Banks force one-third of small firms to depend on credit cards
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by admin0 Comments | Herald, The; Glasgow (UK), Jul 12, 2010 | by David Leask
ONE-THIRD of Scotland’s small firms are relying on credit cards to fund their business, The Herald can reveal.
Nearly two years after the height of the financial crisis, many companies are still living hand-to-mouth as they struggle to borrow from cash-strapped banks.
Official survey figures from the Scottish Government show that 34% of small and medium enterprises – the businesses that account for more than half of the nation’s jobs – have turned to plastic because they cannot access credit from the big financial institutions.
Most are using corporate credit cards, and are charged high interest rates if their bills are not paid off in full every month.
However, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) yesterday said a separate poll of its members showed 22% of entrepreneurs were dipping in to their personal credit cards to fund their firms.
Business leaders yesterday said the survey findings suggested Scotland’s fragile economic recovery – and the prospect of new jobs in the private sector – were now under threat because firms were still finding it so hard to borrow.
Colin Borland, the FSB’s public affairs manager, yesterday stressed that the panic of late 2008, when banks simply stopped lending altogether, had passed, but added: “We are still a long way from business as usual. Trust between businesses and their banks has broken down and needs to be rebuilt.
“Small businesses still appear reluctant to approach their bank, with half of our members in Scotland not borrowing any money last year.”
Scotland’s big banks have insisted that they are still open for business and have boosted credit to SMEs.
The problem, they say, is that demand has collapsed, not that they are unwilling to lend.
The now partly nationalised Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group account for an estimated three-quarters of all lending north of the Border.
RBS yesterday told The Herald that the share of loan applications from businesses it grants in the last year had actually increased, from 85% to 89%.
Lloyds, which includes the Bank of Scotland brand, said its lending approval rates in 2009 were in line with those for 2008 and 2007. However, neither would say how much they actually loaned in Scotland.
Economists were yesterday ready to accept that demand from businesses and households had dwindled over the last two years. But they stressed the continuing credit crunch was as much because banks would not lend as because firms would not borrow.
Sir George Mathewson, the former chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland and a close advisor to First Minister Alex Salmond, yesterday said he simply did not buy the theory that banks are not lending because there is no demand.
He said: “It is more difficult for companies to borrow. The overall terms are more difficult. It is not just interest rates, it’s access and it’s covenants as well.
“We have to recognise the banks have a real issue
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Guests from far and wide
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by admin0 Comments | Wells Journal, The, Jul 22, 2010
Mid Somerset News & Media news editor Laura Thorpe, daughter of Stephen and Ginny Thorpe of Nether Compton, married Guy Briggs, son of Neil and Anne Briggs of Milborne Port, on June 5 at St Nicholas Church, Nether Compton.
The bridesmaid was friend of the bride Morna Taylor and flower girls were Carraghan Hibbert and Isla Laughton.
The best man was the groom’s brother Philip Briggs; and Matthew O’Leary, friend of the couple, and Oliver Davey, the bride’s cousin, were ushers.
The bride and her father arrived at the church in a 1915 Reo and the bridesmaids and mother of the bride arrived in a 1931 Cadillac.
The bride wore a Nicola-Ann vintage ivory lace dress with a satin sash and diamante detail, a satin bolero and pearl and diamante headdress.
She carried a bouquet of freesia, orchids and white roses.
Readings were given by friends of the couple Lyndsey Mayhew and Tom Davis.
Sherborne Castle Orangery was the venue for the reception, music was provided before the wedding breakfast by the Clifton Quartet and a disco followed the speeches.
Friends had travelled huge distances to come to the wedding, with some from Bangkok, Liberia, Bologna, California and Madrid.
The couple honeymooned in Vietnam for three weeks.
Yet cutting, burning and other forms
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminYet cutting, burning and other forms of self-injury are very serious issues around the world.
