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Obvious perhaps but do you know how t...

Tag: News WM

The cold weather is starting to bite this week, so you may wish to take note of some of the details below to help you to take good care this winter.
 
ASK A PHARMACIST
 
PHARMACY
 
Services at pharmacies include:
 

Dispensing prescriptions and selling medicines only legally available from a pharmacy
Expert confidential advice on treating many health problems
Help in choosing the right over-the-counter medicine
Advice about the correct use of medicines
Advice if you are unsure whether you need to see your GP
Collection of repeat prescriptions from your doctor’s surgery and delivery of medicines to your home
Emergency contraception (‘morning-after’ pill) from some pharmacies
Help in an emergency if  you are unable to contact your GP and need prescription medication
Extended opening hours.

 
CALL NHS DIRECT
 
Confidential nurse-led telephone helpline available 24hrs, every day of the year. The service includes: 
 

Experienced nurses who can recommend the best course of action if you are anxious about ill health
Health information advisers who have details on a wide range of topics including the opening hours of local pharmacies and GP surgeries and how to get treatment for toothache
If necessary your call will be passed automatically to the999 services
Language line-a confidential telephone interpreting service

 
Calls to NHS direct are charged at local rate and for patients safety all calls are recorded. 
 

NHS Direct: 0845 46 47
Text phone: 0845 606 46 47

  
NHS Online 
 
You can also get health information on the internet by visiting NHS Direct Online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
 
WALK IN CENTRE 
 
Dudley Walk-in centre for minor illnesses and injuries that do not need hospital treatment are at:
 
Dudley Borough Walk-in centre, Holly Hall Clinic, Stourbridge Road, Dudley DY1 2ER. Open 8am-8pm, seven days a week, including Christmas and New Year. Telephone: 0330 1239225. 
 
No appointment necessary, babies under the age of 12 months must be seen by their own GP.
 
Advice and treatment for complaints including minor cuts, bruises, burns, scalds, insect bites; muscle and joint injuries, back pain, coughs, colds: headache and dizziness; stomach ache, indigestion, constipation, vomiting and diarrhoea; ear, nose and throat problems including minor infections and sore throats; eye problems such as conjunctivitis and styes; skin complaints including rashes, minor allergic reactions, scabies, head lice and nappy rash; genitor-urinary complaints such as urinary infections and thrush and pregnancy testing, advice and referral, ‘morning –after’ emergency contraception pill and sexual health advice.
 
CONTACT YOUR GP OR GP OUT OF HOURS SERVICE 
 
GP SURGERY 
 
For most medical problems phone your GP practice for advice or to m ...

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You’ve heard of Credit Scoring - but ...

Tag: Finance WM

When a lender such as a bank or another finance body who lends monies direct to a person or business, they first have to ultimately established the feasibility in the worthiness of the borrower(s) in their ability to pay back. For such lenders to establish this they will run all funding / loan applications through a process called credit scoring.
 
So exactly just how does credit scoring work?
 
Credit scoring not only takes into account the information which is provided by the borrower (i.e. you) but also any information which the lender themselves make hold about you through any current or previous dealings. It is important to also note that they also have the ability to access any / all information held about the borrower from a licensed centralised point which is called a Credit Reference Agency.
 
The credit scoring system allocates points for each piece of relevant information and adds these up to be able to produce a score, which when hitting a certain point will allow lenders to agree some / all loan or funding applications, in not hitting the certain points score could / would ultimately mean that such a loan or funding application would be rejected and dependent on any further discussions and information provided as to the purpose and its use may or may not see further consideration in fulfilling the loan / funding request.
 
The points which make up the credit score are allocated based on thorough analysis of large numbers of repayment histories over many years of providing credit. The statistical analysis enables lenders to identify characteristics that predict future performance – an example being that individuals / businesses that have county court judgements registered in their name have proved to be less likely to meet payments than those without judgements.
 
Credit scoring produces consistent decisions and is designed to ensure all loan applicants are treated fairly, additionally lenders will also have their own policy rules to allow them to determine whether they will lend or not. An example here is that such policies reflect a lenders commercial experience and requirements – i.e. if they have direct evidence that an application has shown poor management of credit products in the past they may decline the loan request.
 
For a bank, every application to open a bank account or borrow money involves a certain amount of repayment risk for the bank, no matter how responsible or reliable the applicant is. Here credit scoring allows them to calculate the level of risk for each application based on the information they have and / or obtained. Here the same is said that if the risk level of acceptability is exceeded they will not proceed / accept the application.
 
