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      <title>North East Business Guide News Feed</title>
      <link>http://www.www.nebusinessguide.co.uk</link>
      <description>The latest news from the north east business community</description>
      <language>en-en</language>
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<title>www.nebusinessguide.co.uk</title>
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			<title>Plan Now For 'World Cup Fever'</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1188/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[SMEs need to start developing and communicating their plans for the football World Cup, says HR service provider Right Hand HR which offers ten tips for managing 'World Cup fever'.
&quot;Inevitably, there'll be scaremongering stories about how much the World Cup will cost the UK in terms of unauthorised absence and lost productivity,&quot; said Lindsay Grieve, Managing Director of Right Hand HR. 
&quot;The typical concerns are that employees will call in sick - to watch a match or because they're recovering from the night before - and that discussing games and checking scores will distract them from their work.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>UK employer demand rose in February but active job-seekers increased faster</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1189/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Job vacancies up one per cent, average salaries up five per cent
Active job-seekers up 50 per cent this year to reach record highs.
Demand from UK employers for new workers rose steadily upwards in February. The number of new job opportunities increased by one per cent in February compared to January, with average salaries up by five per cent according to the Reed Job Index, published for the first time today.
&nbsp;
However active job-seekers have flooded back into the job market in 2010 at a much faster rate than new jobs, as returning consumer confidence has released pent up demand.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Recession-fighting firms focusing on sales and marketing, survey finds</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1190/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Small businesses are hoping to beat the recession by stepping up their sales and marketing strategies, a new survey has revealed. 
After cutting operating costs to the bare minimum, many smaller firms are hiring sales staff, improving their websites and boosting marketing activities in an effort to tackle tough trading conditions. 
&nbsp;
Research carried out by the not-for-profit Forum of Private Business (FPB) also found that business owners expect their efforts will pay off. More than half (56%) of those surveyed expect to increase their turnover in 2010 and 44% believe their business will grow.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Helen Alexander Sets Out CBI Priorities For Creative Industries</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1191/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Helen Alexander, President of the CBI, on Monday used a speech to the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers to set out the leading business group’s priorities to help facilitate the success of the UK’s creative industries.
Speaking to senior figures from the world of publishing and other industries she said that the CBI would focus on five areas on behalf of members in the creative industries. They are: piracy and protecting intellectual property, regulation, tax, access to finance, and education and skills.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Global hairdresser Trevor Sorbie in NE</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1183/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[An entrepreneur who went from barbershop boy to Buckingham Palace is to share the story of his world-renowned success with North East business figures.
Trevor Sorbie, the businessman credited with revolutionising hairdressing and putting England at the cutting edge of the industry, will address the Entrepreneurs&rsquo; Forum on Tuesday, March 23.
&nbsp;
He will reveal the journey that took him from working as an apprentice in his father&rsquo;s two-chair Essex salon after leaving school at 15 and on to forging a global brand synonymous with excellence.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Ward Hadaway contract win built on firm foundation</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1184/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Leading North law firm Ward Hadaway has won a contract to provide legal services to housebuilding giant Barratt Developments PLC.
The firm has been chosen by Barratt to supply advice on all property-related matters in the North-East for three years following a keenly-contested competitive tender.
&nbsp;
Ward Hadaway fought off competition from other law firms across the country to win the contract, which will see it provide legal advice on a wide range of different areas.
&nbsp;
The 16-strong Barratt team at Ward Hadaway features some of the region&rsquo;s leading legal experts in the fields of housebuilding and development and covers areas including property, construction, planning, plot sales and litigation.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Round 2 International Acquires Robson Brown</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1185/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Robson Brown, one of the UK’s largest independently owned marketing communications business has been sold to US based integrated media company, Round 2 International for an undisclosed sum.
The move comes after Alan Brown and Stuart Robson successfully led the &pound;37 million turnover business for the past 26 years.&nbsp; The multi-service agency Robson Brown whose specialisms lie in advertising, creative, digital, PR, media planning and buying, print and design and launched in 1983, has been bought by the US based integrated media company.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>RICS Housing Market Survey</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1186/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[The balance between supply and demand shifted toward the supply side as the new instructions net balance outpaced buyer interest for the second consecutive month, says RICS UK Housing Market Survey.
It was the same picture in the North East where a significant increase in the numbers of new homes being put up for sale coincided with a rise in the number of chartered surveyors reporting and expecting falling prices.
&nbsp;
While the North East was one of the few regions in the UK where more chartered surveyors report prices falling than rising, the net balance difference is very slight, increasing from -1 to -2.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>1M tonnes of waste reused as dredger arrives to complete tunnel’s river works</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1187/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Following immersion, at the end of February, of the final tunnel element to make up the river section of the second Tyne vehicle tunnel, the dredger “Alexander von Humboldt” arrives on the Tyne today to start backfilling the trench.
The huge 120m long, 24m wide trailing suction hopper dredger will remove clean material from the mouth of the Tyne and place it via pipeline into the tunnel trench between East Howdon and Jarrow helping to ensure the tunnel beneath the riverbed remains securely in place.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Beware the ‘cowboy’ rating surveyors, warns business group</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1180/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Small businesses are being urged to be wary of ‘cowboy’ rating surveyors attempting to profiteer from the recent rates revaluation. 
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) made the warning after experiencing a surge in calls from members complaining about rogue operators. 
&nbsp;
The FPB believes the problem has come about due to the recent rates revaluation, which decided how much businesses will have to pay in rates over the next five years. 
&nbsp;
Many smaller firms are unhappy about the Valuation Office Agency&rsquo;s assessment of their rateable value, which takes effect next month.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>2009/10 year-end and pre-50% tax planning</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1181/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[ Take action during the remaining window of opportunity
There are just a few weeks of the current tax year left representing a brief window of opportunity for tax reliefs to be used.&nbsp; If they have not already done so, individual taxpayers should be considering whether there is any potential to use the basic reliefs available to them for income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax. 
