Most people use social networks of one form or another – whether that’s LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or others. However when it comes to finding a new job, are these social networks of any use? If you are on the lookout for a new job, it pays to do some research and to ensure you look as employable as possible. Here are MoneyTowers top tips for helping to find a new job on a social network.  Read more... (599 words, 1 image, estimated 2:24 mins reading time)

Payrises are hard to come by in today’s climate, however if you don’t ask you don’t get! Here at the MoneyTowers team’s Top Ten Tips for getting a pay rise.

1. Persuasion

You can’t force your boss to increase your pay and trying to be forceful can potentially damage your working relationship. Instead, be tactful and let him know the ways that you have helped the company out – maybe through cost-cutting or efficiency measures – and use this as a base for why you should get a payrise. It also pays to do your research. Look out for job adverts for similar jobs to yours and use this as a base for how much you feel you should be paid.  Read more... (796 words, estimated 3:11 mins reading time)

With the global financial markets in turmoil, many people are starting to query how safe their jobs are. With redundancy on many people’s minds, now is the time to start planning for the worst.

The team here at Moneytowers have put together a redundancy guide below which gives you all the pertinent information on what redundancy payments you are entitled to, your legal rights, and how to get help if you are being made redundant.

Redundancy is not always a bad thing. Whilst it can be a tough experience, it can also help push you towards a career change or entrepreneurial streak that you always wanted to express yet never had the courage to follow.  Read more... (865 words, estimated 3:28 mins reading time)

An MBA is a massive career investment but is it really worth it? With much of the world worried about recessions and with the credit crunch beginning to hit hard, is now a good time to invest in an MBA?

Past trends have shown MBAs to be fairly resilient to recessionary trends with the latest research showing that the MBA market is currently fairly stable and holding up well with salaries for MBA graduates matching or beating current levels of inflation. Many companies are continuing to recruit MBA graduates as they look to invest in talent for the future.  Read more... (223 words, estimated 54 secs reading time)

Owning a franchise is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Franchising takes time, dedication and a lot of hard work before you can reap the rewards – the same qualities that any other start-up business requires.

One of the best things about franchising is that you have the support of a brand name behind you. Not only does this mean that you do not have to establish your brand, but you can also benefit from the advice, training, marketing and design from the organisation you are franchising from.  Read more... (794 words, estimated 3:11 mins reading time)

With this month’s floods at the forefront of many people’s minds, some have lost not just their property, but also their livelihoods due to the fact they work from home. There is an answer though – business interruption insurance for the self-employed.

Some insurers provide packages which are aimed at those who work from home and combines standard home cover with business cover thrown into the mix as well. This protects the home against standard household claims as well as things like loss of income and losses from interruptions to utilities or telecommunications. Additional expenses such as hiring temporary staff or equipment are also often covered.  Read more... (317 words, estimated 1:16 mins reading time)

As soon as you have decided to reject a job offer – either because you do not feel it is the job for you, or because you have another job lined up – it is common courtesy to write a letter of rejection as soon as you can so that other people can be offered the job within a decent timeframe.

It is not necessary to indicate where you intend to work instead. Thank the person politely for their interest in you. The letter is a good way of forging good relations with the company – even though you have rejected this offer, there may be a time in the future where you do want to work at the company and you do not want to burn your bridges at this moment in time.  Read more... (217 words, estimated 52 secs reading time)