Forty entrepreneurs are being sought for Transform, a new cross-border scheme aimed at encouraging high-growth businesses with global export potential in Northern Ireland and the six border counties of the Republic of Ireland. Jointly run by Invest Northern Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, successful applicants will get a year’s free office space, mentoring and a grant - – - read more >

Dragons’ Den series four has just finished airing on BBC 2, and the production team is looking for new candidates to appear in series five, filming over the summer. “Dragons’ Den is a challenging place to pitch but it’s also a genuine business opportunity to secure investment”, a researcher for the programme told us. Entrepreneurs - – - read more >

Google is making big changes to its search engine that may affect how much traffic businesses receive from the site. If your web site currently comes in high up the list for typical queries you may find it coming in lower. Conversely the changes might be good news, promoting your site up the list into - – - read more >

If you use part of your home for business you can claim part of the cost as a tax deduction. But how much should you claim – and if you claim too much will you end up having to pay business rates? You can find out from the horse’s mouth in the Business Income Manual - – - read more >

Barclays has extended the deadline for entries to its annual Trading Places business award. You’ve now got till the 18th of May 2007 to get the simple entry form in (ignore the date on the form). This award differs from most of the others in that it’s about overcoming adversity. So if you have got - – - read more >

More VAT-registered businesses will be able to use the easier “Cash Accounting Scheme” (CAS) from this month, following changes made by HM Revenue & Customs. The Scheme allows businesses with turnover of less than £1.35 million to defer paying their quarterly VAT until they have received payment from their customers. Most small businesses should be - – - read more >

“The idea of running a brewery was a dream I had when I was sitting in local government meetings. I started the brewery in 2004, produced my first beer in 2005, went full-time in 2006 and now employ three people”, said the 55-year-old. Bill Russell wins Olderpreneur award in Great Yarmouth – and also the - – - read more >

Funded by advertising and run as a small business, Armchair Advice was set up by Greg Paine after he unexpectedly found himself without a job in mid career, aged 46. The site is particularly good for those newly-made redundant or worried about becoming so.

The BBC web site has a collection of good short articles about starting in business. Highlights include: Getting started Where to work Business plans Managing your finances Research and marketing your business Tools of the trade Dealing with the law Tax, National Insurance and VAT When it all goes wrong Business abroad

If you are thinking of becoming a self-employed sales person, distributor or agent then it’s worth reading the Trading Schemes Guide on the Department of Trade and Industry’s web site. It gives an idea of some of the pitfalls, and what is and what is not currently permitted. You need to be aware that in - – - read more >