Information and Links - Index

Bank Information

Business Angels

Businesses, locations & people - online phone and elated phone directories.

Business support - links to chambers of commerce, incubators and similar organisations.

Coffee Break - humour, quizzes and other challenges.

Company info - sources of company data

Corporate recovery - links to corporate recovery organisations and information.

Directors resources - links re corporate governance, director's roles and responsibilities.

Government - Govt statistics, govt depts. incl. tax, data protection

Postal info - find postcodes for addresses & vice versa, post rates and couriers.

Professional Bodies

Publications - news, publications, reports and data.

Regional information - regional development and promotion

Stock Markets and the City - links to major stock exchanges in Europe & USA

Travel & weather - road, rail, air, hotels and weather.

Venture Capital - organisations and publications re venture capital

World data - translation, doing business in, world data and telephone directories.

Corporate Finance Connections accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided "as is" with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see terms and conditions

Bank Information

Bank of England - comprehensive website including general information, press releases, statistics and monetary policy committee minute including Annual Report on Finance for Small Firms  among other useful information. Their statistics page details Bank Base Rates from 1972 onwards and Exchange Rates from 1999.

The Banking Ombudsman - information including how to make a complaint.

British Bankers' Association - A range of information including British banking code and banking code for smaller businesses

Checkyourbank.com - site designed to allow holders of personal and small business accounts with UK banks to check bank statements for any charging errors by keying in statement information. The site is accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Business Angels

Beer and Partners - "the largest provider of Angel Capital in the UK" - See entries in our Finance Members' Directory.

Business Angel Finance 2003/2004 - currently available through the BVCA website - select from non member publications.

NBAN - National Business Angel Network - NBAN s a not for profit organisation with the aim of improving access to equity funding for SMEs. Search the directory to find over 80 sources of Angel Finance.

Businesses, Places & People

192 Directory - billed as online directory enquiries service this directory pulls together links to a range of useful UK business directories, telephone directories, dialling code and postcode tools.

British Telecom Phone Directories - registration based service which can be used to trace the phone numbers of private individuals and businesses by name and area, accessible from the front page of BT.com by selecting the 'Directory Enquiries' option from the menu. Registration is free, and not restricted to BT phone users. The service provides a maximum of 200 free searches each month per user.

Company Directories: Yellow Pages - links to global yellow pages listing companies and businesses.

International White and Yellow Pages - listing of International directories on the internet, arranged by continent and country

Thompson Web business search

Yellow Pages

Business Support

British Chambers of commerce- Includes listings and links to the Chambers of commerce in Britain

Benchmark Index - The benchmark index website from business link gives small businesses the opportunity to benchmark performance against similar businesses.

UK business incubation - "The only website dedicated to bringing you up to the minute news on the incubation community in the UK". Links to business incubators throughout the UK

WorldVideoBusiness - WVB® is a business to business e-marketplace source of international trade leads, and tender opportunities from companies and government organizations around the globe.

Coffee Break

Adverts you wish you could see on UK TV.

BBC online - A wealth of information.

Bored? - Plenty of things to do when you should be doing something else.

Brain Candy - Insults Riddles Jokes Humor Wordplay Mind Games

Cows - You have 2 cows. See what each nation would do with them.

Clever? - Tough puzzles from the clever ones at Mensa.

Dullmen.com - thanks to Bentley Jennison for finding this one for us. A place — in cyberspace — where Dull Men can share thoughts and experiences, free from pressures to be "in and trendy," free instead to enjoy the simple, ordinary things of everyday life. Ideal for the accountant, lawyer or actuary in all of us.

Interview with God - You don't have to be religious to appreciate this - best with sound. Select view presentation.

Links to everything - links to just about everything

Management Motivation - Felcher & Sons recruited Terry Tate to motivate staff.

More Terry Tate - you will need to register to see some of Terry's other films

Company Information

CAROL - Company Annual Reports Online - provides links to hundreds of annual reports on the internet for Europe, Asia, and the US.

