Monthly Archives: May 2019

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Book review: My Story by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

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Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
If there was one attitude that has been fundamental to the economic success of the city of Dubai then it surely is a deep respect for the value of competition.
It’s a word that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and ruler of Dubai, is very fond of, believing that it drives people to become stronger and to achieve more.
“Compete with yourself and others,” he advises in My Story: 50 Memories from Fifty Years of Service, his long-awaited memoirs published to coincide with five decades at the heart of power in the Middle East. “Compete with your goals to achieve more ambitious ones,” he adds. “Compete with your past to build a better future.”
Dubai is a paragon for what can be achieved by enshrining competition at the heart of policy. In the space of just two generations it has transformed into a global economic powerhouse thanks to a forward-thinking combination of inspired resource exploitation, free trade and vision.
It was this firm conviction that drove the Sheikh to transform Dubai from a small, bustling trading port into a multi-billion dollar city that now welcomes 16

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Nationwide wins £50m prize to help boost small business banking

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Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Nationwide Building Society has won a £50m grant to help support small businesses.
The award is part of a £775m programme funded by Royal Bank of Scotland as a condition of its bailout during the financial crisis. A total of £425m will be given in cash grants to rival business banks and financial technology companies, while a further £350m is being used to encourage RBS customers to switch to alternative providers.
Investec and the Co-Operative Bank, which won smaller awards of £15m each, have also pledged to match the prize with their own investments.
Nationwide will use the money to deliver new services for SMEs. The building society will match every pound received over five years to shape new products and services.
Nationwide says 7,000 branch workers will be trained in business banking and it will create a further 400 jobs. including at the society’s head office in Swindon, Wiltshire.
The society is the only major high street provider currently not to offer a business current account.
Five big banks dominate 85pc of the business lending market, where switching levels are low.
Nationwide aims to shake up the market by focusing squarely on supporting the UK’s 5.6 million SMEs. Among

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Building a business website: what key steps are involved?

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Some entrepreneurs feel excited about launching their business website while others dread it.
This guide answers the top questions you may be asking when it comes to building a website for your business and some things that you might not have even considered yet.
1. Do I need to hire a website designer, or can I use a website building package?
There is value in hiring a skilled designer as they can save you a lot of time – vital when you’re busy running a business and are keen to launch your website.
Be aware that building your site can be broken down into two parts: designing and developing. Graphic designers create images for websites, ads, icons, logos and prints. Some only create graphics but others can design websites too.
Make sure you check this when you contact them.
With the all-rounders, try and get a sense of where their weaknesses are and whether that clashes with something important on your site.
Next, you’ll need a developer to make the website function by coding the designs.
Whoever you’re hiring for your design and development needs, it helps to know exactly what you want from your website before you choose anyone. It’ll

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