaranteed, but exactly $350,000 as I had determined. David took over sales and marketing and within one year had the company profit up to the $500,000 he was promised.

David now had found a related business that had been listed with an agent who did not understand the business he was marketing and could not sell it. David was now talking to the seller directly. The seller wanted $550,000. David wanted me to negotiate, on a consulting fee bases with the seller to get the price down.

I instructed David that I would appraise the business, and convince the seller that my appraisal was accurate, but David had to do the negotiations. The seller would never talk to me about the inside details if he was negotiating with me directly. This time I spent five hours with the seller, not the books, to determine the business was worth $350,000. The seller would not take the price, but felt I had done an excellent appraisal. I suggested to David to wait sixty days and open discussions again. I also told him the seller would eventually take the $350,000.

I again didn’t hear from David, this time for six months. When David called I asked for his report on what happened. The seller called him after one month and sold the business to him at my appraised amount, just as predicted. What did David want this time? Two guys wanted to buy the business and David wanted me to justify a price of $500,000? I did my updated analysis and got paid. I will not find out what happened until David calls me with my next assignment.

Get the word out. Now that you have got all of your preliminary work done you are ready to go looking for businesses. You are ready to look for businesses for sale. Go on to the Internet and look at sites that have businesses for sale. Look in the classified section of your county newspapers and look at what is for sale. Contact business brokers and tell them what you are looking for in detail. Call on broker listings and FSBO (For Sale by Owners.) When you find something interesting you move through the steps with a broker, accountant or attorney or without a broker, accountant or attorney.

Find out what financial records they have. This will eliminate 75% of the businesses. The records are false because of cash sales and/or cash payroll. A lot of auto repair shops pay their mechanics a base salary on the books and the balance in cash. This is crazy and illegal. They have cash sales, which are illegal, and not reported and then they give this money to the employees illegally. Have fun figuring out the profit on these businesses. Some businesses do not want to give you any financials. They do not even want to lie to you about the numbers; they just do not give them to you. You need financials even to just see what the operating expenses are.

Cash income, The problem with cash income, besides being illegal is it is unconfirmed. Jack bought a body shop doing $60,000 sales on the books. The seller showed Jack records that proved to Jack, an experienced body shop owner that the business was really doing $125,000 a month in sales. After escrow closed Jack was given the production records for the last five years by the general manager that stayed with the company. The business was doing $60,000. Exactly what was on the books! There was no cash. The seller reported every dime. I hate to say it but if someone w...

Willard Michlin is a Due Diligence and Business Evaluation Advisor. He is also a California Business Broker and a California Real Estate Broker. He has published many articles and is in demand as a public speaker in the Southern California business community.See other articles and information about his services at:
http://www.businessbuyingservices.com
http://www.kismetbusinessbrokers.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/buying-a-businessthe-basics-1880136.html

About the Author

Willard Michlin is a Due Diligence and Business Evaluation Advisor. He is also a California Business Broker and a California Real Estate Broker. He has published many articles and is in demand as a public speaker in the Southern California business community.See other articles and information about his services at:
http://www.businessbuyingservices.com
http://www.kismetbusinessbrokers.com

Most business buyers don't have a shortage of questions they want to ask when they are looking to buy a privately held company or business.  There are obvious questions about the level of sales, qualifications and motivation of the employees, the relationship with the landlord, if payment to suppliers is up to date and many other good and appropriate questions.

Apart from these questions, there are others that may help a buyer decide if the business is a good fit for them.  These questions include the following:

1. Does the business have any tax liens in place and are there any tax liens against the owner?

2. Does the business have any lawsuits pending?

3. How diverse is both the customer and supplier base?

4. What's the reason the owner wishes to sell?

5. Is the business in, ever been in or likely to go into Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy?

6. Is the lease transferable and is there a cost to transfer the lease?

7. Are the employees unionized?

8. How could the business be expanded?

9. How could the operations of the business be improved?

10. Has there been any negative press on the business or the industry?

11. Has there been any recent change or upcoming changes that could have a negative impact on the business?

12. Does the business have a good management team or key employees in place?

13. Are there written operations and training manuals that are up to date?

14. Who prepares the financial statements of the business and what certified professional assistance is used?

15. What is the role of the seller in the business on a day to day basis and what documentation exists about the role they play?

A buyer has many questions to ensure they feel comfortable about the business they are buying.  The questions are not just about what, where and how the seller is involved in the day to day operation of the business, but about the skills and expertise of the buyer and whether they think they can replicate what the seller does so the business doesn't decline.  There is a saying – no question is a stupid question – and this especially applies when buying a business.

 

A security firm, a company director and an NHS Trust have been fined after potentially dangerous asbestos fibres were released in a county hospital.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today prosecuted Northamptonshire NHS Teaching Primary Care Trust, NUTEC Security Systems Ltd, company director Paul Beeby at Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court following the incident at Isebrook Hospital, Wellingborough, in 2008.

The court heard that the Trust employed NUTEC to upgrade security at Isebrook Hospital between 21 April and 9 June 2008.

During the work, engineers ran cables through false ceilings and partition walls in public areas of the hospital. The work resulted in asbestos fibres being released into the hospital, which had remained open to the public and staff alike.

HSE’s investigation found that the Trust did not ensure that the contractor had received information on asbestos in the building or planned the project management of the work correctly.

The investigation also found that NUTEC had assumed areas of the hospital did not contain asbestos and that Mr Beeby had not ensured his surveys were sufficient to identify the presence of asbestos.

The court was told that as a director of the company and the person undertaking the surveys, Mr Beeby should have ensured he had accessed all areas where his employees were going to be working and as such had not informed engineers adequately of the potential risks they faced.