Corpfin Worldwide -  CorpfinWorldWide one of the leading European players in the provision of corporate finance information. A subscription based service but invaluable for tracking deals done. There is on-line access to company accounts worldwide through partners WorldBox Inc., Experian and 10kWizard. They produce a very useful monthly newsletter.

Dun & Bradstreet - leading provider of global business information, tools and insight. European registry

Hoovers Online - Useful worldwide company directory, with the ability to select a country location for a head office to bring up a list of companies in the database. The entries include company news, financials, and a company capsule.

Hemscott Net - Financial reports, share prices, for UK quoted companies plus information on professional advisers and mergers and acquisitions

Corporate Recovery

Association of Business Recovery Professionals (R3) - for members and those requiring information on the Association of Business Recovery Professionals. Includes a selection of resources for the public and members which include a directory of practitioners complete with search function, surveys on personal and company insolvency, creditors' guides and the Ostrich's guide to Business Survival.

Insolvency.co.uk - a website providing UK bankruptcy and insolvency information and resources - listings of businesses for sale, insolvency notices, insolvency law frequently answered question archive, and a summary of options under the Insolvency Act. A range of insolvency databases are also available, covering: liquidations, receiverships and dividend announcements from liquidators.

Insolvency Practices Council - organisation set up as a 'public-interest body with a remit to look at ethical and professional standards of the insolvency profession'. The website includes their annual report in html and pdf formats.

Insolvency Practitioners Association Web Site - information about the IPA for members and the general public. The site also houses an online database of IPA members and firms searchable by name and location

The Insolvency Service - homepage of the executive agency within the Department of Trade and Industry which deals with insolvency issues in England and Wales.

Director's Resources

Corporate Governance - dedicated corporate governance pages from the Institute of Directors.

ICSA Guidance Notes on Corporate Governance - a selection of guidance notes from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

Directors' Briefings - a range of business briefings on a wide range of issues from ICAEW.

Directors and Secretaries Guide - online guidance booklet from Companies House UK, which includes chapters that cover 'Role of a company director' and 'Role and duties of a company secretary'.

Disqualified Directors Database - a searchable database of disqualified directors provided by Companies House, taken from the Register of Companies and Register of Disqualified Directors.

FT Directors' section - news analysis and special reports from the FT.

Guide for directors of UK listed companies - a guide from international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Insolvency Guide for Directors - guide from the Insolvency Service for directors covering compulsory liquidation, disqualification of directors, criminal proceedings and the implications of insolvency for the director.

Institute of Directors - site includes a range of useful resources ranging from IOD news releases, information sheets, information for Independent Directors. A good source for advice on duties, responsibilities and liabilities of directors, director's service agreements, letter of appointment for a non-executive director, procedures for appointing directors and corporate governance

Government

Government Statistics

National Statistics - the official UK statistics site.

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)

Statistics in the Scottish Executive

Statistics Wales

Government Departments and related organisations

Direct.gov.uk - directory of links to all government departments.

British Standards Institution on the Web

Companies House 

Customs & Excise Home Page 

Department for Education and Skills 

Department of Trade and Industry 

The Euro - UK Government's official Euro site 

HMSO - official homepage of Her Majesty's Stationery Office including information on copyright and licensing of government publications, the InfoRoute search tool for government information, and UK Legislation online.

HM Treasury

House of Commons Hansard - full text hansard reports 

House of Commons Publications - list of publications on the Internet, including Standing Committee Reports (e.g. on the Finance Bill), Public Bills, Weekly Information Bulletin, Select Committee publications etc 

Inland Revenue 

Insolvency Service 

Insolvency Statistics and Analysis

Invest UK - advice for those looking to invest in UK with information on UK sectors and regions.

Local Government Website Index - vast listing of local government sites in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Eire. 

London Gazette - official online home of the London Gazette. Mainly subscription services but includes free access to the last two issues.

HM Land Registry

National Insurance Contributions Office

Number 10 Downing Street - includes an archive of the Prime Minister's press releases, speeches and news from the lobby.

Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority - the OPRA site contains press releases, guidance on procedures and publications (including OPRA Bulletins)

Press Release Index - central index to government press releases from the COI, offering same day release and an archive of older press releases. 

