The Supeme Court has clipped the wings of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in a landmark judgment relating to the restriction of directors Cooking your own gourmet meal is a novel form of team-building now being offered by Sheraton Fota Island Resort in Cork Are all online banking services for business the same? Mostly yes, but there are some differences in functionality According to motivation guru Keith Cunningham, success will always be a distant goal without commitment to yourself The decision to terminate the employment of any number of employees is a complex one and has financial implications for the employer In his latest book, Gary Hamel argues that management must innovate or become irrelevant Alistair Is The Darling Of North's Entrepreneurs; No Escaping PRSI For Self-Employed; Fáilte Ireland Fund Targets Tourism SMEs; Transform Vacant Wall Space The Digital Way; Saving Money With Fluorescent Lights Why should you value your business and how do you go about doing it? Here are some some tips and advice The tax consequences of transactions are often overlooked until it is too late to do anything about them Sick Leave Problem Worst In Munster, Says ISME; Keep Tabs On Stolen Vehicles With GPS; Backup Your Contacts And Data On The Web Robert Greene's books seriously undermine the notion that being Mr Nice Guy is going to help you make a name for yourself in the battlefield of business That Office Party Flirt Can Cost You Dearly; Use Bluetooth To Promote Your Sales; Take The First Step To Fund Your Business; and more In his role as chief learning officer of bookbuzz, YANKY FACHLER had to plough through well over 200 business books in 2007 in order to decide which books to slot into bookbuzz executive learning programmes. Here are ten of the books he liked best Salaries were reasonably stable in 2007 although there has been upward pressure where candidate supply is particularly tight Sometimes managers need to step back and think about working smarter not harder Help With Powerpoint Stage Fright; Advice For Writing in Plain English; Knowing When Accounts Package Is Past Sell By; Convert File Formats Easily With Online Tool; Bord Bia's Vantage Centre of Excellence for Small Business There are ten factors purchasers should consider before making an acquisition Ireland's bankruptcy laws are in the dark ages compared with the situation in the UK Advertisers and publishers can reap rewards by collaborating together online Self-invested retirement structures are the tax-efficient way of transforming surplus business cash into personal and family wealth Trademark & Design Rights Protection; Tech Check - Free IT Audit; Sage Micropay Tackles CSO Red Tape; Fighting Spam - Spam Doctor; Breezing Through Customs With AEOs Older adults will be one of the most important sources of talent for the workforce of the future Women are rapidly increasing their share of high-skill occupations Finance professionals in Ireland work longer hours that most of their peers around the globe The pharmaceutical sector is still a good career bet for steady employment Working as a contractor can be a viable alternative to a full-time job and the best advice is to set up a limited company New Alarm System From HKC Makes Good Use Of Mobiles; VAT Refund Card Gives Edge To Blarney; Sligo Centre Beats The Drum For Design; Meteor's Mobile E-Mail Has Windows Look; A recent Labour Court ruling that alcoholism is a disability should make for sober deliberations for employers Advanced Diploma Can Help Sales Reach Higher Levels; New VAT Payment Rules To Help Small Traders' Cashflow; Age Matters When Hiring; Corporate Calendars Get The Personal Touch Paul Taylor, general manager of David Lloyd Riverview, explains why his facility is ranked number one club in the fitness chain Home Computing Initiative; Goodbody Cuts Carbon Footprint With CHP; Food And Drinks Export Advice; PR For Fundraising Startups; Text Marketing; Free IT Check Up Employers should beware of the legal maze surrounding job interviews and the selection process Factoring debts got a bad reputation in Ireland but Liverpool company Bibby is aiming to change perceptions An Post alternative can cut costs; Design Shannon Skillnet helps with R&D and brand design; Ulster Bank's new startup pack; Easy e-commerce with online trading portal; Saving credit for marketing Solar panels and rapeseed oil now provide a chunk of Newbridge Silverware's energy requirements The government has introduced a new employment permits regime for non-EU nationals. Here's how it works Do you work to live or live to work? Most employers are implementing a work-life balance policy but there are downsides for the employer Knowledge to help your business: Computer security cameras that slash CCTV costs; Fexco's online training solution with FAS eCollege; Increase retail turnover with Rent-A-DVD; Frankfurt's Collectione exhibition Sponsorship is the essence of real marketing integration. But before you get involved, here's how you need to prepare Knowledge to help your business Small firms got a cashflow boost in Budget 2007 when finance minister Brian Cowen increased the threshold for paying VAT on a cash receipts basis from €635,000 to €1m. Here's how the new rules work Marketing professionals are in strong demand, so what type of marketing expertise are the corporates seeking? E-mail is a relatively cheap way to blast hundreds of your customers with a message. But getting them to read it is the challenge People born after 1980 expect to have a job, and a choice of job too. So how can employers make the most of this so-called Generation Y? Big conferences or conventions are now possible in Kilkenny with the opening of the new Lyrath Estate Hotel Knowledge to help your business New rules for Small Claims will make it easier for a business to chase a debt from a customer in Dusseldorf than in Dundalk Knowledge to help your business Genuine search practices identify, benchmark and recruit the best talent available for a role, not the best talent looking for a job Knowledge to help your business What