What forms of online recruitment can you choose from?

So, you've realised that your more traditional means of recruitment advertising aren't attracting the quality of candidates that you require, and are now contemplating the apparent high cost-effectiveness of digital recruitment. But what are the most cost-effective digital recruitment forms of all? Allow Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk) to guide you through them.

Job fairs, for example, have fully embraced digital in recent years, allowing for candidates and those looking to recruit staff to get to know each other in a way that minimises the expense and time of travel. The virtual environments allows for contact between a wider geographical range of candidates and companies.

In addition, CVs can be examined electronically in a virtual job fair, with only the most suitable prospects then being invited to interview - which cuts waste. Nor does pre-screening need to take as much time, as in the case of the best virtual fairs, invitations to attend will have only been sent to the most relevant, quality and interested candidates.

Social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter are also heavily used for recruiting staff, as they allow firms to screen candidates without being screened themselves. They can observe a candidate's behaviour on social media, including relations with others, values and handling of conflict, to determine whether they might be the right cultural fit to their company.

Employers can also better market themselves to job seekers via recruiting blogs, showing their everyday company operations and dynamism, including their take on many major issues. It presents a more lively, personal face of the company, rather than simply giving prospective candidates a largely unchanging chunk of information on the main website.

Recruiting blogs also allow for firms to post job advertisements instantly and receive immediate responses, perhaps giving candidates the chance to converse with the actual person behind the opportunity prior to submitting an application. That has to be much more compelling than directing them to  a bland careers@companyname.com email address.

Then there are the online recruitment sites and recruitment agencies. The former may field the latest vacancies and CVs, allowing recruiters to search by skills, education and experience. A recruitment agency, however, can give employers an even more tailored service.

Webrecruit, for example, offers a series of staff recruitment packages at a low fixed fee, embracing the best in relevant job board advertising, CV database searching, branded LinkedIn posting options, applicant response management, screening and interviewing options, online skills testing and so much more.

Visit Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk) now to learn more about our complete online recruitment service, which finds you the right talent at the right price.

Editor’s Note: Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

A look at some of the UK's retail recruitment hotspots

Whether the employer is looking for the best place to be based and to recruit staff with the highest level of suitable sector expertise, experience and qualifications, or whether candidates want to know where to live to maximise their chances of breaking into their chosen field, it can be useful to be aware of the UK's retail recruitment hotspots. Here, Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk) looks at a selection of them.

As the UK's undoubted economic centre, London will always be an obvious place to look for retail roles and recruitment opportunities, with major department stores like Debenhams, Fenwick of Bond Street, Harrods and Harvey Nichols all being based here. However, there are also many larger shopping centres and more unique, specialist shops. With the capital also being a major student destination, there is a ready supply of motivated and skilled graduate and not-yet-graduated talent.

Across a wide range of shopping areas like Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby, London retailers interface with many other specialities and industries, from personal shopper services to department store cafes, restaurants and bars and even opportunities for luxurious spa and beauty treatments. This all enables retailers recruiting staff in these areas to access high quality, flexible candidates with wide-ranging skills.

However, London is far from the only regional focal point for retail recruitment, others including Bath, home to the likes of Mee, Vintage to Vogue and Pink Stripes, while in the pretty Clifton Village area of Bristol, distinctive boutiques, including the vintage shop Bees & Graves and Mele - with its leading collection of Betty Jackson - thrive. Prospective employers and candidates alike are also attracted to Brighton for its more bohemian retail scene.

Further north, Newcastle upon Tyne has also firmly embraced retail to power a local economy that can no longer depend on heavy industries like coal mining and ship building. National retailers like Marks & Spencer and Next retain and train local graduates in store management, merchandising and buying. The size of the retail sector here is further indicated by the MetroCentre in nearby Gateshead being the largest shopping centre in Europe.

