Funny Business Clip

As you will gather, from our site, Start Business we have a lot of time for Geoff Burch. This video clip illustrates his style.

As a postscript this is what Geoff has to say about this clip ..... “I'm really touched that people have found my video important enough to comment on but there is a misunderstanding. Firstly of course this is a joke but there is a point and it is not a failing of the employee but a failure of the boss (me!) to share the bigger picture with his people. What I was trying to say is that command and control no longer works - every manager or boss needs to sit down with all their people, exchange ideas and clearly explain the goals.”

Repetitive Record Syndrome

Shop workers are being driven to distraction by in-store music, with Britney Spears heading the list of Most Annoying Singer. A third of shop staff had to endure the same album being played up to 20 times a week, according to a survey of 1,400 employees. Almost half of those polled by recruitment website retailchoice.com said they had received complaints from customers about maddening music blaring through a shop. Workers in fashion and shoe shops suffered most from "repetitive record syndrome", having to listen to the same songs being played over and over again.

Christmas was the most testing time for the ears of retail workers, with Jingle Bells topping the list of the most hated seasonal songs. This was followed by Slade's Merry Christmas Everyone and White Christmas by Bing Crosby.

The top 10 most played - and most annoying - singers were:

:: Britney Spears:: Usher:: Kylie Minogue:: 50 Cent:: Robbie Williams

:: Akon:: Beyonce:: Blue:: Justin Timberlake:: Michael Jackson

IT Firm Bans Whinging

Whinging about the weather or the broken photocopier are sackable offences at a German company that has banned moaning.

Employees at IT company Nutzwerk Ltd, in Leipzig, have to agree to be in a good mood as part of their employment contract.

Manager Thomas Kuwatsch said those who get up on the wrong side of the bed should stay at home and work out their grumpiness rather than come into work. But he warned those taking too much time off for bad moods would face the sack.

"We made the ban on moaning and grumpiness at work official after one female employee refused to subscribe to the company's philosophy of always smiling," he said. "She used to moan so much that other employees complained about her complaining. Once it was part of the contract however, our employees really started to think positively. Mood is an important factor in productivity and everyone here works hard and is happy."

Kathleen Sochor, who has been with the company for four years, said: "It's great that whinging is not allowed. If one person is grumpy it makes everyone else feel bad and ruins what could be a good day."

Lawyer Marion von Sahr said: "In principle, employers and employees can contractually agree on anything if both sides are happy and that includes banning whinging.

"But I am not sure if being a sourpuss is enough reason to fire somebody."