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Oddbins have gone pop, HMV are hanging on by their fingernails and even Next is struggling...

Here's a good financial summary of the High Street from the Beeb.

BBC - Peston's Picks: Retailers' mega squeeze

Is very frustrating Chris, maybe we should all start up pressure selling ropey magazines... but at least some of us have got a concious!

Do wish Site reference would stop moving it's articles!! Link updated

It's an interesting point, not sure how you can clip the wings of a search engine, although I agree it would be nice to see more competition from say Bing or Ask. But then would that mean we would have to change how we do our marketing, advertising and SEO?

At least with Google, you optimise for that, and it covers you for just about everything else

If you are happy with someones product/services, and write them a glowing testimional to put on their website, 9 times out of 10 they will include a weblink back to your site

Is there any news yet on the Google Farmer/Panda (what's the difference!?!) update?

Has it hit the UK, or are we still waiting for it? Seems a pretty confusing picture looking at various other forum and blog posts.

From the 28th March, our UK directory has seen an increase in traffic by 21.9% which is great, but we are trying to work out why, and the only thing we can put it down to is this Google update. Unless it hasn't hit yet, in which case it's back to chewing finger nails!!

Has anyone else seen any traffic rises/drops or unusual patterns?

While traditional businesses around the world struggle with their bottom line, hi-tech start-ups are making use of all the latest money-saving tools at their disposal.

At the recent GeeknRolla event in London, in which start-ups and investors from around the world met to wheel-and-deal, there was an almost evangelical desire to spread the word about how new technology can boost efficiency at any type of company.

"Just five years ago, small businesses wouldn't have had access to half the tools that are available now on the internet", says Michael Jackson, an investor from Mangrove Capital.

"Companies that are cottoning on quickly to these tools are doing very well, and they are taking business away from those who are too slow to adapt."

Full article:
BBC News - GeeknRolla: Tech start-ups reveal cost-cutting tips

For all those Word Press devotee's, this may be useful:

En-Rich Your Blog With 10 WordPress Rich Media Plugins | Site-Reference

No secret

uk.prweb.com, google news and ezinearticles (before the farmer/panda update!) but everyone's got their favourites. Have had content writers blast them out on different networks, but don't know which ones.

Alby used to be the main man when it comes to press release sites, if he's still around...

New paternity leave rules have come into effect meaning that parents will be legally entitled to share time off work during their baby's first year.

The move means parents could take six months off work each.

The government hopes to extend the measures with a fully flexible system of shared parental leave in 2015.

However, the Federation of Small Businesses said a one-size-fits-all approach did not work and added to the administrative burden on small firms.

...The new rules mean a man will gain the right to additional paternity leave and pay. The rules also cover adoption.

...Additional paternity leave (APL) will allow an employee to take up to 26 weeks' leave to care for the child, on top of two weeks of ordinary paternity leave.
BBC News - New paternity leave rules affecting men come into force


More red tape for the small business and employee headaches? Or do you see it as a positive thing?