Merry Christmas.

I have a little Christmas gift to you from the Library: we've got a new resource called Osiris.  It's brought to you by the same people who supply the FAME database so the look of it won't be unfamiliar.  The major difference compared to FAME is that it covers global company information.  So now you are not limited to just looking at UK companies, you can choose a company from wherever you like!

Wishing you all a relaxing break and I'll see you in the New Year.

Auditors can't hide from FAME.

FAME now includes wide-ranging coverage of senior auditors.  You can now search for companies by the individual who signed of the most recent audit using all or part of a surname.

 Over 113,000 company VAT numbers and the accounting reference date (indicating when the next set of annual accounts is due to be filed) have been added to Fame. To view this information click on the ‘Legal and accounts info’ tab in the company report.   

Access to FAME via the Library catalogue, or from the Accountancy Subject Guide pages on LRWeb. 

A bad week on the High Street

If you are studying the accounts of UK companies at the moment Tesco plc is still a good bet.

Otherwise it was a disastrous for companies recently. HMV, who issued their accounts last week, survived by selling off Waterstones, but elsewhere :

T.J Hughes - discount store - lost 57 shops and 4,000 staff went it went into administration this week

Jane Norman, the youth fashion chain went under, 200 shops to shut and 1,600 jobs lost

Thorntons, the Chocolatiers, are closing many of their shops ( we are unsure about the fate of the Bedford and Luton Branches )

And all this coming soon after the closure of Habitat.

Citing your references...

Always important to acknowledge where you obtained a piece of financial data if you are quoting it within an assignment....

Tesco plc recorded gross profits of £4,607 million in 2010 ( Keynote Company Report, 2010 )

And in your bibliography...

Keynote Report ( 2011 ) Company Information : Tesco [online] Accessed via library.beds.ac.uk on January 17th 2011

Easy as Pie - the FAME database

The FAME database allows you to manipulate company information as PIE Charts. Depicted on the left are the Top Ten Airline Companies in the UK. If you want advice on how to do this contact me.

I will be doing sessions on the database for Accountancy students

( Walter Mkuumbuzi's Group ) at the following times after Easter.

Tues 20th April ( 12.00 in C420 ), Friday 23rd April (9.00 in A420 ) & Friday 23rd April 4pm in C419 )