At any given time, one percent of the population is using or has used ?self-inflicted physical injury as a means of coping with an overwhelming situation or feeling?, according to the American Self-Harm Information Clearinghouse. Self-injurers come from all walks of life; they are from every socio-economic group, from a diverse range of ethnicities and countries, from any sexual persuasion, from any level of education. Self-injurers can also be of any age and gender. The main thing they have in common is that they cut, self-abuse or self-mutilate in an effort to relieve themselves from pain or distress. And as the ASHIC website points out, ?Self-mutilation implies falsely that the primary intent is to mark or maim the body, and in most cases this isn?t so.?
People start to self-injure for a variety reasons.
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Cut a long piece
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminCut a long piece of yarn. Put folded edge of stem over the yarn. Attach leaves to yarn with glue, tape, or a stapler.
Leaf Picture Frame Magnet: Supplies needed for this craft project are a pencil, colored card stock, scissors, tape, a picture and a magnet sheet. Draw and cut of a large leaf out of your card stock. Cut a circle in the center of the leaf. Place the picture behind the leaf so that it is centered in the circle. Attach the picture with tape once it is properly aligned. Cut a small piece of magnet off the magnet sheet and glue on the back of the leaf.
Fall Leaf Painting: For this craft project you will need a real leaf, a piece of paper, paint brushes and craft paint or watercolors. Making sure the leaf is dry, lay it down on the piece of paper. Use craft paint or watercolors to paint around the border of the leaf. Pull leaf off the paper. The leaf can be filled in with paint or can be kept as an outline.
Fall Leaf Place Mat: To make these decorative place mats you will need a roll of clear contact paper, scissors, real fall leaves, waxed paper and a large book.
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Maybe not entirely
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminMaybe not entirely up to par this year with past World Cups, I don’t feel that placing a wager on Argentina to win would be the best bet to place. But maybe betting that Argentina will make it to the semis would be a better bet to place.
Do not forget Brazil. Brazil is the team to beat this year during the World Cup. I feel that this is the surest bet you can make this year. Playing with the worlds best soccer player, Brazil appears to be undefeatable at this years World Cup in Germany.
I feel that if you are trying to decide which team will win the World Cup this year, try to look at the teams that have prior experience in the championship game and which team is raising the most hub bub around them.
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New Online Auction Boocoo.com to Be Launched by Ranger Data Technologies Inc. and Nearly 300 Media Partners
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminBusiness Wire, June 10, 2010
Boocoo to Compete Against Ebay, Craigslist and Other National Websites
DETROIT — In a groundbreaking move that will create a new revenue stream for media
outlets while offering consumers a highly competitive alternative to
Ebay and other national e-commerce transaction sites, Ranger
Data Technologies Inc. is launching Boocoo.com, an online auction
that will share transactional fees with nearly 300 newspaper and
broadcast partners in North America. The partners will promote the
website on a sustained basis to help generate inventory, traffic, and
sales.
On June 14th Boocoo.com will first be activated for its media
partners prior to a June 21st national introduction.
Because of the explosive growth in Internet usage in the past decade, a
new revenue opportunity has opened up for newspapers and other local
media. Boocoo.com was designed in part to regain revenue lost to online
classified advertising and auction sites while giving consumers a secure
and competitive alternative rich in local content, said George
Willard Sr., the Chairman, CEO, and Founder of Ranger
Data Technologies. The eleven year old Royal Oak, Mi. based company
founded by the former newspaper publisher is best known for its
classified advertising software systems.
According to the Newspaper
Association of America, classified advertising revenue for
newspapers nationally hit the high level water mark in 2000 at 19.9
billion but by 2009 the number had slipped to just over 6 billion.
However a custom analysis provided by Neilsen Online for the NAA reports
that newspaper websites attract more than one third of all internet
users.
The massive audience produced by web users, loyal readers, and viewers
of hundreds of trusted local media brands combined with Boocoos
consumer centric site, will result in long term revenue growth for all
our partners,” said Willard.
The Boocoo business model is based upon the licensing of zip codes to
the media partners who will have exclusive rights to split transactional
fees generated by the auction site. If the buyer and seller are from
different zip codes, the media partners will share the fee
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Wheelchairs are a
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminWheelchairs are a big help for those people in terms of physical mobility and help raising the self-image of self-worth.