constitutes a good business idea? How do you go about looking for one? And when you find one, how do you know if it will be good enough to turn into a successful business? The government keeps urging SMEs to move up the value chain. If getting involved in R&D is too daunting, why not try technology transfer Business owners often push important tasks to the back of the queue because they are too busy dealing with the urgent ones - and that includes their own financial goals. Here is advice on the best ways to make your goals compelling Knowledge to help your business A new report paints a damning picture of the competence of SME managers. With autumn here, we look at some of the courses the dunce bosses should be considering Knowledge to help your business Knowledge to help your business Knowledge to help your business Knowledge to help your business Knowledge to help your business If you want a UK base to target the British market, Wales has plenty of incentives to attract growing firms Knowledge to help your business Substantial grant aid is available to SMEs from the Productivity Improvement Fund. But the process is competitive. Enterprise Ireland is prodding third level institutes, such as Athlone Institute of Technology, to do more to foster startups. Aspiring entrepreneurs should take note Northern Ireland is desparate for private sector investment. Business Plus reports on the incentives for southern SMEs to look across the border PowerPoint has been hugely successful in giving confidence to executives making presentations. But too many people fall into the trap of confusing medium and message The Revenue Audit can be a harrowing time for small firms. Your level of disclosure and co-operation has a major bearing on the penalties that will be imposed The new One Step Up programme from FAS offers generous subsidies for employers to upskill their staff Interim management can solve short-term problems in a company's overall strategy There are substantial tax benefits for vendors of small businesses, and benefits too for the son or daughter if they buy the business Coaching can be very useful for personal and professional development. For coaching to be effective, you have to be clear about your goals Experts advise that company documents should be stored for six years. But tagging the records properly can cost you Mazars recently introduced an innovative free consulting service for SME executives. Participants have been relaying a lot of common challenges New legislation aimed at choking off the funding of terrorist groups means that assistance in laundering 'clean money' can now be a criminal offence Business owners in their twilight years agonise about how best to dispose of the business. Putting a decision on the long finger is a bad idea Key Relationship Builders are distinctive practices that impress cutomers. The result of putting them into practice can be an unpaid sales force at large Ask the wrong question at a job interview and you could find yourself being sued for discrimination Employees have entitlements to leave from their employment for a variety of reasons. These legal rights should be clearly set out in their contract of employment or staff handbook There's a healthy demand for financial and accounting staff in Dublin but how do salaries compare with pay in London and Sydney? When you drive a company car, you need to drive a lot of miles to avoid being walloped for PAYE and PRSI. The rules explained Having good non-executive directors can make a company more attractive to investors. But new legislation may scare away board candidates unless companies get their compliance house in order Nobody knows more about giving the right answer at a job interview than Martin John Yate. His book on the subject has sold millions of copies. Here's a sample The results of networking are proportionate to how hard you work at it Company loans to directors are coming under increased scrutiny by the authorities. Here's what directors need to know Newspaper ads announcing public tenders will soon be a thing of the past. Suppliers who don't sign up to the State's eTenders website will lose out Effective project management can improve an organisation's chance of prospering. But choosing the right project manager is vital It is essential to plan carefully when transferring a family business in order to avail of the available reliefs and avoid unnecessary tax liabilities Middle managers rely on the support and co-operation of many people.The key to success is confidence in their own abilities Ten steps that every company director should take to ensure their compliance with Company Law The Revenue Commissioners have turned to computer analysis of tax returns to decide who should be audited More company owners should be taking advantage of Approved Retirement Funds Delays and daunting costs are obstacles to commercial litigation. The new Commercial Court will help, though only for €1m plus claims New laws make it tougher to junk mail or cold call members of the public. The rules regarding pitching to business aren't as strict From March 2005 big firms will have to open a regular dialogue with their employees, like it or not Athletes and actors use coaches to help achieve success. Now business people are getting results from coaches too Directors of public companies and large SMEs need to get their heads around the new compliance burden The government has launched a new 20% tax credit for incremental R&D spend. Here's how the scheme works Flexitime has gained most traction in the public sector but it's catching on in the private sector too. Chris Sparks outlines the advantages and the hazards What personal data does an employee have a legal right to access? Quite a lot actually How the new personal injuries claims regime affects employers Sibling rivalry is a powerful phenomenon that has destroyed many families and their businesses. Paul Hennessy of PwC writes that managing the process requires careful and timely planning The owner of the family firm has to retire sometime – or die. It's best to plan the succession early