MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT LEFT BLUSHING @ THE ALTAR

AROUND 70% of all UK weddings take place in the 6 months between June to November – approximately 170,000 weddings in total. With Brits attending between 3 and 4 weddings each year (average is 3.4), we can expect a whopping wedding gift bill of £146 per person per year - a total of £6.7 billion (and that’s just for the presents).  But if you've ever worried over how much you should spend on a wedding present, fear not, as Abbey Current Accounts has conducted research into the etiquette of present buying to make sure it’s only the bride that’s blushing on her big day.

So how much should you spend on a wedding gift?

Abbey’s research shows that the average amount spent on presents for the bride and groom in the UK is £43. If it’s a close family member or best friend getting married, though, you’ll need to spend a bit more as the average cost of a wedding gift goes up to £70 if you’re buying a present for a sibling, son/daughter or cousin. For a random relation, acquaintance or colleague, though, you only need to fork out £23. Friends are evidently worth a little more to us, with the average spend at £34 a head.

We’re getting more generous as a nation, with 46% of us spending more on gifts than we did 2 years ago. Interestingly, though, 17% of us think that we spend more on other people than they do on us.  What’s more, across the country the value of gifts varies considerably. Contrary to popular belief, the “thrifty” Scots came out as the most generous wedding gift givers in the land. If you’re lucky enough to be related to a Scot, you can expect a gift worth roughly £78, while at the other end of the scale those in Northern England shell out a tenner less on their close relatives at £68. On average, Scots spend £49.13 on wedding gifts and Northerners spend £40.79.

Abbey’s handy Gift Giving Guide for across the UK

Steve Shore, Head of Banking at Abbey, said:- "What to spend on a wedding gift is almost as tricky as finding an item to buy on the wedding list, so hopefully with our guide we can remove some of the potential embarrassment and worry by showing how much to spend and on whom. Abbey's guide shows that if you follow your instincts and put family first, you'll be in good company."

Just 1 month left to win £25m interest-free funding

LOCAL businesses have just 1 month left to put in their applications for the Bank of Scotland £25 million Entrepreneur Challenge. Bank of Scotland Corporate is looking to encourage entrepreneurship across the country and the deadline to enter The Challenge is Wednesday, August 15, 2007.

The Bank is making the funding package available entirely free of interest and arrangement fees for a period of 3 years. For each of 5 regions across the UK, a sum of £5 million is being provided.  1 company in Liverpool will succeed in obtaining the funding package. It will be used by the successful applicants to help turn exceptional business plans into profitable reality.

Tim Rigg, Regional Head of Corporate Banking, is calling on entrepreneurs in Liverpool to register their applications now to be in with the chance of securing a £5 million interest free funding package.  Tim commented:- "The Entrepreneur Challenge could have a significant impact on a number of businesses in Liverpool and help them realise their full potential. Bank of Scotland Corporate has invested significant time and resources into making sure we offer entrepreneurs exactly the type of support they need and our recent research proves just how important this type of support can be. Entrepreneurs need funding to succeed and this Challenge is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a local business to secure a significant package and four days of mentoring from Sir Phillip Green, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in British history."

The Arcadia boss will take his place in the boardroom of the successful company and spend 4 days of his time to mentor the winning entrepreneur to help them develop their business, providing a true ˜money can't buy" prize that could change a business forever.

Sir Phillip Green added:- "Initially I expect to be used as a sounding board for ideas and to see if the business strategy is sound and this is something I am really excited about, which is why I have come on board to support the Entrepreneur Challenge."

Tim Rigg concludes:- "We've had some really impressive entries already and are now approaching the final deadline. The Challenge is designed to embrace the entrepreneurial spirit that already exists in Liverpool and encourage more entrepreneurs to follow their business dreams, which is why I'd like to urge any remaining entrepreneurs to grasp this opportunity and give themselves the chance to win. There are some extraordinary people constantly battling to find somebody to listen to their ideas and this Challenge is their chance to have those ideas heard by a selection of the most successful entrepreneurs and business minds in the country. Ultimately, this represents zero percent funding for three years which itself is normally unheard of."

Entrepreneurs interested in the Challenge can simply go to www.theboschallenge.co.uk and download an application form that can be completed in a matter of minutes. The application will be considered by a panel of experts, including Tim Rigg and Brian Kennedy.

And if you think you might be made of the right stuff to become a successful entrepreneur, why not take the entrepreneur test and find out? The test is now online.

The deadline to enter the Entrepreneur Challenge is Wednesday, 15 August 2007.

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