Stephen Hall, a partner in tax at Deloitte in Newcastle, says: &ldquo;The current tax year is fast coming to a close, so now&rsquo;s your last chance to review your position to uncover any un-used allowances or other possible benefits, before 5 April.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Keeping It Private – Online</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1182/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Sunderland City Council has teamed up with a group of academic researchers to put on an exciting interactive event aimed at hearing people’s views on online privacy. 
The event, which is free to attend, is being held on the 13th March at 10.30am and 12.30pm at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. It forms part of the nationwide Festival of Social Science which is run by the Economic and Social Research Council &ndash; the leading funder of social science research in the UK - and is intended to help the general public discover more about the world of social science.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>RICS comment on Halifax House Price Data</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1174/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Commenting on today's Halifax house price data, Simon Rubinsohn RICS chief economist said:
&quot;The February Halifax house price index released this morning broadly followed the lead provided by the Nationwide Building Society with both series posting declines after healthy gains in previous months. There is no doubt that unseasonably poor weather and the ending of the stamp duty holiday have impacted the housing market in terms of creating a greater level of volatility in both prices and transaction levels.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>CBI Reacts To Bank Of England's MPC Decision</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1175/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[The CBI responded to the announcement from the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).
Sarah Green, Regional Director, CBI North East, said:
&nbsp;
&ldquo;This month it would have been surprising if the Bank had done anything else. In keeping its quantitative easing policy and interest rates unchanged, the MPC has weighed the recent, fragile improvement in economic activity against residual concerns about inflationary pressures and the weak pound. 
&nbsp;
&ldquo;As the economic recovery has extremely shallow roots, the Bank should stand ready to continue with its quantitative easing programme, as required.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Sunderland Software Centre</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1176/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Plans for a £10m software centre in central Sunderland that could create up to 140 jobs are examined by city councillors next week.
The Sunderland Software Centre building is planned for Tavistock Place near Mowbray Park.
&nbsp;
Members of Sunderland City Council&rsquo;s Cabinet are discussing the plans when they meet on Wednesday 10 March.
&nbsp;
The 53,000 square foot development would include space for more than 60 businesses. It is being part financed with a &pound;4.75m grant from the European Regional Development Fund (European regional Development Fund), secured through regional development agency One North East, which is also contributing &pound;2.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Walker Morris Wins £7.5 Million Damages Claim for Client</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1177/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Following Walker Morris' success last week in the Court of Appeal for their client – Hotel Cipriani – the firm has achieved another major victory related to the case.
In a further hearing before Mr Justice Briggs sitting in the High Court on Tuesday 2 March, over &pound;7.5 million in damages was awarded in favour of the Hotel Cipriani; and the assets of the defendant's parent company, Cipriani International SA, were frozen interim on a worldwide basis.&nbsp; Cipriani SA is the parent company of the restaurant owning companies of the Cipriani Family.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Bureau cheques in with further charity support</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1178/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau boosted good causes across the UK and overseas when they helped raise £600 for the meetings industry official charity during International Confex 2010 at Earls Court last week.
The Bureau&rsquo;s innovative token scheme supported &lsquo;Meetings Industry Meetings Needs&rsquo; (MIMN) - the registered charity founded by leading figures in the UK conference industry &ndash; and the official charity of the Confex exhibition.
&nbsp;
NewcastleGateshead&rsquo;s charity tokens were distributed to exhibition visitors before and during the international meetings tradeshow, with the Convention Bureau pledging a pound sterling for every token collected at their stand.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Spark Cleans Up With Soap And Glory Contract</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1179/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Gateshead-based/north east-based contact centre and fulfilment specialist Spark Response has won a new contract to provide trade fulfilment for the cosmetics brand Soap & Glory.
Spark already works for BrandHandling, the owner of the Soap &amp; Glory brand, providing fulfilment services for another of its popular brands, FitFlop footwear. When the brand was launched in the UK three years ago, it was an instant success &ndash; almost five million pairs were sold in the first two years. Spark shipped pre-orders for women&rsquo;s activewear retailer Running Bare, who were one of the first suppliers to stock the product for its UK launch and had taken thousands of orders from pre-registering custoemrs.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>David Bellamy OBE Backs Plans For Waterfalls Country Estate</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1171/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Dr David Bellamy OBE is supporting plans for Waterfalls Country Estate, an eco friendly, luxury holiday resort in the heart of Northumberland.
Plans for the 16 acre site, just off the A68 near Ridsdale, have now been recommended for approval and David Bellamy has written to Northumberland County Council in a letter of support about the scheme after discussing plans with Sherod Walker, the entrepreneur behind the development.
&nbsp;
David said: &ldquo;I recently had the pleasure of visiting Sherod Walker&rsquo;s proposed development, Waterfalls Estate and, to coin a phrase, it is a site bursting with capabilities of the quality leisure kind.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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			<title>Time is running out for backdated business rates appeals, warns FPB</title>
				<link>http://www.nebusinessguide.co.uk/news/art/1172/</link>
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					<description><![CDATA[Small firms are being warned that they have less than a month left if they want to contest their business rates over the past five years. 
Any business owners who believe they have been charged too much for their rates since the last revaluation in 2005 have until March 31 to appeal. 
&nbsp;
If their appeals are successful, many firms could receive rebates worth thousands of pounds. 
&nbsp;
However, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has set a deadline of March 31 for claims, prompting the Forum of Private Business (FPB) to urge firms to consider whether or not their rates bills over the past five years have been set too high.]]></description>
					<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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