Subject: Free Pint No.71 - Student Bar, Knowledge Management and Cash Flow Free Pint "Helping 31,000 people use the Web for their work" http://www.freepint.co.uk/ ISSN 1460-7239 21st September 2000 No.71 > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IN THIS ISSUE EDITORIAL MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Sam Vaknin FREE PINT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Reviewed by Simon Collery TIPS AND TECHNIQUES "Routes into Knowledge Management" By Steve D'Arcy BOOKSHELF "net.people: The Personalities and Passions Behind the Web Sites" Reviewed by Rachel Newcombe FEATURE ARTICLE "The Net Snags Cash Flow - Business Information and Cash Flow on the Internet" By Colin Duguid PORTAL, EVENTS, GOLD AND FORTHCOMING ARTICLES CONTACT INFORMATION ONLINE VERSION WITH ACTIVATED HYPERLINKS http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ADDING VALUE TO YOUR INTRANET - FREE SEMINARS Factiva invites you to examine new tools for building and measuring intranet value. Register today for a free seminar on creating and sharing organisational knowledge: http://www.factiva.com/integration/publisher/events/fp > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fa711] >>> ABOUT FREE PINT <<< Free Pint is a community of business professionals who use the Web for their work. Members receive this free newsletter every two weeks packed with tips and articles by information professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. Sign up at for free access to the substantial archive of articles, book reviews, industry news and events, and have your research questions answered at the "Free Pint Bar". This newsletter is best read when printed out and viewed in a Courier font. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EDITORIAL There has been much debate recently about the future of the information profession and how we can best promote our unique skills and influence in every corner of society. One major way we can do this of course is by supporting and nurturing our students and new professionals ... Announcing the Free Pint Student Bar http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/ I am therefore delighted to launch the brand new Student Bar. This is a place where information-related students - including undergrads, postgrads, distance learners and new graduates - can discuss topics relating to their courses (such as dissertations, placements, recruitment and funding) and network with other students to share experiences and provide support. We also hope that seasoned professionals will join in and share their knowledge by providing practical examples of how the theory can be put into practice. Embarking on the Student Roadshow To celebrate the launch of the Student Bar we are jumping into the Free Pint Bus on the 6th of November and spending a week visiting five university towns, namely Loughborough, Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester and Aberystwyth. The trip is being sponsored by those great guys at Factiva who will be joining us on what should proove to be a fun expedition. In the afternoon of each day, students and staff are being invited to a talk about my experiences since graduating with an information degree, to find out more about how the Student Bar can help their studies, and hearing about the exciting new products from Factiva. The drinks and food are on us and there will be plenty of freebies to help make it a fun, yet informative session. In the evening of each day we'd like to open the invitation out to all members of Free Pint and Factiva customers in the locality. We'd love you to join us for a real free pint, and this will be a great chance to network with other members and meet the team behind Free Pint. For more details and to let us know if you can come, please visit: http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/roadshow.htm In keeping with these announcements, we have an interesting article today about how you can get into Knowledge Management, a review of a book full of experiences from people who have built successful Web sites, and details of a new student-rate subscription for Information World Review (see the advert below). The feature article covers resources relating to the tricky issue of cash-flow and Simon gives his regular summary of what's been happening at the Free Pint Bar and Student Bar. Again, please do check out the Roadshow as it would be great if you can join us for a drink one evening. We'll be visiting other cities next year (and possibly other countries - watch this space) so don't worry if you can't make one of these first dates. I also hope you enjoy today's Free Pint and I welcome your feedback as always. Please also pass the issue on to anyone you think might find it useful. Kind regards, William William Hann BSc MIInfSc Founder and Managing Editor, Free Pint e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Free Pint is a trademark of Free Pint Limited http://www.freepint.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>>> Heading for a career in information management? <<<< Subscribe to the industry's leading monthly news magazine, Information World Review - for half price! http://www.iwr.co.uk/student Each month you'll find up-to-date news, reviews, career moves and profiles of information professionals in a variety of jobs. Sample the October issue, before you subscribe. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li712] >>> OVER 100,000 PEOPLE WILL SEE THESE WORDS <<< If you've thought about advertising here then bear in mind that through redistribution Free Pint is seen by over 100,000 people http://www.freepint.co.uk/advert.