Crossing the border into Scotland brings one to Glasgow, which combines a retail sector said to be the equal of any outside London with a local passion for design and creativity. The city's festivals, theatres, museums and galleries, together with the fine buildings of local art nouveau artist and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, attract many visitors who also take in distinctive boutiques like Watermelon, Authentics and Felix and Oscar.

Naturally,  high street shopping, out of town shopping centres and online shopping - not to mention more specialised elements, like pop-up shops - are all integral to the retail landscape, and the exact staff recruitment requirements of retailers. With the help of the Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk) recruitment agency, retailers can attract the right talent so much faster, wherever they are in the UK.

Editor’s Note: Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What Canary Wharf freelancers must do to fulfil their tax obligations

If you are a freelancer in Canary Wharf, it will be your responsibility to report your income and expenses to the tax authorities. That means declaring such information on your Self Assessment tax return - which poses a surprising number of problems to many of the self-employed. With freelance life also meaning none of the holidays and sick pay that the employed enjoy, the onus really is on you to make good use of the free time that you have to keep your tax affairs in order.

Although there are many Canary Wharf accounting firms that can help freelancers in the area to keep on top of their tax obligations, giving tips on how to save tax while remaining in compliance with all of the important legislation, it is important not to be lulled into a false sense of security by this relationship. Ultimately, the responsibility for keeping records and filing tax returns that appropriately report your accounts, lies with you and you alone. Neither your bookkeeper, nor your accountant, nor anybody else is responsible for ensuring that your paperwork or accounting calculations are immaculate.

One reason why it's so important for the clients of Canary Wharf accounting firms to know that the buck stops with them, is that an Inland Revenue enquiry is highly inevitable, sooner or later. When the taxman examines your tax return and accounts, they should see that the right amount of profit has been declared, and accordingly, the right amount of tax paid. Enquiries can be stressful, and they will be so much more so if your tax records are disorganised and don't immediately and clearly back up what you have stated on your tax return. Instead, store your invoices and receipts neatly and in good order.

If you've already spent some time as a freelancer or contractor, you might already be waist-deep in your work and growing your business - so take the time right at the start to ensure the good organisation of your vital paperwork. Research the various elements of tax law, determining which ones apply to you and your situation. The Inland Revenue website is one obvious place to look for information, while Canary Wharf accounting firms may also be able to provide limited free advice.

You'll feel so much less anxious whenever the next Self Assessment deadline nears, if you are in full control of your paperwork and aware of your specific responsibilities, rather than having to make sense of a heap of disorganised data and paperwork, dating back a year. Look at the actual Self Assessment tax return that you will need to complete, identify the relevant parts to you and ensure that your records have been kept in a corresponding fashion, well ahead of the deadline. It all means that you spend so much more time on your core business, rather than furiously calling Canary Wharf accounting firms at the last moment before a deadline.

Editor’s Note: Freelancer Accounting (http://www.freelanceraccounting.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Don't eliminate light - diffuse it, with net curtains

Even the very name of our company, Express Nets (http://www.expressnets.co.uk), firmly signals the kind of curtain for which we are best known - the net curtain. Even with so many other curtains and blinds available in various categories, from roller blinds and Venetian blinds to cafe nets and readymade curtains, net curtains remain hugely popular. As for why that is so, the way they make use of the natural light entering your home probably has something to do with it.

Whereas other window coverings so often completely block out the light or do so in an incremental way, making it necessary to adjust them at various times of the day, net curtains are a solid choice of curtain if you'd rather not worry too much about adjustment. That's because, from the moment you open your curtains on a morning to the last few minutes before sunset, net curtains diffuse the incoming natural light quite nicely, so that it's neither overwhelming, nor non-existent.

As human beings, we greatly appreciate natural light. It is truly life-giving - and the best curtains so often make use of this. Undiluted light can discolour people's home furnishings, leading to the desire to tone down the amount of light that enters the home, without eliminating it altogether. On other occasions, no obstruction to incoming light can make the inside of your house just a little too visible to passers-by, including potential thieves.

The effective regulation of light may be one of the most obvious reasons to invest in net curtains, but there are many other justifications for choosing them, including their flexible sizing and sheer cost-effectiveness. The wide range of styles in which they can be specified, especially from Express Nets, is another factor.

Perhaps you'd like to invest in our Albany Net Curtain, for example, with its 'frosted' effect and horizontal and vertical lined pattern throughout? Or what about the elegant-looking Anna Net Curtain, or the floral pattern and scalloped edge finish of the Danielle Net Curtain? Elsewhere in our range, you'll find the very contemporary Buxton Net Curtain with its distinctive spiral detail, as well as the Butterfly Hawaii Net Curtain, which features a small butterfly and floral design.

We could proceed with describing so many more of the net curtains that we stock, but that would be to neglect the alternatives that do a very similar job. We are, of course, referring to jardinieres, which are generally distinguished from net curtains by their arched border along their bottom edge. Again, there is a strong assortment to choose from, including the likes of heavy Andrea jardinieres, plain Naomi jardinieres and beautiful Sally jardinieres.

Whichever type you choose, the general purpose and function of these curtains is the same, and they have much the same positive effect on the way light filters into your home. Simply visit Express Nets (http://www.expressnets.co.uk) now for a closer look at our complete selection of window blinds and curtains.

Editor’s Note: Express Nets (http://www.expressnets.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

How could directors and managers benefit from a London Registrars company secretary?

Companies frequently make use of company secretaries for a wide range of duties relating to business administration, including the completion of statutory requirements. Since 1999, London Registrars (http://www.london-registrars.co.uk) has fostered a reputation for the assistance and solutions that it provides to many different companies, catering to their specific requirements. Certainly, there are many reasons for directors and managers to contact the firm about the services of an experienced and highly qualified company secretary.

AIM-listed companies, for example, may request the services of an AIM company secretary, which encompass the management of meetings of the board, general meetings, AGMs and committees of the board. An AIM company secretary could also carry out a corporate health check of the company’s statutory registers, advise the company on the achievement and maintenance of good government, manage shareholder information and contribute to and review the annual report and accounts, amongst a wide range of other duties. London Registrars is also known for its meeting management service, which allows companies to outsource meeting management, enhancing board or committee effectiveness and saving costs in the process.

London Registrars also offers basic company secretarial services for non-listed PLCs by subscription, allowing a “private” PLC that does not have its shares traded on a stock exchange to benefit from a registered office address in central London, directors’ service addresses, the preparation and submission of Annual Returns and the maintenance of the Register of Directories and Secretaries, among other benefits. London Registrars can also give a public limited company either fully or partially outsourced services, of which examples include the provision of compliance consultancy and the cost-effective management of dormant subsidiaries, as well as case managing litigation on the company’s behalf.

Similar services can also be provided to private limited companies, including taking custody of the Minute Book or filing any changes in the statutory registers with Companies House. LLPs can also benefit from the assistance of a company secretary from London Registrars, as can companies limited by guarantee. Alternatively, a company may lose its company secretary or a member of the company secretarial team for an extended period of time, perhaps because of illness, maternity or paternity leave – in which case, it may appreciate in-house interim company secretarial services. Cover can be provided from the London Registrars office, or a suitably qualified member of its company secretarial team may be seconded to the client’s offices over the relevant period.

Company secretarial services are also available from London Registrars (http://www.london-registrars.co.uk) for NHS Trusts. Even an academy company secretary can be requested for tasks including the preparation of minutes and any ancillary work relating to the board and board committee meetings and reviewing minutes received from the academy for the purposes of compliance. Even a company secretarial audit is possible, covering such matters as a company’s memorandum, articles of association and statutory registers – all handled effectively and freeing up time for the continued expansion of the business.

Editor’s Note: London Registrars (http://www.london-registrars.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Caring for someone at an advanced stage of dementia

We have previously discussed on the Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) blog how the early signs of dementia can be spotted, as well as the various stages of the disease and issues in care. Although our domestic care in Gloucester can be invaluable in helping someone to stay in their home and retain their mobility and independence for longer, advanced dementia presents particular practical and emotional challenges for loved ones.

Although it isn't always realised by many people that dementia is a progressive disease, people are nonetheless unique individuals, and can therefore be affected by dementia slightly differently. The damage to the bran caused by dementia is irreversible, and in the case of advanced dementia, not only the memory but also movements, reflexes and other aspects of the way the body works are affected. For some people, symptoms of advanced dementia can occur slowly over months and years, whereas for others, they occur more rapidly over weeks and months.

Signs that someone is entering an advanced stage of dementia, as may be observed by loved ones or our home carers in Gloucestershire, include sometimes failing to recognise family members due to severe memory loss, difficulties in communication, no longer having control over bladder and bowels, difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing and/or jerking movements and sometimes fits. A person with advanced dementia may also be more anxious, lose weight and suffer frequent infections and fevers.

The right home care agency in Gloucestershire can play an especially important role as a person moves from a medium to an advanced stage of dementia, not least as they will need daily supervision as well as assistance with day-to-day tasks like bathing and dressing. However, it is at this point that truly independent living becomes difficult - indicating a switch to prioritising simple comfort and quality of life. Seeing dementia become more advanced can be very painful and distressing for family and friends, but those providing care home help or domiciliary care in Gloucestershire work to ensure that person's warmth, comfort and dignity at all times.

The help and care of family and friends can be especially comforting for someone with advanced dementia, and you can often make them safer by establishing a regular routine, as well as furnishing their bedroom with items that have been important to them, such as family pictures and paintings. You could also bring them a favourite drinking cup or mug, provide them with familiar and comfortable clothes and play their favourite music in their room. You will also need to plan future care for your relative or friend, which can be difficult if they no longer have the capacity to make their own wishes known.

That is why, in the absence of Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), relatives and friends ought to be consulted by health and social care workers in the making of such vital decisions on future care - whether or not the person is presently receiving home help in Gloucestershire from Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk).

Editor’s Note: Bramble Home Care (http://www.bramblehomecare.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Male moisturisation and exfoliation - and how Gentlemen's Tonic can help

When men discover the wide assortment of treatments and products relating to traditional male grooming offered by Gentlemen's Tonic (http://www.gentlemenstonic.com), they may be new to the very notion of a skincare regime, or seasoned customers of the finest moisturisers, body washes and facial scrubs. Men in the latter group are likely to turn to an establishment like Gentlemen's Tonic time and time again, in recognition of the indispensable role that its branded products have to play in any good male grooming regime.

In fact, men ought to begin a face care regime at the earliest opportunity after puberty kicks in. A man's skin has a memory, never forgetting how it has been treated at every stage of adult life, with the results of decades of mistreatment becoming visible when a man hits his mid-40s. As alarming as that might sound, the good news is that Gentlemen's Tonic offers an extensive selection of premium branded male grooming gifts that make it easier to develop what may now be a mere face wash with soap and water into a fully fledged and effective, 21st century face care regime.

As much as one may initially think to reach for the moisturiser, the right mens foaming cleanser might be even more important, given that the moisturiser can't be absorbed if the skin hasn't been cleaned properly first. But when the time does come to select a moisturiser, the discerning man could do much worse than opting for Gentlemen's Tonic's own renowned Daily Moisturiser, which is suitable for every skin type and is an especially sound choice for men with dry or sensitive skin. Consisting of such key ingredients as gotu kola, seaweed and babassu oil, this moisturiser soothes and rejuvenates the skin, helping to maintain its natural moisture levels.

