The world of training is undergoing a rapid change. Last year US businesses spent $55 billion on training. This might seem like a very large amount, but when you consider that in 2012 it was $164.2 billion then you can see evidence of a massive decline. But the overall amount of training taking place is…
“I used to always say ‘I never went to business school and I never read a business book’. But now I think maybe I should have read a few.” – Oprah Winfrey Oprah is one of the most successful female business executives ever with an entirely self-made empire, but even she can recognise the importance…
An overwhelming 93% of the firms recently surveyed by the Confederation of British Industry group Pearson said that they knew best about the training needs of their staff and the skills that they require. They would like to take more control of training, as in recent years it has become increasingly outside of their control…
Running a small business in this harsh economic climate is hard work. If you’re making a profit you’re doing well. We all want to find new customers, protect margins and keep overheads as low as possible. And training staff is one overhead that is typically trimmed by all businesses in times like these. Training is…
As more and more companies turn to managed training services to deliver their training and development requirements, many HR & L&D professionals are wondering whether it is time that their organisation did the same. It can be a tough decision – especially when you already have a pool of highly skilled internal L&D talent which…
One of the issues many independent contractors struggle with is self-promotion. If you’re one of those, the time for being shy is over. Here we share four business-boosting ways to promote yourself and your services. 1. Have an impressive CV Does your CV do an excellent job of showing who you are and, more importantly,…
Top 5 Tips posts from the SME Blog are always full of hints and tips for small, home & micro business owners. 1. Don’t let it come as a shock to you when an employee is off on holiday. If you are unaware of their coming absence until the day they go away, there is…
I don’t know how many of you have seen the film The Truman Show? But we’ve all wished we could live in a perfect world sometimes, where every traffic light is green and every decision goes your way. Working without effective feedback can sometimes seem like that – you complete a task or project, send…