About manual wheelchairs, it is recommended for people who are still capable with their arms and their upper body. This point to the people who may have only lost their legs but still very capable to do other physical activities. But such cannot be recommended to the elderly if he intends to move on his own. It is better if they use powered or electric wheelchairs.
Here’s a short checklist of what’s important when buying manual wheelchairs
1. Choose the right frame according to purpose
Common wheelchairs have an x brace at the center, which gives it the ability to be folded sideways.
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Secondly solar outdoor lightings are self
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminSecondly solar outdoor lightings are self programmed and if one fails the other light is not affected. A one time installation cost as opposed to running costs towards cables, trenching, metering equipment, construction and electric bills tilts the verdict in favor of solar lights.
An effective and working solar outdoor lighting system has an impact on charging of battery and night time use. This is possible with correct placement of solar lighting as a cluttered space with too many trees or obstacles would limit the recharge of batteries. As result the operation time is reduce to nearly 50%. The remaining percentage of usage time may be jeopardized with limited or no availability of replacement bulbs and batteries.
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Fighting her corner
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminFighting her corner
0 Comments | Daily Mirror, The; London (UK), Jul 23, 2010 | by GAVIN MARTIN
Nicola Varley, aka MC Envy, has been a girl in a man’s world since she started to win rap freestyle competitions in her teens. “I was the only girl doing it at that time,” she says. “I’ve never done what girls are supposed to, I do boxing as well. People would look at me funny at first, but once I’d done it and earned my stripes I’d get as much respect as the guys.”
Highlighting her energetic, fast-paced and hard-hitting style, the 23-year-old from Sale, Manchester released her debut album Set Yourself On Fire earlier this year.
Envy set out her future artistic intentions at university where she did a dissertation on the misogyny of hip-hop.
“When it started, hip-hop was very much for guys, about exploiting women as video hos,” says Nicola
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Daren gives himself a boost
Posted on Thu ,29/07/2010 by adminDaren gives himself a boost
0 Comments | New Straits Times, Jul 29, 2010 | by K.M. Boopathy
LEE Chong Wei had a stroll while back-up shuttler Liew Daren did himself a favour by reaching the third round of the Macau Open yesterday.
Chong Wei, the defending champion, was hardly tested when he beat Taiwan’s Hsu Jen Hao 21-15, 21-12 in 27 minutes and will play Tanongsak saensomboonsuk today.
Daren, who has been stagnant on the international scene for more than three years as a back-up shuttler, defeated the much improved P. Kashyap of India 13-21, 21-13, 21-19 in 60 minutes.
Daren can earn a spot in the quarter-finals if he can overcome Wong Wing Ki of Hong Kong in the third round.
Wong Choong Hann also had an easy 21-10, 21-11 win over Tam Chun Hei of Hong Kong and plays Taiwan’s Hsieh Yu Hsing for a place in the last eight.
In the women’s singles, Wong Mew Choo moved into the second round with a 21-17, 21-18 win over Chan Tsz Ka of Hong Kong but Lydia Cheah fell 15-21, 21-13, 22-20 to Japan’s Sayaka Sato.
Mew Choo faces a tricky second round match against Taiwan’s Cheng Shao Chieh today. Shao Chieh made a strong start when she upstaged South Korea’s Bae Youn Joo 19-21, 21-12, 21-19 in the first round.
Meanwhile, women’ doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui and Ng Hui Lin-Ng Hui Ern made it to the second round.
Pei Tty-Eei Hui struggled past United States’ Iris Wang-Rena Wang 21-19, 21-18 while Hui Lin-Hui Ern earned a 21-15, 21-11 win over China’s Deng Yuting-Lu Lu.
RESULTS – (Malaysia unless stated) Men’s Singles 2nd rd: Lee Chong Wei bt Hsu Jen Hao (Tai) 21-15, 21-12; Wong Choong Hann bt Tam Chun Hei (HK) 21-10, 21-12; Liew Daren bt P
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