Exfoliation is something else that a man should do - at least once a week if his skin is oily, more often if it is dry. At the risk of invoking reductive gender stereotypes, men can perhaps better understand exfoliation by likening it to sandpapering before giving a smooth finish. It allows the moisturiser to better sink in and hydrate the skin - and again, Gentlemen's Tonic has an intelligently devised solution, with its Exfoliating Facial Scrub consisting of naturally derived ingredients that assist in the removal of excess dirt and dead skin cells. Used three times a week, this scrub is another integral component of the most effective modern skincare routine.

The Gentlemen's Tonic (http://www.gentlemenstonic.com) range also includes the likes of Gentle Body Wash that can be used every day in the shower or bath to ensure the further softening and conditioning of the skin, as well as Aftershave Cream and even a Soothing Aftershave Balm. The latter is invaluable for those men desiring a comfortable finish to their shave, as it soothes and nourishes every type of freshly shaved skin. It's just one more of an extensive selection of the best-formulated male skincare products.

Editor’s Note: Gentlemen's Tonic (http://www.gentlemenstonic.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

The integral role of an Oriel Systems telemetry outstation or RTU

Of all of the components that are critical to the smooth running of remote telemetry, the actual device for collecting that all-important data - the telemetry outstation - cannot be overlooked. Also referred to as a Remote Terminal Unit or even Remote Telemetry Unit (RTU), a telemetry outstation is located on each monitored site, gathering information on a 24 hours a day basis from all of the sensors at that particular remote site. When customers across the water, chemical, print and oil and gas industries choose Oriel Systems (http://www.orielsystems.com), they can specify a video outstation, intelligent outstation or low power outstation.

Such a unit has digital and analogue signals wired directly to it, and is capable of relaying information on events, alarms, analogue (floating) values and more to the host station. It's also possible to configure communications for local communications to SCADA and further local intelligent devices. The specific RTUs that have been developed by Oriel Systems include a video outstation capable of the simultaneous transmission over the Internet of as many as eight live feeds - optionally with audio - from the given remote site. Oriel Systems' AWAX software can then be used for monitoring and controlling the cameras, as tabs are kept on other onsite functions.

Customers of this intelligent video unit from Oriel Systems' large installed user base across the world appreciate the various resolutions at which it can transmit video - whether the requirement is for a low network bandwidth system, or a high bandwidth application from which television quality video can be produced. But Oriel Systems is also known for its intelligent outstation that can be programmed for the monitoring and control of the remote site's plant equipment. The system can be fully configured for the client's site, with the Unit being attachable to IO modules of various types, as well as to PLCs and other intelligent devices.

Clients choose the Intelligent Telemetry Outstation (ITO) partly on account of the wide range of communication transmission options that can be specified with the connection of the unit back to their master station. These include both licensed and un-licensed Low Power radio, PSTN (land-line), Internet, satellite and GSM/GPRS mobile. However many previously recorded values need to be sent back, that can be accomplished, with a live feed also being delivered of on-site events.

Finally, Oriel Systems also offers a low power outstation that has been designed for small solar panel and/or mini-windmill power. The unit provides clear and confident readings, with its internal charge pump enabling the generation of its own 24 volt supply for analog sensors. With this unit, radio or GSM/GPRS modem are usually used for communication to the AWAX master station, and a repeater station is not generally required. Such features make this unit just one more of the many telemetry solutions that have helped to make Oriel Systems (http://www.orielsystems.com) such a go-to company for a wide range of specialised remote monitoring requirements.

Editor’s Note: Oriel Systems (http://www.orielsystems.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

NLP frames that get results

Do you wish you could finally stop merely wishing for your dreams to happen? Maybe you're wondering whether those dreams are even worth chasing, or whether you should pursue them in a different way? We've spoken before on the Opt2XL (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk) blog about frames, and their value in the adoption of a new perspective on a situation. They're a natural part of how we make sense of our world, and you can learn on our neuro linguistic programming courses how to use them to bring a new context, focus or guidance to your thoughts and actions.