UK Trade and Investment - exporting expertise online - this Government organisation sets out services to support UK exporters and overseas enterprises relocating to the UK. The site provides links to other Government bodies and

Data Protection Act

Data Protection Guide - What are your rights as a citizen? Multi language country by country guides have been published. They comprise details of the European directive on data protection including the rules data controllers must adhere to, your rights as a data subject, what you can do if your rights are violated, data transfers to non-eu countries and useful names and addresses.

Data Protection Register - the public register of data controllers produced by the Office of the Information Commissioner, with an online search facility.

Pensions

Association of Pension Lawyers - association 'established and run by lawyers specialising in pensions in the UK'. Useful articles, links and guidance notes amongst other resources.

Department for Work and Pensions - official website of the government department with responsibility for pensions.

Faculty and Institute of Actuaries - dedicated pensions section of the official Faculty and Institute of Actuaries website.

National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) - official body representing the interests of the occupational pension's movement.

Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) - official body which 'supervises a range of legal requirements to protect people’s occupational pensions, - plenty of online publications.

Pensions Advisory Service (OPAS) - an independent organisation that has provides information and guidance on pensions. Includes an overview of pensions leaflets and publications from a number of official bodies.

Pensions Guide - the 'government's pensions information providing information for individuals, employers and pension scheme provides.

Pensions Ombudsman - official website for the ombudsman who investigates and decides complaints and disputes about the way that pension schemes are run.

Pension Schemes (Inland Revenue) - dedicated section of the Inland Revenue website. 

UK Pensions Guide - a directory of websites with a focus on pensions information and companies.

Post

Postcodes On-line - Royal mail site. Trace a postcode in the UK from an address or use the address finder to locate an address from a postcode. Requires free registration to use. Also post rates and track & trace.

Postal Rates.info - international postal services directory with direct links to information on postal rates, postcode search tools and postal authorities for each of the countries listed.

Couriers - a list of couriers from thelocalweb.net. Refine your search by postcode.

Professional Bodies

Association for Accountancy & Business Affairs - Concerned citizens keep an eye on the accountancy profession. The links show that not everyone loves accountants and bankers.

Association of Business Recovery Professionals - R3 is the leading professional association for business recovery, corporate reconstruction, insolvency and turnaround specialists in the UK.

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Auditing Practices Board

Chamber of Commerce (Britain)

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Chartered Insurance Institute

Confederation of British Industry

Financial Accounting Standards Board

Financial Services Authority

Institute of Actuaries

Institute of Certified Book-Keepers

Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland 

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland

Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators

Institute of Directors

Institute of Personnel and Development

Insolvency Practitioners Association

The Guide Online - the Guide to the Professional Conduct of Solicitors, the Law Society’s definitive authority on the rules and principles of professional conduct for practising solicitors. It also contains other Law Society material on professional conduct and regulation.

The Law Society

The Law Society of Scotland

National Audit Office

Network of Independent Forensic Accountants

Quoted Companies Alliance

Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Securities and Exchange Commission

Publications

Finance and economic periodicals/journals/magazines

Accountancy Age

Accountancy Magazine

Business Magazine

Business Week

CFO Europe - part of the Economist Group, this is the Web version of the journal, billed as being for financial directors and treasurers. Includes the current issue and back issues.

The Economist - table of contents and selected articles plus search facility

Estates Today - UK Commercial Property and Real Estate

Euromoney Online

European Central Bank Monthly Bulletin - link to bulletins and statistics

EN Magazine - EN North West and EN Midlands, the magazine for entrepreneurs.

Euromonitor - publish a range of research reports on a number of consumer markets, each one covering a number of major national markets.

Financial Director

Financial Executive - online edition of this CF magazine published by Financial Executives International over 9 editions each year. The online version contains a selection of articles taken from the print version.

Forbes Magazine - European Link.

Fortune

Harvard Business Review - includes abstracts of all the articles in the latest edition of the Harvard Business Review, links to additional resources on some topics, a search facility, and an archive dating back to July 1995.