Decline of an application does not necessarily mean the applicant is a bad payer. It just means that based on the information available at that time that the bank / lender is not prepared to take the risk in openin ...

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With only 351 days to go till Christm...

Tags: Business WM, Sales WM

No doubt for many people over Christmas there came a time during watching the repeat of the 1973 Morecombe and Wise Christmas show, where the mind may have somewhat wondered to thinking about work.
 
Thoughts going through the old grey matter to such an extent that it filled them with so much positivity that for a split moment the whole future and way forward in 2012 seemed crystal clear.
 
Also the family gatherings over the festive period - who was going where, at what time, for which meal will have caused time for reflection with a majority of comments being at the end of the day being “we aren’t doing this again next Christmas.”
 
Quite what some would do as an alterative is uncertain - but comments such as “we’d love to go away” would require a certain amount of planning and with only 351 days to go till Christmas, wheels would need to be put in motion?
 
Presents will have also been a hot topic of conversation over Christmas, with comments such as “I spent thirty quid on their present and they’ve given me this THING – why do I bother.”
 
As Christmas has happened at the same time of the year all our lives, and that quite possibly the thoughts and conversations in regards to work, what to do next Christmas and what presents to get will undoubtly have happened every single year of our adult lives – so why don’t or can’t we plan.
 
If we fail to do this (plan that is) for Christmas which is something we know when it’s going to happen for years well in advance - could it be said that we don’t bother or even try to do any planning for our business?
 
Corny we know but the point we’re rising here is the fact that talk is cheap and often the only person who believes what your saying is YOU no matter how much the person your talking to smiles and nods in agreement.
 
Those close to you such as family switch off to the comments such as “we aren’t doing this again next Christmas” and the “I spent thirty quid on their present and they’ve given me this THING – why do I bother” knowing full well that nothing will change – perhaps just the addition of more comments as the years go by.
 
We all like to think positive at some point, but it’s the doing and not really the thinking or saying which will provide the results. On New Year’s Day blogs, statuses, and tweets were full of “have an awesome 2012” - “make the next 12 months phenomenal”
 
Just exactly how will this happen without planning? On top of that does actual shoving a “have an awesome 2012” comment on the internet fill you with the drive and determination to sock it to em….? If it did can we just say that “we hope this year is your most wonderous year yet?”
 
With only 351 days to go till Christmas are you c ...

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What would a bank look at when assess...

Tags: Business WM, Finance WM

Despite what you may think a bank is always keen to provide finance to businesses in order to support their growth.
 
When a bank assesses any borrowing request they will look at a range of factors to help them with their decision – with this in mind and in order to help with preparation for any borrowing request we have detailed below some pointers for consideration.
 
It is important to note that consideration by a bank on access to finance requests by a business will involve credit scoring which could take into consideration 3 broad areas.
 

The information that a business provides as part of its application.
Any information which the bank may already hold about the business.
Information which they obtain from external credit reference agencies.

 
Information which a finance application will require is:-
 
You and your business – as they will wish to gain a full understanding of the business and the skills and experience of the owner / management.
 
Personal / Business Investment – as they will need to established what the applicants investment is in the business compared to what a bank’s investment might be.
 
Purpose – why is the funding required can be explained by advising how and where it would fits within the business and its plans.
 
Amount – this will allow a bank to determine if the amount being requested is appropriate as well as allowing the structuring of the funding in the most suitable way.
 
Term – Discussing the time period over which the funding is required helps a bank in assessing the businesses finance options in the most suitable way.
 
Repayment – a bank as a lender of finance will need to understand how a business intends to repay the funding as well as be confident in the businesses ability to do so.
 
Other information and supporting documents may also be required such as:-
 
Security / assets – relates to the provision by the business and / or owner of some form of appropriate security such as guarantees, property or other assets that are straightforward to value and if necessary to realise.
 
Other business interests – informing of other commitments which the owner and / or the management may have as this will allow a bank to assess how much attention and focus the business would have.
 
Cash flow forecast and business plans – regardless of the type of business or how profitable it may be, it will struggle if it runs out of cash. Therefore by writing a business plan will help a business to think logically about its operation, its strategy as well as its business model.
 
Management accounts and historic accounts – evidence of past financial performance will contribute towards an existing business funding application.