Risk assessments are essential health and safety procedures that allow you to mitigate risk in the workplace. They do not have to be overly-complex; thoroughness is more important to ensure you don’t miss out on any dangerous risks that could cause serious injury to your employees.

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Company ‘culture’ is difficult to define, and is likely to have built up over many decades. Successful companies are likely to have one thing in common – an engaged work force, and this is something for ailing businesses to aspire to.

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As a small business, it’s often difficult to know when to take legal advice, and how you should go about finding a solicitor if you need one. As a general rule, unless you have a legal background and are confident you are able to handle potentially technical issues, it is best to seek professional advice from a qualified solicitor.

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Domain names are the Internet equivalent of real-world property. They represent your business and brand; they’re often the first taste consumers will get of you. Choosing the right one is essential to help you build authority and create a valuable online presence for your business.

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Find the right business idea and you could build a successful company that generates substantial profit. However, coming up with a killer business idea is easier said than done.

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Whether you’re an experienced manager or new to the role, the appraisal – or annual review -process can be a daunting prospect; however, if a few simple steps are taken, the experience can be a productive one for both the employee and the appraiser.

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Many businesses will experience seasonal fluctuations. These can occur for a number of reasons – for example, most retailers will be at their busiest over Christmas, whereas manufacturers producing specific items may see slowdowns due to the weather, e.g. selling more umbrellas in the autumn.

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This article was written by David Saul, managing director of the serviced office operator Business Environment. The company has been included in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For list for the last five consecutive years.

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There is an old adage that nothing happens in business until a sale is made and all businesses - whatever their size, shape product or function - need customers to prosper. While it is possible to acquire customers and grow without ever having a formal sales strategy, like most things in life having a plan will greatly improve your chances of success.

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You may have the best and most ground-breaking business idea around but does your brand do it justice? The risk of having an ineffective brand is considerable; taking action to make your public face dynamic and attractive to potential customers is essential.

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These days, apart from the environmental aspects, it's becoming ever more important to ensure that staff work in a comfortable and healthy environment. Morale, sick days, and productivity can all be improved by applying a little care and attention to the environment in which your company’s employees are expected to function.

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The marketing mix is the planned use of the elements of a marketing plan that can be controlled. The marketing mix is made up of the seven Ps, most commonly given as: product, price, promotion, place, process, physical evidence, people.

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Tax is taxing. You may feel especially so if you’re a small business. HMRC have been seen to be cuddling up with the big players such as Goldman Sachs and Vodafone and all the while smaller businesses in recent years have come under the spotlight subjected to spot checks on paperwork with hefty fines attached.

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As businesses head into another uncertain year, Lisette Howlett, from Sandler Training in London, a centre of excellence, looks at how differentiation could be the key to success in 2012. Sandler Training is one of the UK’s leading sales, management and leadership training organisations.

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Distributing press releases online increases brand exposure. There are many press release outlets to choose from and with the right online PR distribution strategy your company news can make a splash within hours.

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Australia has a population of almost 20 million, concentrated mainly in several large coastal cities. The population is largely of European heritage. The country has a strong economy – according to the International Monetary Fund, it had the thirteenth-highest nominal GDP in the world in 2010.

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Investors can expect to see very good business opportunities in Brazil – it is an emerging market and has the seventh largest market in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. It is the South American leader in terms of infrastructure and technological development, and its economy and government are becoming increasingly stable.

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Canada is the world’s ninth-largest economy, and one of the richest countries in the world. Around 75 percent of Canadians are employed in the service sector. Unusually for a developed nation, Canada still has a strong primary sector, largely consisting of the logging and petroleum industries. The country also has strong economic links with the USA, although doing business differs greatly between the two.

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China is home to 1.3 billion people, and is now the second-largest economy in the world, as well as the world’s fastest-growing economy. It is still considered a developing nation, and the style of business in China is extremely different to in the UK.

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Egypt is a country that is both secular and religious, with companies falling under either Shari’a or standard Egyptian law according to whether they are Islamic or not. After Egypt became an independent country, its businesses were often state-controlled. However, since the 1980s businesses have become more independent.

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