Consider the 'As If' frame, which involves acting 'As If' a desired state, situation or outcome is already true. Acting as if your desired outcome has already been achieved means living your dreams now, with reality gradually coming in line with it. Or you might be negotiating to try to solve a problem, so you might suggest, "OK, so let's act as if I've already agreed to your demand. What good happens for me as a result?" You may have a person missing from your meeting, and therefore act 'As If' that person is present. You may also act 'As If' a certain project is completed and ask what steps made the achievement of this outcome possible.

Speaking of outcomes, our NLP training in Birmingham also covers the Outcome frame, which helps you to focus on your desired achievement, and the effects and resources that will be required to make it possible. For all of your activities, you should set an outcome, so that the focus is firmly on what is sought after, and a proper context is provided for making decisions and the assessment of behaviours. So many organisations' hold meetings, for example, but do not leave them with a clear sense of what was decided and is now expected of them. The reason is that the intended outcome was simply to have a meeting!

You can also learn about the Ecology frame in an NLP seminar in Birmingham, considering the impact on other systems - such as family, work environment, community or even the body - of pursuing a particular outcome. For example, you may desire a good-looking body, but is the diet that you are following to achieve it having an adverse effect on your immune system? Maybe there's a certain desired outcome at work, but your pursuit of it is negatively affecting co-workers? Can these effects be mitigated, and is there congruence between multiple outcomes that you may have set?

Finally, those in meetings or planning processes may find the Backtrack frame useful, which - as the name suggests - involves backtracking to reconfirm people's intentions. Those receiving Opt2XL's (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk) NLP coaching in Birmingham can put this frame to good use checking agreement and understanding, during a meeting and when it ends. Such a process helps to ensure the shared understanding of what was discussed, keeping everyone on track to achieving the desired outcome.

Editor’s Note: Opt2XL (http://www.opt2xl.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

What makes bathroom lighting from Ryness such a great purchase?

When you're looking to refurbish or redecorate your home, we don't doubt that there will be a lot of parts of your humble abode competing for your attention. Do you devote a large part of your budget to your living room, perhaps, or even the kitchen? Well, here at Ryness Lighting and Electrical (http://www.ryness.co.uk), we think there's another area that deserves your focus: your bathroom, for which we offer a stylish, functional and affordable selection of bathroom lighting.

As a long-established supplier of lighting for all manner of purposes, we would always make a case for suitably illuminating your home. There's barely a part of the house that doesn't need to be lit well, of course, but as a place of serenity and peace, the bathroom especially requires the right illumination. You'll want to be able to escape the strains of everyday life, and the overall layout and design of your bathroom will have a role in making it a hospitable place to be - as will your bathroom lighting.

There is bathroom lighting available to suit every possible bathroom style, whether you're interested in retaining a more austere feel or would like to introduce highly contemporary lighting alongside a host of other new fixtures. Here at Ryness Lighting and Electrical, for example, you'll find shower downlights. You might want to select a white shower downlight that is paintable so that it blends in with existing ceiling colours, or a polished chrome recessed showerlight.

The Ryness product range also includes the likes of a porthole two light flush with a nickel rim, a circular chrome ceiling light and large opal ceiling sphere, as part of the most complete selection of bathroom lighting for the ceiling. Or perhaps you require a bathroom wall light, like a mirror light fitted with a pull cord switch for on and off control, or a low energy striplight with chrome trim and opal shade?

We also offer some fine above mirror shaver lights, including a polished chrome shaver light with frosted glass shade, as well as a contract shaver light, the stylish modern design of which, enables it to fit in well with any decor. There are also many bathroom waterproof spotlights in stock at Ryness Lighting and Electrical, from single spotlights with aluminium alloy heads to twin bar spotlights featuring fully enclosed lampholders.

The designs of our bathroom lighting products are frequently sleek, their forms functional and their finishes exuding only the finest, premium quality. Yet... our bathroom lighting is also well-priced, something appreciated by our established customers in London and beyond.