International Insolvency Review - journal home page, complete with subscription details, table of contents and the option to request an online sample copy. All users are able to access abstracts of articles from the table of contents, and full text of the articles is available online to paying subscribers - from 1999 to date.

London Gazette - official online home of the London Gazette including free access to the last two issues. Subscribers can access the Financial Service through the website, with full search facilities to access the company information sections of the Gazette plus online versions of the latest two editions of financial notices.

Management Consultancy - management consultancy journal concentrating on 'the role of IT in delivering solutions across all sectors of consultancy' with a full archive of articles for the past two years, a listing of the top 50 firms, and highlights from the current issue.

Management International Review

Management Today

NEWSCO - publishers of North West, Yorkshire and Midlands Business Insider, also produce corporate finance directories and events.

Public Private Finance

Real Business

Real Deals

Real Finance

Real Investor Relations

Marketing - online version of the magazine

Marketing Week

Scottish Business Insider

Taxbriefs - details of Taxbriefs' range of finance/tax related reference and updating publications, conferences and budget summary services.

The Treasurer - official journal of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. The website includes a search facility to identify articles in The Treasurer back to January 1999. Full text of articles are available through the site in PDF format. Additional features, including the online members directory, are available to ACT members.

The Week in Europe - a weekly summary of developments in the EU, as published every Thursday by The European Commission Representation in the United Kingdom. Includes the latest edition, and an archive of recent editions.

Ulster Business

General Publishing

Amazon (UK)

Penguin

BBC

ITN

CNN

Sky

Times Newspapers Ltd

The Independent

The Telegraph

Financial Times

Regional News

Evening Standard

Birmingham news - in association with Birmingham post, evening mail and Sunday Mercury

Glasgow Herald

Manchester Evening news

The Scotsman

Yorkshire post

Report Publishing/journals/magazines

AIM Market Statistics - monthly online fact sheets provided by the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Data Monitor - publishes market research reports as part of their consultancy services -cover Automotive, Consumer Goods, Energy, Financial Services, Healthcare, Industry, Medical Equipment and Technology.

Euromonitor - publish a range of research reports on a number of consumer markets, each one covering a number of major national markets.

Key Note - a publisher of market research reports covering over 25 broad market sectors with hundreds of individual reports.

Mintel - a publisher of market research reports on many UK consumer markets with over 500 reports available. Guests can search the database of reports and view contents pages. Subscribers have access to reports online. Reports are categorised under the sectors Market, Leisure, Retail, Finance, Special Reports, MBD Industrial and Irish Reports.

Regional Resources and Development

General

British Chambers of Commerce - Includes a directory of Chambers of Commerce by town/city

South East

www.financesoutheast.com - "Finance South East was formed in June 2002 and is supported by the South East England Development Agency SEEDA and the region's Business Link organisations. Our key objectives are to advise on the best and most appropriate financial support for growth orientated businesses in the South East, develop and promote additional sources of funding for ambitious companies and improve the provision of existing sources of finance through better regional coordination".

South East England Development Agency

Oxford Innovation

South West of England Regional Development Agency

London

East

East of England Development Agency

East Midlands

East Midlands Development Agency

West Midlands

Advantage West Midlands

Wales

BBC Wales online - Dual language service covering news, media and reviews. Also features a web guide to Wales.

CBI Wales -  There is a promised monthly update on CBI Wales' work in progress, plus sections on events, hot topics and contact information.

Media UK - Welsh Local Newspapers -  A directory of Welsh local newspapers with web and email addresses. Navigate to the page using the left hand menu on the Media UK site - selecting newspapers, and then local newspapers: Wales.

Total Wales - Pitched as the definitive source of information for Wales, this website from the Western Mail and Echo covers news and business for Wales. BT Welsh Website of the year.

The Welsh Development Agency - Lists Business Support initiatives, including links to resources such as an all-Wales network of Business Angels, and Investing in Wales initiatives. The web site also provides access to the Key Sites and Premises database of commercial properties and sites in Wales.

Xenos Business Angels Network - An agency set up by the Welsh Development Agency, Business Connect, the Welsh Office and CBI Wales to connect investors with suitable business ventures requiring finance.