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES from Sam Vaknin * Freemerchant - Free Merchant offers a full scale free e-commerce enabled site and free e-commerce tools. http://www.freemerchant.com * GuruNet - an encyclopedia, library, dictionary and Internet guide all rolled into one. You'll need to download a small application and install it. http://www.gurunet.com/index.html * FAQMan - a frequently asked questions manager. Input your questions and answers, arrange them in categories and create your FAQ site. http://www.faq-man.com * Plagiarism.org - for teachers who want to check the originality of students' papers, editors who want to check articles and publishers who want to avoid costly litigation. This is a subscription-based service. http://www.plagiarism.org * ZDNet Updates - the latest in freeware, shareware and plain software updates presented and reviewed by the impeccable ZDNET. E-mail subscription also available. http://updates.zdnet.com Sam Vaknin is the author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" and "After the Rain - How the West Lost the East". > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To submit your top five favourite tipples see the guidelines at or email > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT STUDENT ROADSHOW IN ASSOCIATION WITH FACTIVA Factiva, a Dow Jones & Reuters company, is pleased to be associated with Free Pint and the Factiva InfoPro Alliance is excited to be joining the Free Pint Student Bar Roadshow in November. We look forward to meeting Free Pint members, students and Factiva customers. Join the InfoPro Alliance at http://www.factiva.com/infopro and the Roadshow at http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/roadshow.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [fa713] >>> FREE PINT AUTHOR UPDATE <<< All previous, current and potential Free Pint contributors are invited to sign up for the "Free Pint Author Update". A brief monthly email with details of books for review, article suggestions and other news. Sign up today at http://www.freepint.co.uk/author.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BAR In Association with Factiva a Dow Jones & Reuters Company Reviewed by Simon Collery http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#bar Free Pint Bar - http://www.freepint.co.uk/bar Some people, including myself, were caught off guard on Tuesday by a question about Automated Computer Examination Systems (4964), thinking the question was education related. But they deal with "packet sniffing", a method of searching and tracing email. Fancy our not knowing that! Perhaps the Free Pinter seeking a definition for the term 'due diligence' (4887) was really interested in scheduled stagecoaches. Well, be that as it may, and it may not be, from next Thursday I will be writing a twice monthly roundup of full text articles from the top journals used by information professionals (4971). I will be looking out especially for issues that are aired on the Bar or otherwise mentioned by Free Pinters, anything that makes the hearts of information professionals beat faster. For example, we have had a lot of recent postings of particular interest to library and information people, as opposed to postings about general Web searching, technical issues, resources and research. Amongst others, there've been postings on training for business librarians (4970) and corporate researchers (4797) but you'll find plenty of others mentioned below. And there was great interest in the proposed name for the result of the merger of the Library Association and the Institute of Information Scientists (4809) and indeed, naming in general. Talking of hoaxes, some postings are less easy to pigeonhole, such as one about suspect calls and con tricks (4932), or mobile phone prepay vouchers (4782). Equally diverse are the ones about the poster publishing industry (4858), the typical ratio of clients to information professionals in the financial sector (4929), access services in public libraries (4803), adding value to data (4874), the information industry in Ireland (4920) and examples of business strategy briefs (4768). If anyone has anything to add to these matters, please do get in touch. Indeed, some of the easily pigeonholeable questions have so far gone unanswered. Who has the UK franchise for the Rocket eBook Reader (4818) and where can one find tracking software for an intranet hotline (4908)? Also, beta testers are being sought for a service which will keep your customers informed when the exact product they want becomes available (4754). Answers were more forthcoming to questions on registering French domain names (4796), ASPs (4819), ecommerce software (4765), SIM cards (4826), managing email questionnaires (4859) and putting a library catalogue on an intranet (4757). And a graduate student is inquiring into the feasibility of an electronic enquiry service at her university library (4950). One of our subscribers is having trouble with an MS Exchange Server (4847) and another is looking for statistics on typical bandwidth purchases by UK companies (4897). In the fields of employment and training, someone is looking for US companies that provide staff for promotions work (4776), work in France (4941) and Australia (4956), and work experience in the US (4863). Others have expressed an interest in working as an information professional (4946), information skills quizzes (4802), being a corporate researcher in Australia (4906), standards for information researcher/analyst training (4892) and finding freelance PR people in the IT sector (4807). Useful resources and Web sites have been coming in thick and fast, as usual. We've covered media history (4774), academic research (4799), how to choose a book (4829), how to perform...well, lots of tasks (4864), a computing encyclopedia (4891), world rulers and heads of state (4911), biosciences (4938), UK politics (4848, 4777), an international ATM locator (4871), language resources for travellers (4943), urban legends, viruses and hoaxes (4952), a universal currency converter (4966), mortgage products (4903), free email (4915) and facts and figures on dotcom companies (4786). The Free Pinter looking for social security agreements between various countries may well still be looking for more leads, if anyone knows about such things (4784). And if you feel we have missed out on any particular resources, please don't bottle it up. Search related queries included those about video conferencing facilities around the world (4882), royalty-free pictures (4899), off- air recordings of Richard Digance (4867) and some new novel, the name of which escapes the searcher (4839). We also heard from a subscriber who has observed that Google now gives more prominence to Yahoo! and less to other directories since it has teamed up with Yahoo! (4872). We have asked a representative of Google to comment but have heard nothing yet. Free Pint Student Bar - http://www.freepint.co.uk/student On the new Student Bar there has been a question about postgraduate distance learning courses (1017) and prison libraries (1016). Also, we received some useful advice for information science students who are looking for dissertation or project ideas (1006) and an offer of advice from someone working in the information industry in Australia (1005), which is handy for the person mentioned above looking for just such advice (4956). So keep those questions coming, and the answers, of course. Simon Collery, Content Developer To read a message: - Enter the id number in place of XXXX in the address , for example - For Student Bar postings please use the address - Alternatively, view this summary online with activated hyperlinks at > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Do you have a research question? Could you help other members? It's easy to post a message at the Bar or the Student Bar . Visit daily for "Today's Tipple" - a different Web site reviewed every working day at the Bar. Access the Portal archive of Tipples at . To have the latest Free Pint Bar postings sent to you every other day, send a blank email to . For the Student Bar Digest send an email to . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> Discover the secrets of eretailing success <<< http://www.eretailing.co.uk/eretail/ ERETAILING 2000 EUROPE Europe's premier online retailing conference and exhibition 19-20 October 2000 * Olympia, London, UK > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [li714] >>> LET FREE PINT SUBMIT YOUR SITE IMMEDIATELY <<< It's quick and it's free: Simply enter your Web site's address and let "Free Pint Submit" promote it to the top search engines. http://www.freepint.co.uk/submit/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = TIPS AND TECHNIQUES http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#tips "Routes into Knowledge Management" By Steve D'Arcy Introduction ------------ "You know when something is more than a passing fad," notes David Skyrme "academic institutions start planning courses." Indeed, not only academic institutions, but member organisations and consultancy firms too, including David Skyrme Associates. Indeed, on 11th October this year, the City Information Group are chairing a discussion evening, at the Baltic Exchange, on the growing number of training/education courses in KM entitled 'Routes into KM' . Last year's research publication by the Library and Information Commission "Knowledge Management - window of opportunity will not last forever" carried out by TFPL, urged the information profession to show their value and respond positively to the knowledge economy in general and KM in particular. This research was the information industry's reaction to the DTI's white paper "Building the Knowledge Driven Economy" (1998) and seemed to be the catalyst for calls to the library and information science profession to gain an understanding of KM concepts and strategies and learn the skills that will help them respond to the opportunities within Knowledge environments . The research recommended, amongst other things, that academic institutions should create modules in KM, which should be accredited as part of post-graduate qualifications in a variety of disciplines. It also recommended a programme of workshops, experiential learning and other events developed specifically to update the profession on KM concepts and associated management ideas. Below are a number of such courses and workshops aimed at information professionals and managers, categorised by one/two day training events run by consultancies, Post- and Under- Graduate taught courses and by ad hoc workshops/lectures and seminars. It's UK biased primarily but there are mentions of some Internet distance learning courses that are international. Training/Consultancy organisations ---------------------------------- TFPL runs seven programmes that range from half day to one and two-day workshops designed for the information and business professional. The courses range from theoretical concepts of Knowledge Management to practical application methods of information management techniques in a