HSE inspector Karl Raw said:

“The lack of planning meant that there was potential for workers and members of the public to be exposed to asbestos. There’s no way of knowing the extent of the exposure as work in some areas had been completed and cleaned before the potential exposures were uncovered.

“Asbestos can be very dangerous and regulations are there to minimise risk. Had this job been properly planned then any disturbance of asbestos could have been avoided.”

Northamptonshire NHS Teaching Primary Care Trust pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 and Regulation 5(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. It was fined a total of £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,755.

NUTEC Security Systems Ltd, of Quarry Park Close, Northampton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 5(a), 10 (1)(a) and 16 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. The company was fined a total of £ 4,200 and ordered to pay costs of £1,755.

Paul Beeby, of The Avenue, Flore, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(a) of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006. He was fined £1,200 and also ordered to pay £ 1,755 costs.

The University of Salford is transforming the way businesses in the North West region use search and social media with a groundbreaking new course designed to help improve business profits - http://www.searchmarketing.salford.ac.uk.

Run in collaboration with leading figures in the digital marketing industry, Salford Business School course Search and Social Media Marketing, shows firms how to boost their chances of getting their websites on the first page of Google's rankings.

The pioneering ten-week evening course is the first in the UK to earn accreditation from the global leader in search and social media marketing, the US-based Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) Institute.

Course participant, Alastair Walker, copywriter and managing director of SEO consultancy firm North Point in Chester, said: "The world of media is changing and I knew if I wanted to keep the work rolling in I had to learn to navigate the online world and make social media and marketing work.

"The course taught me the skills firstly to identify the specific type of users who are potentially customers for my business and then use social media and Google as part of the business strategy to translate this into sales.

"Essentially, I am now able to develop social media and marketing strategies for businesses, using everything from website optimisation, link building, blogs and social media campaigns to help businesses get in front of their potential customers."

Alastair has completed the face-to-face sessions that are part of the Foundation and Professional level courses and will start the final part of the online training to achieve SEMPO accreditation. He set up his own search engine optimisation consultancy a month after starting the course and already helps a number of small businesses to build their online brand.

He added: "The course has enabled me to set up my own business which is going from strength to strength.

"I would recommend anybody wanting to prepare for the online future to join the course and stay ahead of the competition."

The material featured on the course is developed by SEMPO — a global non-profit organisation serving the search engine marketing industry.

The course is the result of a unique collaboration between leading figures in the Manchester digital marketing industry — including PushOn, Latitude and Mediaedge:cia — and the University which provides cutting edge research in the area.

The next open evening for the Search and Social Media Marketing course takes place on 20 January in Central Manchester at the Hive from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

For more information on the open evening, please see: http://www.searchmarketing.salford.ac.uk/search-social-media-marketing-free-o...

To reserve a place at the open evening or for more information about the course please contact Frances Cuthill on 0161 295 6692 or email f.cuthill@salford.ac.uk.

Sheffield's Master Cutler, Bill Speirs, and senior representatives from a host of the region's key businesses joined East Midlands Trains today (Tuesday 18 January) to mark the official opening of Sheffield station's brand new First Class Lounge.

Designed to build even further on East Midlands Trains' service improvements, which have delivered faster and more frequent trains between Sheffield and London, the opening of the new First Class Lounge at Sheffield represents a significant step forward for business travellers. The lounge, which is located on platform 5 at Sheffield station, has been created as part of East Midlands Trains' £10 million station enhancement programme. Other improvements for Sheffield include the full refurbishment of all the standard class waiting rooms and toilet facilities, as well as improved CCTV throughout the station.

The new lounge will provide a dedicated facility in Sheffield for the first time, and First Class passengers will benefit from complimentary refreshments, newspapers and WiFi.

David Horne, Commercial & Customer Service Director for East Midlands Trains, said: "With the roll-out of faster journeys and twice hourly services, we have demonstrated our determination to provide the best possible service for train passengers between Sheffield and London. This new First Class Lounge raises the facilities for business travellers even further and completes our programme to provide First Class lounges at all of our major city stations.

"As well as providing a new dedicated First Class facility, we're also in the process of refurbishing all of the waiting rooms and toilet facilities at Sheffield, so all passengers using the station will benefit from this significant investment programme".

In addition to the opening of the new First Class Lounge, today also represents a key day for many businesses throughout Sheffield and the surrounding region. A party of almost 50 senior representatives from businesses such as the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, Sheffield Forgemasters, Davy Markham, Lloyds Banking Group and Nabarro LLP joined the 07.27 train from Sheffield - the popular Master Cutler service - for a trip to London, with none other than the Master Cutler himself riding on the footplate with the driver!

The group were using the opportunity to travel to London for the launch of the Global Manufacturing Festival. In March, Sheffield will host the Global Manufacturing Festival, reaffirming the UK's position as a global leader in advanced engineering and manufacturing innovation. For further information, visit www.globalmanufacturingfestival.com.

David Horne continued: "We're extremely pleased that today's launch ties in so well with the launch of the Global Manufacturing Festival, a key event in the region's calendar and it's great news that the Master Cutler also had the opportunity to take his annual footplate ride!"

The Master Cutler, Professor Bill Speirs, added: "When the Global Manufacturing Festival gets underway in Sheffield it will highlight the fact that no other region in the country has such talent and expertise at its disposal.

"I extend my thanks to all those business people who have taken time out of their busy schedules to act as our ambassadors today.

"Transport is essential to growth. It has been a pleasure to open the new First Class Lounge which is a great initiative as it will allow businessmen to continue to work whilst travelling and reduce the stress involved. I would like to thank East Midlands Trains, for this initiative, for allowing me, the Master Cutler, to ride on the footplate of the Master Cutler service, for their support and for our wonderful send off."

For more information about East Midlands Trains, visit www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk.