More than 40 local leading business people set sail along The Grand Union Canal to celebrate Vocational Qualifications Day on June 24th. The event was organised by The Milton Keynes Academy to challenge people to look at things differently – including education. Guests enjoyed a breakfast at The Black Horse at Great Linford and then jumped aboard a narrowboat to explore the waterways of Milton Keynes.
VQ Day, Milton Keynes

One Milton Keynes-based businessman is utilising the explosion of publicity surrounding online social networking site, Twitter, to improve the efficiency and productivity of his own company. Adam Naisbitt from Immediate Return Marketing has adopted Twitter for himself and staff to openly post their everyday work-related movements, which he believes will keep clients informed of their daily whereabouts.
Twitter, Milton Keynes

A Buckinghamshire company that specialises in providing integrated ticketing solutions designed to enable entertainment and sports organisations to sell tickets to consumers under the clients' brand, is the latest business prepared to demonstrate its green credentials to suppliers and customers, seeking such organisations. Milton Keynes based Tickets.com, which also has offices in Europe, the US, Asia Pacific and Africa, has achieved silver status through the Green Achiever scheme.
Green Achiever, Milton Keynes

K International is pleased to announce that it has been re-awarded the contract to provide translation services to the Environment Agency. The contract valid as of 1st May 2009, followed a tendering process and was awarded on the basis of quality, experience, cost effectiveness and environmental consideration. The contract will run for a period of 2 years with the option to extend for a further year and will primarily involve Welsh translation along wiht a range of additional services including K International's own in-house multimedia studio for typesetting and editing.
K International, Milton keynes

A new report from the KPMG/Synovate Retail Think Tank (RTT) has found that recessionary effects on retail are being largely misunderstood and one key effect is simply a speeding up of the inevitable decline of tertiary shop property. Even in buoyant economic periods, vacancy levels in traditional retail properties have remained stubbornly high, usually hovering at 10% or so. Some of this vacant property is effectively obsolete for shopping purposes and the recessionary shakeout is accelerating the growth of property obsolescence.
Retail Think Tank, Milton Keynes

Despite the challenging economic climate DP Leisure is celebrating a successful first year in business. Annual memberships for the company's 360 Play family centre have exceeded predictions and hits on the 360 website have increased from 300 to 3000 in six months. The company is adding an 'outback' area this month in time for the predicted warm summer. In July 2008 Duncan Phillips - one of the founders of the Gulliver's theme park group and the man behind the launch of Europe's first eco-park..
360 play, Milton Keynes

Culina Logistics Ltd is supporting the British Limbless Ex Service men's Association (BLESMA) by featuring the charity's logo emblazoned across one of its 45ft articulated vehicles. Operating from the company's Milton Keynes site on Whitehall Avenue, the vehicle will cover around 100,000 miles a year as it travels the length and breadth of the country – raising awareness for the cause, whilst distributing food and drink products to major supermarket retailers.
Culina, Milton Keynes

The Synovate Retail Traffic Index (RTI) figures for May 2009 show that April's upturn in both UK shopper numbers and retail sales simply marked a temporary respite and that foot flow into non-food shops has not yet reached stasis. April had recorded the strongest year-on-year rise in retail footfall for over 5 years (since February 2004), but in May the numbers slumped by 5.1% against the same month a year ago. Retail footfall levels were also down by 3.1% in May against April 2009.
RTI, Milton Keynes

Keech Cottage Children's Hospice, which cares for children across Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, has teamed up with Daytona Milton Keynes to stage a corporate team endurance race on Thursday 24th September. The event aims to raise vital funds for Keech Cottage, which relies on the local community to raise 75% of the money it needs to support local children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Several companies have already signed up for the event, which features teams of four racing for 2.5 hours over the challenging international circuit at Daytona.
Daytona, Milton Keynes

Commercial law firm Kimbells, sponsors of the NSPCC half marathon in Milton Keynes, is encouraging businesses to get together runners for the Team Challenge to support this very worthy local cause. The half marathon provides the perfect excuse to get in shape for the summer. Taking place on Sunday 26 July, the event takes runners around Milton Keynes' parks, scenic redways and along the Grand Union Canal (with possible glimpses of the famous concrete cows).
Kimbells, Milton Keynes

Business people in Milton Keynes are being invited to a free breakfast and canal boat ride to celebrate Vocational Qualifications Day. The Milton Keynes Academy has organised the event along the Grand Union Canal from Great Linford on June 24th. The Academy, which opens in September, is to specialise in Business and Enterprise, with a focus on vocational courses, alongside the regular GCSE and A levels. “We believe there are many paths to success and vocational qualifications are a vitally important one of them,” said Sean Hickey of the Milton Keynes Academy.
Milton Keynes Academy

On 15th May, the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) invited business leaders from across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to celebrate 35 exciting years, with champagne and birthday cake, at their head office in Milton Keynes. This event provided a sneak preview of the business benefits of SIA's Accumulator Challenge, which runs from 15 June until 31 October 2009. Gwen Pearson, SIA head of fundraising, announced the launch of the SIA Accumulator Challenge, a competition for up to 35 companies who will be given £35 to turn into £3,500.
SIA, Milton Keynes

The 60 Best Green Companies in Britain were revealed in the second Sunday Times Green List published with The Sunday Times on Sunday, May 24th. Forster, a London-based marketing, public relations and design agency, tops the Green List, a definitive guide to businesses with the most radically improved environmental performances. Uniquely, the Best Green Companies survey takes account of the views of employees - who get to rate their organisation's green credentials - as well as assessing the environmental performance, policies and practices of businesses.
thecentre:mk

The Law Society is urging home sellers to check the real cost of their Home Information Pack (HIP) with their estate agent to avoid inflated costs. The warning comes after a Channel 4 News investigation found evidence that more than £100 could be being added to the price of HIPs because of secret payments to estate agents. With many estate agents hiring HIP providers to supply home sellers with a HIP, the Law Society is calling on sellers to check very carefully how much their agent is charging for the HIP.
HIP, Milton Keynes

Those who sold shares, property or any Spanish asset between 1 April 2005 and 31 December 2006 could be due a substantial capital gains tax (CGT) refund. Janet Pilborough-Skinner, Private Client Director at Mazars in Milton Keynes, is an expert in non-domicile tax affairs. She quantified this little-known windfall, explained how it came about and why so few know about it. “If individuals sold assets during this period, they would have paid the Spanish government 35% capital gains tax.
Mazars, Milton Keynes

On 22 April, Dennis Turner, HSBC economist spoke to Bedford Breakfast Club at Stagsden Golf Club about how the credit crunch and recession came about, where we are now, and the key role of businesses in the UK's recovery. Over 100 business people, from throughout Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, invited by sponsors HSBC, Mazars and Woodfines Solicitors, turned up to listen to what he had to say.
HSBC Economist, Milton Keynes

Young entrepreneurs from local schools have been showing just what they are made of in the finals of this year's Dragons' Den competition, organised by Milton Keynes Institute of Directors (IOD) and sponsored by leading local and national brands including Argos, Domino's Pizza, the center:mk and BP. The event, held in the Berrill Theatre courtesy of another sponsor, the Open University, attracted an audience of parents, supporters, mentors and IOD members...
IOD, Milton Keynes

Destination Milton Keynes (DMK) has announced the appointment of Christina Grant as chair and Sally Reynolds as managing director. Destination Milton Keynes is the collective voice for tourism in Milton Keynes and the surrounding area responsible for providing tourist-related services and developing business and leisure marketing activities for the city. DMK's members share a common goal of raising awareness of the many leisure and tourism facilities available in Milton Keynes...
Destination Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes has been named as one of the first areas in the country to take part in a national scheme to revive the recession-hit retail sector. The skillscentre:mk at thecentre:mk, was announced as a founder member of the National Skills Academy for Retail; a Government backed network of training centres designed to increase productivity in the sector. Staff from the centre were formally welcomed to the academy at a glitzy launch today at Centre Point, London, attended by Dragons' Den star Theo Paphetis and CEOs from top retailers including Sainsbury's and John Lewis.
skillscentre:mk

The Synovate Retail Traffic Index (RTI) figures for the Easter fortnight (5th to 18th April inclusive) released today show that retail footfall (a measure of those actually entering shops) was very significantly up over the Easter fortnight; by 7.5% compared to Easter fortnight 2008 (16th to 29th March) and it was far better than even Synovate's upbeat forecast uplift of 4.1%. According to Synovate retail psychologist Dr Tim Denison, “footfall levels over the Easter fortnight are very encouraging.
RTI, Milton Keynes

In light of the recession, a Milton Keynes businessman has launched a unique new business that guarantees firms profit...or their money back. Immediate Return Marketing's strap line, ‘Guaranteed Profit, Whatever Your Business', aptly and honestly summarises the company's USP and depicts their confidence in delivering assured results. Managing Director, Adam Naisbitt is so confident that his tailored business development and marketing programme will increase profitability that he is prepared to refund any client that isn't happy for ANY reason.
Milton Keynes Entrepeneur

The KPMG/Synovate Retail Think Tank (RTT) has unveiled its latest Retail Health Index (RHI). The RTT is a group of leading industry figures which provides a non-partisan guide to retail sector health ratings, based on the Members' review of a comprehensive industry database (see below for examples). The ratings reflect both the quarter just ended, quarter 1 2009, and its forecast for quarter two 2009 following discussion during its quarterly sitting, held on Wednesday 15th April.
RHI, Milton Keynes

A series of inter-business sport tournaments suitable for all abilities, ages and fitness levels and guaranteed to be great fun. These tournaments aim to; encourage the adults of Milton Keynes to be more active, raise the profile of local sports clubs and encourage friendly competition between local businesses and organisations. Teams are welcome to enter as many of the tournaments as they like, a points system for each of the tournaments will determin the overall Battle Champions.
Battle of Businesses, MK

Projects Abroad, the world's largest gap year organization, have announced record figures as the volunteer service abroad industry continues to flourish in the recession. Yesterday Projects Abroad announced a 98% increase in Environment and Conservation volunteering from Brits. Projects Abroad recorded an overall 50% increase in applications in January 2009 from Britons who had recently been made redundant, compared to a year earlier.
Volunteering, Milton Keynes