KM environment. The one-day courses start at 311 UK pounds Inc VAT with half days at 170 UK pounds Inc VAT. ASLIB have four courses that cover the theoretical to the practical. Why KM now, what does it mean in practice, who's doing it and what tools are they using to help them? The first course covers the "What is it and how does it differ from Information Management?" The other three courses cover techniques such as metadata and controlled vocabularies as tools and techniques in KM; Intranets and groupware considerations, Indexing and thesauri construction; Knowledge mapping and knowledgeware. They are all one-day courses and costs vary for members and non-members, but typically range from 300-340 UK pounds for non-members and 250-290 UK pounds for members. The consultancy firm David Skyrme Associates offer a number of half day and 2-3 day workshops. The workshops cover the following topics: an introduction to knowledge management strategies for general managers; in-depth coverage for knowledge teams; intranets and the Internet in your knowledge programme and exploiting organizational knowledge in the external marketplace. Details of pricing are not available on site. Knowledge Associates have a number courses and presentations costing up to 650 UK pounds + VAT. The Master class covers a strategic overview of KM, the latest knowledge strategies and enabling technologies, and lasts 2 days. Educational Institutions' Modules in MBA programmes/Post & Under-Graduate study in Information Management courses ------------------------------------------------------ Open University . This module can be taken as part of an MBA or individually. Managing knowledge takes a broad view of the subject, covering communications, sense making, information management, intellectual capital measurement, intellectual property, intangible assets, learning, knowledge creation and innovation, human resources for innovation, and building knowledge management capability. Costs for the October 2000 module start at around 1,500 UK pounds. MSc in Knowledge Management - Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University Offers exploration of knowledge management theory and practice. MSc in Information and Knowledge Management at University of North London . This distance taught course comprises five compulsory taught modules: Managing Information in the Organisation; Identifying and Managing Knowledge; Legal Perspectives on Information and Knowledge Management; Organising Information and Knowledge Assets for Use and Evaluating Information and Knowledge Management Strategies MSc P/T Knowledge Organisation and Management - UCE Birmingham Uni. . This course is aimed specifically at information professionals who want to enhance their skills and knowledge in the area of Knowledge Management and who want to know more about the rapidly growing area of knowledge management from an information perspective. PgDip/MSc Knowledge Management - Robert Gordon University . This course aims to develop skills required for knowledge managers or knowledge technologists in a wide range of information environments with modules covering KM, Business Strategy and Research Methodology. MSc/Postgraduate Diploma - Cranfield University . Distance learning package designed for students in full-time employment and takes 4 years to complete. Modules include Knowledge Management, Organisational Behaviour and Knowledge Systems Library and Information studies - Master's and Doctoral levels at Aberystwyth offer students' full and part time study at an advanced level . University of Northumbria at Newcastle's Business Schools MBA have a KM module that students can study full and part time . University of West England - Bristol Business School has a number of research projects of which 'Strategic Management' has specific projects concerned with Knowledge Management and competitive advantage, innovation and entrepreneurship . South Bank University offer a KM Systems course at Post Graduate level that explores KM software/technologies, KM strategies and methodology. MSc/Post Graduate Diploma in Information Management - University of Strathclyde offers a standard IM Post Graduate course with a KM option elective. Napier University - A number of information related courses offer this KM module . BSc (Hons) in Information and Knowledge Management at Thames Valley University . The third year focuses on Knowledge Management, particularly on the enabling technologies, such as intranets and intelligent agents. Workshops/Lectures/Seminars --------------------------- Queen's University of Belfast . Forum for academics, research students and practitioners, that will co-ordinate, promote and disseminate good research practice in Management Knowledge. Middlesex University - "Master Class". Four 2-Day Modules Thursday 28 September - 8 December 2000 . Henley Management College's Knowledge Management Forum . Offer a variety of workshops and networking opportunities Napier University "Knowledge Management in the age of Networks", a one-day course on 27th October 2000. Other links ----------- Aston Business School Information and Knowledge Management - summer courses University of Wales Aberystwyth University of Ulster - Offers 2 taught modules in KM related topics Information management and business studies with KM module Loughborough University University of Aberdeen - A three-module course covering knowledge management, information management, management styles and using portals. The Knowledge Management Resource Centre - Mainly US Universities offering KM courses The Knowledge Management Certification Board set professional standards and provide certification for Knowledge Management professionals, available here distance learning for UK students. Kenniscentrum CIBIT provides consultancy services and top-level education for professionals including a KM Master Class. Knowledge Management Software plc sponsors knowledge management research and new 'Chair in Knowledge Management' at the University of Manchester. University of Abertay, Dundee formed to investigate, support, and develop 'Knowledge Management' within academia (for the underpinning of courses and curricula). FTKnowldge offer a number of Management short courses and site offers tools and knowledge, including a career section for business related issues. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Steve D'Arcy BA Hons Dip.Inf., is the Information Manager for Vrisko Ltd a City Based software company specialising in automated intelligent search and KM solutions for Investment Banks and other major global organisations. Before Vrisko Limited, Steve worked as the senior Index Developer at the FT where he was part of a team responsible for creating automatic indexing for the World Reporter database. His interests lie in KM and retrieval software. He is a Committee member of the City Information Group where he helps organise seminar evenings and contribute to the web site. He can be contacted at . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * "Information and Libraries" links in the Free Pint Portal * Free Pint Student Bar and links at * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks * Discuss this article with the author now at the Free Pint Student Bar * Access the entire archive of Free Pint content > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Quiktrade, the premier ecommerce package http://quiktrade.globalgold.co.uk It's simple, it's quick and you'll be making money in no time! From as little as 35 pounds per month you can build your own international empire! Get ready for business now. Click here to start trading today: http://quiktrade.globalgold.co.uk/ or call us now at Global Gold on +44 (0)1992 303090. > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = [gg715] >>> FREE PINT FACT <<< To date, Simon has produced over 120 "Today's Tipples" - daily reviews of a different Web site, posted at the Free Pint Bar. These are categorised immediately and appear in the Portal at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT BOOKSHELF http://www.freepint.co.uk/bookshelf "net.people: The Personalities and Passions Behind the Web Sites" Reviewed by Rachel Newcombe If you've ever found yourself wondering who created a particular website or how exactly the site came into fruition, then you're likely to find this book an interesting read. "Net.People" delves into the minds and lives of 36 website creators. It examines their daily lives and personal tales, and in doing so takes a fascinating look at exactly how their sites were born, designed and are run today. Each crucial step of their pathway to Internet success is detailed, from the very first inklings of ideas, to putting them into practice, setting up websites and learning how to survive in cyberspace. The real personalities behind the sites are brought to the forefront as each chapter progressively tells of their commitment, inspiration and driving passion. The reader learns what makes them tick, how they handle business elements and the ways in which the Internet has affected and changed their lives. The book deals with a variety of sites -- from humour and toy collecting, to travel, sport, entertainment and information services -- all of which differ in size and success. To cope with the diversity the book is split into four main categories: Getting Advice and Educating Yourself; Visiting, Watching and Playing Outside the Web World; Collecting Stuff and Other Diversions; and The Written Word and Journalistic Endeavors. The material for each chapter was gathered via interviews with the site creators, many of which were carried out by email. The chapters take the form of first-person accounts, and evoke a friendly and personal approach. Key quotes are interspersed throughout the text and effectively serve to highlight important points and break the chapters into bite-size portions. It's not just a book about personal success -- it also deals intimately with the all-important discussion of Internet business issues. Vital aspects such as finance, advertising and sponsorship are dealt with alongside issues such as designing, maintaining and coping with the pressures popular websites bring. The only criticism is that it could be deemed to be a little monotonous at times. The authors admit in the introduction that they're not trained writers (like many people, they just had a desire to write a book) and the rigid structure, where each chapter is practically identical, is perhaps a reflection of this. Overall however, its' claim to "make the Internet come to life" is certainly true and it's definitely encouraging to know that successful websites can emerge from simple ideas. It will be of interest to anyone fascinated with people and quirky characters, avid web surfers, those already running online sites or businesses, or for individuals with great plans and innovative ideas that they've yet to actually tackle. A light and easy read, the relatively short chapters make it a perfect contender for occasional reading. It's an ideal book to dip into when you're in need of inspiration and encouragement that great ventures really are possible on the