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Healthy first quarter company growth in Folkestone

The beginning of 2013 has seen some positive economic results in Folkestone, with company formation rising and a rise in net company growth.

First quarter drop in net company growth in Kingston Upon Thames

New research from Duport.co.uk reveals that net company growth in Kingston Upon Thames dipped during the first three months of the year.

Duport report shows mixed results for Dudley economy

The latest Duport Business Confidence Report for Dudley shows there was a decline in company formation in the area last year. However, the report also shows there was a reduction in company closures during the same period, suggesting trading conditions may actually be improving in the town.

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Need to improve your negotiating skills? Now there's an app for that. Former barrister and leading UK negotiator, Clive Rich has launched a free mobile phone app designed to help budding entrepreneurs improve their skills when it comes to closing a deal.

The app is called Close My Deal and is based on Clive's 25-year career negotiating more than £10bn worth of deals with huge clients such as Sony, Napster and Yahoo. It features 24 different scenarios with multiple choice questions. The app provides feedback and advice based on the answers chosen.

Close My Deal can also be upgraded to include Deal Planner, which allows you to build personalised plans to help control and manage the negotiating process. Users can also upgrade to use the Profiler tool, which defines your negotiating style and allows you to compare your style with others.

Rich explains:

"I have seen deals lost because of lack of preparation, misunderstanding of bargaining power, displaying the wrong attitude, or using the wrong behaviour."

"Deal Planner can help you avoid those costly errors by giving you an anchor against which to measure your progress and to spot when things are going wrong and make adjustments in the moment."