Next month, the Government will take its first steps towards replacing paper-based immigration documents with biometric identity cards. They will be the same size as a credit card and will have an electronic chip that will hold biometric details, such as fingerprints and a digital picture of the person's face.

The Government's latest common commencement date (CCD) was 1 October 2008 and business owners need to be aware of any new or updated regulations that may affect their company.

Employees will soon be entitled to four extra days annual leave following a change in the law. From April 1, 2009, the minimum statutory entitlement increases from 4.8 to 5.6 weeks a year and businesses need to be aware of how these changes will affect them.

Marketing your business online is a cost effective way of communicating with potential new customers on a global scale. Developing an effective online brand involves so much more than launching a quirky website with flashing images. An effective e-marketing strategy should represent your business objectives and ultimately boost sales by complementing your existing communications.

As the impact of the economic downturn becomes an increasing concern for business, there's never been a better time to review your working practices and pinpoint areas where efficiency savings can be made. Being smarter in your use of energy is a practical way of starting to make those all important savings.

Making sure that your business is complying with regulations and meeting tax deadlines is a key responsibility of management. However, sometimes it is difficult to keep track of changing legal requirements and identifying those that apply to your business and require action.