North West

NorthWest Development Agency

Marketing Manchester - the agency charged with promoting Greater Manchester on a national and international stage.

Manchester Calling - a portal website, containing a wide range of information on the attractions and benefits of Manchester, UK. The site is maintained and regularly updated by MIDAS - the Manchester Investment and Development Agency Service, part of Manchester Enterprises Ltd.

Pro Manchester - a membership organisation which seeks to promote the wide range of professional skills available to any organisation doing business in Manchester, the North West of England, nationally and internationally. There are now over 165 members, including accountants, architects, bankers, consultants, lawyers, stockbrokers and venture capitalists.

Yorkshire & Humberside

Venturefest York - website of the annual York Venturefest

Yorkshire Forward

North East

One NorthEast

Scotland

Ireland

Ulster Business Top 100 the top 100 in Northern Ireland.

Stock Markets

Dow Jones

London stock exchange

Techmark - Techmark section on the London Stock Exchange site.

Aim - Aim section on the London Stock Exchange site.

Ofex - Ofex trading facility with comprehensive information on its members.

Nasdaq - USA market for smaller companies.

Euronext - Merged interests of Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris exchanges, LIFFE (London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange) and the Portuguese exchange BVLP.

Travel & Weather

AA Hotel Guide - UK & Ireland

HotelNet - UK and the rest of Europe

Smooth Hound's Hotel and Guest House Directory - hotels & guest houses worldwide

Roads

AA traffic news - search map for traffic problems, provides brief details.

RAC traffic news - search area, includes inf on local roads and roadworks summary.

Vauxhall Traffic Net Service - uses maps to indicate areas of slow moving traffic

Travel

Cheapflights UK & Ireland

Ebookers Online air travel information and booking plus car rental, insurance, weather and other travel information

Internet Travel Network - Free registration for online travel information and booking

National Rail UK - information service and links including live departure boards, a train operating company directory, a listing of ticket agents rail maintenance.

UK Timetables - directory of travel related sites.

British Airways

Eurostar Internet

National Express - UK coach timetable plus online booking

National Rail Enquiries Online - provides train times and fare information for UK mainline trains

thetrainline.com - rail timetables, price comparisons and ticket sales for all UK train operators

Virgin Atlantic's home-page

London Travel

London Transport

London Underground Online - information service for the London Underground, including a service update, journey planner and updated maps.

Maps

Maporama - Interactive map service covering many cities worldwide at street level. Generate itineraries and route information for any start and destination point within cities.

Multi Media Mapping - site providing local maps, road maps for UK, street maps for London. Easily searched, links to local hotels.

UK Street Map Page - Road maps for UK and street maps for London.. Provides link to an Electronic Yellow Pages search for local hotels and restaurants, plus the option to search for other business types in the locality.

Weather

Met Office - worldwide weather information

BBC Weather Centre - UK forecasts and BBC Online weather headlines

Venture Capital

BVCA - site of the British Venture Capital Association, search members, guide to stockmarkets, guide to private equity, guide to business angels finance, information for venture capital firms.

EVCA - European Venture Capital Association - facts, figures and a members search.

www.nvca.org - National Venture Capital Association, USA VC association website giving facts & figures, members, publications and USA standard documents.

Tax Efficient Review - Information on tax efficient investments including VCT rankings and film funding info.

World Data

Babelfish Translation - translate free text or web pages from a selection of languages into English.

Foreignword.com - portal for translation services on the internet. Includes numerous links to on-line dictionaries, glossaries, real-time translators and translators tools.

Facts and Doing Business Abroad

Doing Business in (HLBI) - HLB International produces a series of international booklets on accounting, taxation and company law information. The series includes information on Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Channel Islands, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.

Fast Facts - U.S. site providing listings of almanacs, fact books and statistical reports.

Telephone Directories on the Web - comprehensive listing of yellow pages, white pages, business directories, email addresses and fax listings from over 170 countries.

World Public Holidays - database of world public holidays.

World Rulers - website listing current and historical heads of state plus links to their respective government websites.

World Time Server - comprehensive online clock with details of local time across the world with conversion times applying to the future as well as present dates.