Internet! > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rachel is a writer and researcher of non-fiction articles for online and print media. She particularly enjoys the field of online work and regularly contributes to a range of websites and ezines including Handbag.com, Ycraze.com, Windowbox.com and Global Writers' Ink. She also co-edits and writes for the monthly Side Salad e-newsletter . > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * Find out more about this book online at the Free Pint Bookshelf * Read about other Internet strategy books on the Free Pint Bookshelf * Read customer comments and buy this book at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com * Details: ISBN 0910965374; published by Cyberage Books; written by Thomas E. Bleier, Eric C. Steinert * Search for and purchase any book from Amazon via the Bookshelf To propose a business-Web-related book for review, send details to . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> FREE PINT STUDENT ROADSHOW <<< Don't forget to join us for a real free pint when we visit Loughborough, Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester and Aberystwyth Find out more and sign up today at http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/roadshow.htm > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FEATURE ARTICLE http://www.freepint.co.uk/issues/210900.htm#feature "The Net Snags Cash Flow - Business Information and Cash Flow on the Internet" By Colin Duguid Ask the majority of failed small business owners what caused their demise and the likely answer would be "lack of cash flow". What this actually means is that the business failed to react to low levels of product/service sales, over committed itself with suppliers and usually lacked the technical ability to manage the finances: any similarities to boo.com are likely. There are not many small businesses that can afford the luxury of a financial director with most, at best, employing a bookkeeper. The expectation of the small business owner is that the bookkeeper will bring financial control with the mandatory financial administration. To some degree financial control is tightened due to the bookkeeper's frequent comments, such as, "we are 4,000 pounds short this month" or "we will have to pay this invoice next month?" The information bonanza borne by the Internet has transformed the red- tape hating small business owner into an empowered and informed corporate leader (ok, jack of all trades then). Once smitten by the quality and depth of the information available (and of course the very low cost of it all), they (we) cannot resist seeking more and more articles to crunch through. However, I see that for many, finding small business cash flow information and resources has been difficult due to the vague understanding most of us have as to the cause of poor cash flow. It is better to break down the contributory factors that cause the problem into two groups: a) Financial Management - expenses, finance costs, wages, creditors, debtors, taxes, b) Business Management - sales, personnel, production, distribution, you get the idea... With the above list it is a lot easier to look for inefficiencies and then seek effective solutions. I have always been a committed user of government web sites, since the government is usually the biggest creditor. A creditor that gives you unparalleled information on how to use its service efficiently. The Customs & Excise and Inland Revenue web sites fail to get the praise they deserve for being at the forefront of the information portal. The Small Business Service (SBS) web site , being as new as the service itself, has some way to go before being an authority in its intended field: small business. Independent services such as Digita (tax specialists) and StaffPay (an online payroll service) offer good information besides promoting their own services. The new breed of entrepreneur, and in particular the 'Net-preneur', looks at cash flow from an unhealthy insular position. The constant talk of 'burn-rate' (the time it will take to use up physical cash) is as frightening to creditors as it is to the bank manager. The creditor has somehow become a contributor in the vein of venture capitalist and business angel, and not as a current liability. The already strained 'popular' culture of late payment is in danger of being endemic. The proposed changes to bankruptcy - to reduce the disqualification of the 'unlucky' entrepreneur from the current two years (first timer) to as little as three months disqualification will surely undermine the government's Late Payment of Commercial Debt Act 1998 and Better Payment Practice Group initiatives. With the small business audit limit moving to 1m pounds annual turnover from 350k pounds last June, the almost certain slackening of financial control in small companies will impact on all SME's. Spare a further thought for accountancy firms who are set to lose around 400m pounds in audit fees (can't say I was too bothered either). Another area of concern is e-commerce administration and in particular VAT. With all the current discussion (from "I heard there was no VAT applicable in cyberspace" to "I registered my web site through the Caiman Islands") it's best to browse through the user friendly page at Customs & Excise . Finding information to improve cash flow is still in its infancy, but that is expected to change in the second half of this year with a number of business portals appearing on-line: well, pre boo.com they were due to appear anyway! Look hard and there are a few resources that will help and educate: Biz/ed , a business