Island Business Online

Welcome to the Island Business website. Here, you'll find up-to-date Island, national, and international business news together with lots of feature stories, articles from our columnists, plus video reports and business profiles.

The March edition of Island Business Magazine is out now. Watch the new videos filmed for the main magazine feature and read the feature on 'Hospitality - giving your guests a special experience'. See all the March magazine content here.

We've got an updated list of business organisations which offer support, advice, funding, and networking opportunities for Island businesses, and we'll add to it as time goes on.

You can now follow Island Business on Facebook and YouTube. 

Do let us know about content you'd like to see on Island Business Online and please send all your business news stories to the editorial team.

Business Link Director Deborah Wyatt provides some top tips for local businesses in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

'Make Your Mark in the Markets' is a competition to give two people the opportunity to turn their entrepreneurial ideas into reality and start trading on a market of their choice for six months for free!

Isle of Wight based GRP Laminates and South Boats Special Projects delivered RRV Audrey to Holyhead Towing in October 2009, and already the vessel has proved invaluable in deployments ranging from fast wind farm transfers to dredging support.

Andrew Turner, the Island's MP, fears that health store closures and job losses will result if the EU plan to ban many vitamin and mineral supplements goes ahead, as the official view of EU regulators remains that the destruction of the British industry is an acceptable price to pay for harmonizing the market across all Member States.

Wednesday, 10 March is National Stop Smoking Day; so, have you thought about giving quitting a go?

The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Industry has launched a new bulk purchasing scheme designed to help member businesses cut their electricity bills by as much as 30 per cent.

Businesses throughout the South East are being urged to apply for up to a thousand pounds of grant funding to develop their leadership and management skills.

Free places are available on two half day seminars designed to provide all the support needed to start your own business, writes the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce.

If the Government is serious about encouraging British exports as a major source of job creation and economic growth, it must resolve problems around export trade finance, according to a new report by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway opens its 2010 season on Sunday, 14 March, and has announced an exciting and ambitious programme of special events, activities, and shows to run alongside this year's busy schedule of steam train services.

The makers of Who Do You Think You Are?, Edwardian Country House, and New Tricks are looking for a butcher, baker, and grocer along with their families to take part in a unique living history experience for BBC One.

On the first anniversary of eBay's Online Business Index, which has tracked the attitudes and performance of up to 700 businesses over 12 months, the latest findings reveal that this important sector of the UK economy has fared better than most, although the experience has been far from pain free.

Many of the UK's leading companies recognise the importance of working with young people to provide information and advice about what they do.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Culture Minister Margaret Hodge have announced a two year grants programme to provide at least 40 internships with established arts companies for graduates from deprived backgrounds.