This part of the house is so important for such a wide range of purposes, from showering or bathing on a morning to shaving and the application of makeup, and the broad range of bathroom lighting available from Ryness Lighting and Electrical (http://www.ryness.co.uk) makes it easy for you to assemble the perfect 21st century bathroom.

Editor’s Note: Ryness Lighting and Electrical (http://www.ryness.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Roll up, roll up... it's time for the UK's biggest caravan show

Regular readers of the Albion Caravans (http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk) news page will know that we're certainly not above pointing prospective or past purchasers of our cheap used caravans West Yorkshire in the direction of shows and events that may be of interest to them. For today's piece, we're casting our eye towards the Motorhome & Caravan Show, nothing less than the biggest motorhome and caravan show in the UK. It takes place at Birmingham's NEC from 15th to 20th October 2013.

With visitor numbers to last year's Show tantalisingly close to the 100,000 mark, excluding press and exhibitors, tens of thousands of fans and owners of cheap used caravans are expected to make the trip once more to the UK's second city. As for what they'll see when they arrive, as you'd expect, there will be a host of caravans on display from the new 2014 model ranges of the major UK and European manufacturers and dealers. Exhibitors in the caravan category will include many big name manufacturers represented here at Albion Caravans, from Bailey and Elddis to Sprite and Swift.

Believe it or not, though, there's so much more to the 2013 Motorhome & Caravan Show than caravans, motorhomes, holiday homes, trailer tents and folding caravans. That's because there will also be various free activities and attractions to enliven your time at the event, including a free one to one towing experience courtesy of The Camping and Caravanning Club and the show's official Tow Car partner Hyundai. It's the perfect opportunity to learn how to safely tow a touring caravan, assisted by specially trained expert tutors. Why not book your place in advance, so that you can get some practice in before perusing our used caravans for sale West Yorkshire?

For those who have already bought one of our used touring caravans West Yorkshire, there will be a temporary campsite at the event, with more than 400 pitches being available each day. Tuesday 15th October, meanwhile, is Caravan Club day. It's when you'll be able to head to the Club's stand in Hall 20, where folk/soul singers sister duo Daughters of Davis will be present to entertain members and show visitors and tell their story. Or maybe you're contemplating taking your caravan well beyond British shores, to a destination like the Canadian Rockies or New Zealand? If so, the expert presentations on international travel given by The Camping and Caravanning Club will be another must-see.

Nor, of course, is any major show like this one quite complete without a bit of celebrity presence - on this occasion, provided by TV chef, author and restaurateur Ed Baines, who'll be giving visitors to the Show's new Expert Advice and Cookery Theatre great ideas for 'on the move' alfresco meals. It's just one more reason to purchase your advance ticket - with prices starting at £7 - for the Show, as you consider purchasing a second hand caravan for sale West Yorkshire from Albion Caravans (http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk).

Editor’s Note: Albion Caravans (http://www.albioncaravans.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

CIPD research finds one million workers on zero hours contracts

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has conducted research revealing that as many as one million of the UK's workers are on zero hours contracts - four times higher than previously thought, in a development that will interest many Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk) HR advice recipients.

The institute's most recent figures show that 3 to 4 per cent of the UK's workforce are on zero hours employment contracts, suggesting that the Office for National Statistics underestimated in calculating that just 1 per cent of the working population was subject to them. The latter figure would be the equivalent of about 250,000 employees.

The latest survey by the CIPD of 1,000 employers found that at least one person was employed on a zero hours contract at 1 in 5 firms, although this generally applied to less than 10 per cent of a company's workforce.

Voluntary sector workers (34 per cent) were most likely to be on a zero hours contract, with the opposite applying to those in private sector employment (17 per cent). The survey revealed 24 per cent of public sector workers to be on such contracts.

By sector, HR support clients may be interested to learn that the hotel, catering and leisure industry saw the greatest proportion of zero hours contracts, at 48 per cent, followed by the 35 per cent and 27 per cent recorded by education and healthcare respectively.