and economics service for students, teachers and lecturers with a layout that nurtures you along the financial management assault course, the Institute of Business Advisers is a "non-profit making professional Institute of individual Business Advisers, Counsellors, Mentors and Trainers who specialise in helping small firms". Gadgets are always handy, for instance at the Amex web site there are a number of useful business ratio calculators to help you monitor business performance and benchmarking . I wait for the day that the business portal brings us the goodies that are available to those using personal finance sites like MoneyWorld , being a good example of an interactive experience. For the small business owner using the Internet as a resource to educate themselves in the art of trading successfully a number of web sites are now charging a premium, albeit a relatively low charge. Two sites at present being, at 50 pounds per annum and at 15 pounds per month offer access to relevant and affordable information. A number of other sites forgo subscription fees but require registration: for the financial manager AccountingWeb at and its sister site for general business information are worth bookmarking - BusinessZone also has one of the better daily news streams. The smaller small business owner should have a look at Tapaz , which offers networking potential with business articles: again registration is required, not obligatory but "to gain the most benefit from the site". The benefit of providing your inside leg measurement escapes me. This intelligence gathering is unprecedented and never has so much been gathered for so little in return, and it is all getting a little worrying: others will know more about you than you know about yourself. I took a look at 'mine host' and searched their database (worth a mention in its own right for this piece) for business information articles and came up with 'Major Sources of Business Information on the Internet' from way back in 1997. In anticipation of finding many of my own chosen links I scanned the article but found none that I have listed here. It is noticeable by the sites listed in the 1997 article that we are in another world to that of three years past: however, in one part of the article it says, "Free share prices are delayed by at least 20 minutes", so no change there then, and possibly regressed a touch! To finish on cash flow: we saw the 'boom-bang' eighties and the downsized nineties, what of this new decade. UK personal, corporate and institutional borrowing now stands at a record 1 trillion pounds, with any upward trend in interest rates likely to cause a breach in the accounts of many a business. The chancellors proposed injection of 43 billion pounds into the economy would put further pressure on the Bank of England to curtail borrowing by increasing interest rates beyond those we have enjoyed. The economy is in a similar position to that of the eighties just before the bang. And with the emergence of the Internet encouraging a frenzy of borrowing and funding of new technology and research, lots of cash is pouring into the economy and ... Did you hear that bang? > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Colin Duguid MICM is owner publisher of Credit to Cash - the Small Business Cash Flow Portal. Colin is a life-long careerist in credit and debt management in both trade and consumer finance. Credit to Cash is the 'one book we all have in ourselves' presented in a few hundred articles that allows small business owners and individuals to easily understand cash flow and debt. You can also find at 'Credit to Cash' free small business software, a free business newsletter and resources that provide help with personal or business cash flow at . To contact Colin , or call 01246 291801. > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Related Free Pint links: * "Finance" links in the Free Pint Portal * Respond to this article and chat to the author now at the Bar * Read this article online, with activated hyperlinks * Access the entire archive of Free Pint content > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = >>> FREE PINT STUDENT BAR AND LINKS <<< Studying for an information-related degree? Newly graduated but want advice and support? Join your peers at the Free Pint Student Bar http://www.freepint.co.uk/student/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT PORTAL http://www.freepint.co.uk/portal It's been a busy couple of weeks again as we work hard on new developments for the Free Pint Web site. We've just launched "Free Pint Submit" which allows you to quickly submit your Web site's details to the top search engines . This new service was used a large number of times yesterday after we announced it at the Bar and feedback indicates that this is a really useful little utility. Our custom-built bulk mailer is now fully operational and you have received today's newsletter via the new system. We have been gradually increasing the load on the mailer by using it for the Bar Digest every other working day (2,701 subscribers) and in sending out each member's password last week (31,575 subs). The system is more than happy and so it's great to have this side of things back in house and totally integrated with our membership system. As mentioned, you should have received your Free Pint password last week so please keep this safe. Out of more than 31,000 computer- generated word combinations we only had two complaints of unfortunate passwords (no, I'm not going to tell you what they were!). We had previously spent a good few hours going through the