One4all to include independent stores

Multi-store gift card provider One4all Group is extending its services to independent retailers in Northern Ireland.

One4all currently sells £43m worth of its cards in Northern Ireland every year, which can be used in high-street stores including Debenhams, House of Fraser, Boots and Argos.



It has now expanded to include independent retailers in the region, allowing customers to buy gift-cards to buy products from local stores.



Michael Dawson, One4all chief executive, said: "One4all has a wide ranging appeal because of the breadth of choice we offer our customers in where they can spend their gift cards.



"Our current retail offer covers everything from home to fashion and travel to food. Independent Northern Ireland retailers are an important part of this choice."



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Ardean ¦ Marketing

April Call for Innovation Vouchers Now Open

April Call for innovation vouchers are now open.  

Innovation Vouchers are designed to enable small and medium-sized Northern Ireland businesses (limited companies, sole traders, partnerships) to access knowledge and expertise to develop innovative solutions to business issues. The programme provides a voucher of up to £4000 to enable eligible businesses to engage with one of the 41 universities, colleges and other publicly funded research organisations throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.



Closing date for applications is 30 April 2014.  Read More >>>>

Ardean ¦ Funding

Early payments platform launches

A new early payments platform has been launched backed by the Department of Business Innovation & Skills and international insurer RSA.

A recent survey of 350 small UK businesses found three in four wanted early payment of invoices, and would take a small discount to get it. But half of them would never ask their customers.

The survey also found:

• 75 per cent expect to grow by more than 5 per cent in the coming year

• 66 per cent don't think their bank would support a loan application

• 82 per cent have suffered extended payment in the past three years

• 49 per cent said they wouldn't need to borrow if their largest customer paid early



URICA has now been launched in a bid to get businesses to pay earlier.



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Ardean ¦ Funding

AIM launches loans scheme for music start-ups

Start-ups in the music industry could receive loans up to £25,000 as part of a new government-backed scheme by the Association of Independent Music (AIM). The AIM Start Up Loans initiative will act as a delivery partner for the Start Up Loans Company, a government-backed scheme which has so more than £76m to UK businesses so far. AIM, which represents over 800 music companies in the UK, will independently assess applications and approve business loans ranging from £1,000 to £25,000, which can be paid back in one to five years. The average loan amount is £5,700 and the interest rate is fixed at 6 per cent. Only companies trading for less than a year will be eligible to apply.

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Ardean ¦ Funding