If your business partner dies suddenly, where does the money come from to pay the deceased's estate? Business Plus looks at the insurance options An enterprise board in Munster is trying to teach tech firms how to improve their sales and marketing Turnaround management is about pacing yourself and the company for a workout solution Book Reviews: Some ideas remain in our thoughts while other ideas leave our brains as fast as they entered Website Translation; Concrete That Shines; Sun Servers For SMEs; Mobile Desks For Road Warriors; Facing Up To Challenging Times; Practical CSR For Business; Cutting Transport Costs; Clickatrade Enters Crowded Market Lads who get fresh with female colleagues in the pub after work can cost their company a fortune if proper policies are not in place Solicitor Bill Holohan enters the debate on when is the best stage to involve lawyers in contract negotiations Online Tax Counsel Helps Do Tax Returns; New Travel And Subsistence Rates; Get On The Web For €399; Better Choice From Vodafone; AIB Nudge For Financial Planning; Own Your Own Display; What's A Rep Worth?; Do You Really Want To Grow? Trust is the key word in letting go of real responsibility and delegating tasks to employees Book Review: The wisdom of a dying professor is a reminder that life is about playing the cards you're dealt Directors of companies in financial trouble have to beware of paying off loans that have personal guarantees A recent Equality Tribunal ruling means that non-national employees who don't understand English have to receive employment and safety details in their own language Business Plus runs the rule over some of the genre of books that explore the relative value of individuals and crowds Internal practices can add inefficiencies and costs to the relationship between an organisation and its creative agencies The Art Of War is a celebrated Chinese manual on military strategy. Brendan Waters of Mazars identifies elements of Sun Tzu's wisdom that have relevance for the economic downturn Asset based lending provides finance against underlying realisation values of company assets Money management is crucial for business survival in a downturn. Here's advice on how to avoid cashflow pitfalls New Software Helps Monitor Temps; Bord Gáis Energy Supply; eFax Virtual Fax Service; Mobile Tariff Savings; Control of Exports Act - Know What You're Exporting Or Else; EU Promises More Help For SMEs Calling in the law to secure payment for an unpaid invoice is the last resort. Here are the legal steps involved The story of Stonyfield Farms shows how you can save the world and get rich at the same time Brody Sweeney, founder of O'Briens Sandwich Bars, knows a thing or two about sweet talking a loan. Here he shares some tips for making a successful pitch to the bank We often think of leaders as transforming heroes who instigate great change. The reality is very different 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 Are all online banking services for business the same? Mostly yes, but there are some differences in functionality 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 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 Older adults will be one of the most important sources of talent for the workforce of the future 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 A recent Labour Court ruling that alcoholism is a disability should make for sober deliberations for employers Paul Taylor, general manager of David Lloyd Riverview, explains why his facility is ranked number one club in the fitness chain 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 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 Sponsorship is the essence of real marketing integration. But before you get involved, here's how you need to prepare 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 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? New rules for Small Claims will make it easier for a business to chase a debt from a customer in Dusseldorf than in Dundalk 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 If you want a UK base to target the British market, Wales has plenty of incentives to attract growing firms 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 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 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