Praise be Staff appraisals can seem like a chore, but they have a real affect on staff retention. Find out more.

How to hire your first employee Taking on someone for the first time is a daunting prospect. Get a free, step-by-step plan, customised to suit your circumstances (free registration required).

Students on loan Does your business need an enthusiastic employee to work on a particular project? See if a placement student could help you.

Monitoring your staff online Do you know what your staff are up to on the internet? Monitoring them is a tricky subject - read our advice.

Excel advice Working with figures isn't usually much fun, even at the best of times. Do your sums faster with our quick tips for Excel.

Dawn of the dead It sounds like something from a George A. Romero film, but zombie PCs are rife on the internet. Find out what they are, and make sure yours isn't one of them.

bCentral is changing We're currently putting the finishing touches to a new look for bCentral, with improvements to search and navigation, and some exciting new features in the pipeline. Keep an eye on the site in the next few weeks.

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