Running your own business and looking for information? Planning a new venture and need advice? Our weekly feature is here to help.

If you're in business it's not enough to be online - you need an internet provider that knows what business is all about. That's why Pipex researched the specific needs of business owners before launching Business Grade Broadband. We've got online content to help professional customers prosper. We offer guaranteed service standards backed by 24/7 UK call centres. Check our website to see why we're better for business. Go Pro at Pipex.co.uk

Issue of the week

Q: What's the story on the extra Government support for women in business? It seems to have gone quiet since the Budget in the spring.

It has gone quiet - though plenty of work is being done behind the scenes. The Chancellor said he is putting £12.5 million in a new fund to help women-led businesses and is trying to raise a similar amount from industry. The development is to be called the Women's Investment Fund and will offer advice on running a new firm, pitching for business and drawing up effective business plans. Mentoring and women's business centres may also be on the cards. We'll keep you posted on developments as the fund prepares to launch. But in the meantime, there are plenty of other places for female-friendly information and advice. Everywoman.co.uk is a good starting point.

Q: Is it worth improving my firm's green credentials?

Yes it is - not least because if you go green you can offer your story to a local paper and get some useful extra publicity. Look at the business sections at sites like carbonneutral.com for simple carbon calculators. Add in the required information and you can check your carbon footprint and find a way to reduce it. You might even win extra business if you are greener than your key rivals - putting details on your website will certainly give you extra credibility.

Q: I sell to older people and am worried they won't use the internet to buy. How do I reassure them?

Take a look at other retail sites and examine the official 'shopping security' trade associations they are signed up to. Not all are as good as they look. But join the right ones, and display their logos, and you should put some minds at rest.

Q: How can I protect my firm's laptops out of the office?