word list of 16,000 entries to remove dodgy ones and so this gives us a stock of some 256 million unique passwords. You can of course change yours at any time by logging into your account on the Web site. We are also integrating a number of Market Research vendors into the Portal and will be launching those soon. At the same time, our eCommerce system is progressing nicely to support a pay-per-view company information service. More on those developments soon. We've implemented the new Student Bar and a variety of useful links at and you can sign up for the Student Bar Digest by logging into your account online. We're launching an "Author Update" next Thursday which will be a brief monthly email for previous and potential contributors to Free Pint with details of books available for review, suggested topics, etc. If you've written for Free Pint or are thinking of doing so (be it articles, tipples or book reviews) then sign up today at . Simon will also be posting his first literature roundup to the Bar next Thursday. He will be highlighting interesting articles (on the Web in full text) from a range of information-related publications. Details at . These are all exciting developments and evidence of our on-going commitment to continually enhancing Free Pint for our members. William Hann, Managing Editor > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Free Pint Portal gives you access to the full range of Free Pint content by industry and country as well as a large number of selected external resources at . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FORTHCOMING EVENTS http://www.freepint.co.uk/events There will be a second Online Information for the City event this year in London, UK. Starting at the same time is the eBiz Summit, in Warwickshire, UK. Also in the UK, there's the Association of UK Media Librarians Conference in Leicester at which William Hann will be giving a presentation. The Intranets EAST event will be held in Reston, Virginia and the Facets of Digital Reference conference is in Seattle, Washington. Back in Europe, there's the Special Libraries Association's Global 2000 conference and exhibition in Brighton, UK, which William will be attending as part of his "European Special Librarian of the Year" award. Finally there's the AdTech Europe event in Amsterdam, Holland. Simon Collery, Content Developer Full details of these and many other forthcoming conferences and exhibitions in the online-information and Internet industries can be found on the Free Pint Events page . > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT GOLD This time last year we had an article about the UK Data Protection Act and how that bears on Web site content where personal data is involved. We also had an interview with the CEO of NUA, who shared his experiences of starting up an Internet consultancy in Ireland. * Free Pint No.46, 23rd September 1999 "The UK 1998 Data Protection Act and your Web site" and "A discussion with Gerry McGovern, NUA" . Two years ago we had an article on searching tips if you want to find more sites like the ones you already know about. And we had a roundup of the wealth of electronic commerce sites and some notes on what each of these contain. * Free Pint No.22, 17th September 1998 "Reverse Psychology - How to find more sites like the ones you love" and "Electronic commerce" . Simon Collery, Content Developer > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = FREE PINT FORTHCOMING ARTICLES [Provisional] * Business Information Portals * Film Industry * * Patents * Search Technology * Central & Eastern Europe * * European Document Delivery * Geology * Economics Sources * * Small Businesses * ICQ * On Line Auctions * If you have a suggestion for an article topic or would like to write for Free Pint then please contact me or view the guidelines for authors on the Web site at . Rex Cooke, Editor > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = We hope you've got a lot out of today's Free Pint, and do remember to check out the Student Roadshow; Come and claim your real free pint and meet other local "pinters". Do let us know if you're thinking of coming at . Your feedback, comments and suggestions about the newsletter and Web site are always welcomed. Therefore please do write to me as I would value your input and ideas. See you in two weeks! William Hann, Managing Editor william@freepint.co.uk (c) Free Pint Limited 1997-2000 http://www.freepint.co.uk/ > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = CONTACT INFORMATION William Hann BSc MIInfSc, Founder and Managing Editor e: william@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1784 455435 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Rex Cooke FIInfSc FRSA, Editor e: rex@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1342 316027 f: +44 (0)1342 316027 Simon Collery BA, Business Development e: simon@freepint.co.uk t: +44 (0)1865 434143 f: +44 (0)1784 455436 Address Free Pint Limited, FREEPOST (SEA3901), Staines Middlesex, TW18 3BR, United Kingdom (Please add a stamp if you would like to pay for postage) Web - http://www.freepint.co.uk Advertising - ads@freepint.co.uk Subscriptions - subs@freepint.co.uk Letters & Comments - feedback@freepint.co.uk Authors - http://www.freepint.co.uk/author.htm Latest Issue Autoresponder - auto@freepint.co.uk > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Free Pint (ISSN 1460-7239) is a free newsletter written by information professionals who share how they find quality and reliable information on the Internet. 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