Also included in the latest CIPD data, which forms part of the body's forthcoming 2013 Labour Market Outlook, was a sample of 148 zero hours contract workers. These respondents worked 19.5 hours per week on average, although 38 per cent said that they were in full-time employment, which is typically 30 hours or more per week.

However, one in seven felt that they were not given enough hours by their employer to ensure a basic standard of living. By age group, people were twice as likely to be in either the younger (aged 18 to 24) or older (over 55) working age groups if they were employed on a zero hours contract.

But although CIPD chief executive Peter Cheese agreed that zero hours contracts ought to come under closer scrutiny, he warned against assumptions that it was automatically wrong to use them.

He said that when they were "used appropriately", zero hours contracts provided invaluable flexibility for both employers and employees, for example in enabling "parents of young children, carers, students and others to fit work around their home lives."

He did, however, warn that "for some this may be a significant disadvantage where they need more certainty in their working hours and earnings, and we need to ensure that proper support for employees and their rights are not being compromised through such arrangements."

We are happy to advise your firm on the appropriate use of zero hours contracts here at Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk), as part of our highly rated employment law advice service. Simply contact us now to find out more.

Editor’s Note: Employee Management Ltd (http://www.employeemanagement.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

A Little About The ToolPost’s Past... and Present

The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk) may now be a leading online source of the finest woodturning tools, accessories and associated products like books and DVDs, but it can trace its history back to 1997, when it was established as a humble webshop by owner, Peter Hemsley. Back then, it had a total turnover barely exceeding £6,000, compared to today’s turnover of approximately £500,000. Even in those days, however, the more than 50% of the store’s revenue that came from outside the UK previewed the future profound impact of online commerce.

Today, international business remains an important contributor to the revenues of The ToolPost, but UK buyers have also long caught up with the web shopping revolution. In 2011, largely in response to new corporate legislation, it was incorporated as a limited company under the name Toolpost Ltd – although it continues to trade as The ToolPost, as it is better known by many thousands of passionate woodworkers, turners and carvers around the world. The current premises are in Didcot, South Oxfordshire, where visitors find an extensive selection of woodcarving tools  as well as woodturning tools and even a demonstration and training area where clients also try tools out.

Peter Hemsley’s own woodturning experience goes back more than fifty years, as he was first taught it at school. However, it was only when his own son became involved in the craft that his enthusiasm was truly rekindled. Hemsley’s own father was a toolmaker, while he himself is a mechanical engineering graduate, so he feels well-qualified to respond to the technology and product queries of The ToolPost’s current day customers. To further ensure that clients benefit from only the most appropriate level of knowledge and expertise, the company is staffed by woodturners who are only too happy to share their experiences.

As far as Hemsley can determine, The ToolPost now stocks more different woodturning tools than any other retailer worldwide, running into the thousands. Although the company offers the best of the woodturning and woodcarving tools that UK brands produce, many overseas manufacturer’s products are also distributed by ToolPost, including – but not limited to - The Beall Tool Company, Wivamac, Hunter Carbide Tools, Shellawax (U’Beaut), Jimmy Clewes and Oneway. Also represented are DVD producers, like Mike Mahoney, Glenn Lucas and Reed Gray, for whom The ToolPost acts as UK/European distributors.

The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk) is also the originator and supplier of the Versachuck, the world’s most versatile woodturning chuck, and manufactures the unique BCT range of easy-to-use hollowing and bowl-making tools. Today, Peter Hemsley speaks enthusiastically of the moniker of ‘The Woodturner’s Aladdin’s Cave’ that the store has been given by its many satisfied clients. He also confirms that as proud as he is of what his small team has created, they are determined to continue making The ToolPost’s service bigger and better, by capitalizing on their enthusiasm for adapting to changing technologies and markets in ways that produce real benefits for the customer.

Editor’s Note: The ToolPost (http://www.toolpost.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.