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How Full is your Bucket?

Friday, 03 July 2009 15:30:51 GMT

Although this book is over four years old, I�ve only just come across it. And it is such an important work I simply had to publicise it.

How to manage People

Friday, 03 July 2009 14:46:19 GMT

Michael Armstrong, management consultant and author of a number of management books, here offers practical advice for managers, supervisors and team leaders on how to get the best results from their teams.

Branding Your Business

Friday, 03 July 2009 14:38:15 GMT

Effective branding is critical; you do have a brand, whether you are aware of it or not � the question is, does your brand enhance your business?

Persuasion

Friday, 03 July 2009 14:35:06 GMT

The world�s best-selling book on persuasion. That�s what it says on the cover of the second edition � and I�m baffled. Okay, it�s not a bad book, but it�s not a great book.

Discover the Simple way to Success in Business

Friday, 03 July 2009 14:24:13 GMT

The eagle-eyed will have spotted the absence of an ISBN number above. I have a rule only to review books that have some kind of distribution, however feeble, and that generally rules out anything without an ISBN. However I am making an exception in this case because I believe this to be a very useful piece of work.

Recovery? What recovery?

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 18:11:10 GMT

It seems the rash of stories about how bad the recession is, is giving way to stories about how much the decline is slowing down.

Independents' day

Wednesday, 27 May 2009 13:00:00 GMT

I WOULDN'T normally get exercised by National Something-or-Other Week but there is one starting June 1 that most people would probably have sympathy with.

The trouble with buzzwords

Tuesday, 19 May 2009 14:53:50 GMT

One of the local entrants in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards this year, illustrates one of the thorns in the side to anyone who writes about business in the Thames Valley.

Is the end of the housing downturn in sight?

Friday, 08 May 2009 14:17:56 GMT

It seems the housing market, if not recovering, is now falling more slowly.

Short memories in financial reporting

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 09:30:00 GMT

It was a relief to read in the Sunday Express yesterday that the 0.5% interest rate would continue into 2010. Phew.

Networking - it's better than the news

Friday, 03 April 2009 12:30:00 GMT

They call it networking but it is really socialising with an agenda. Networking brought me in touch with many estate agents recently and their musings on the housing market are worth reporting.

That's because the transactions those surveys refer to are when sales complete, not at the time the price is agreed. So if you rely on Five Live or the any of the national news services, the latest news is actually December's or January's.

But on this occasion I think they are right.

We CAN Work It Out

Tuesday, 24 March 2009 13:54:00 GMT

IT'S rare to have a conversation about the recession without someone referring to the fact we are 'talking ourselves into it'. Usually the media is blamed but in an era when anyone can publish or broadcast, the media is no longer confined to newspapers or TV. So amid the criticism we at Berkshire Media Group have won a lot of praise, thanks to our campaign that is taking a 'glass half-full' approach to what is probably the toughest economic times many of us have ever experienced. We Can Work It Out is aimed at highlighting the positive and helping where we - or our readers - can. The surprising thing is just how many people are doing well. Only last night at a networking function I came across a sports injury treament business expanding, a woman who provides Botox doing very well and a debt recovery business (!) finding ever more clients. There was an artist starting up in business and a new boss of a pub/restaurant with ambitious plans to make it succeed. But it's the old story of a balancing act. Take the rose tinted specs off and within three miles of my house three pubs have closed, the local M&S has just gone and even the estate agents are driving smaller cars. Even my local community centre is living on the edge. So are we heading for depression or will we be climbing out of recession in 12 months? I haven't a clue. As someone said at last week's Connect Reading conference 'economic forcasting was only invented to make astronomy look respectable'. What I do know is a lot of businesses in Berkshire are doing well. If you are one of them, why not let us know? Email me at abunce@berksmedia.co.uk.