Can you give me advice especially about copyright law. I am considering a money raising scheme for a charity helping in Northern Namibia (where my daughter spent last summer as a medic). I want to offer to paint children's rooms (bedrooms and play rooms). I wonder what the laws are concerning copying pictures from children's books eg Disney characters and Beatrix Potter. Any advice would be welcome.

The Prof says: Please be very careful! Givent the recent furore about downloading CD's and DVD's from the internet, copyright holders have become much more prone to punish 'pirates'. If you start using trademarked characters from such large multinational companies as Disney, you run the risk of being prosecuted for illegally using their material. Even for charitable purposes! I realise that youa re doing this for all the right reasons, and good luck with the venture, but my advice is to make a case out to the copyright holders and ask them for free use of their intellectual property. It might be possible to gain free access to their material, especially for a good cause like this. But please consult them first, otherwise you do run some high risks. And don't think that you would be immune from prosecution in Northern Namibia, because their legal teams are searching all sorts of sources in order to protect their firm. If you went ahead with the idea, then received some international publicity for the venture, they would be almost bound to pick this up.

Sorry to be so negative, but you might run the risk of both being prosecuted and having to paint over the images you used. But, again, good luck with the scheme.

We have run a small hotel for 19 yrs and up until this year have had no problems but this year has been a disaster but not only us but most of Blackpool. Do you think that it will get better or is the country in a bit of depression? Thanks Kenny Mew

The Prof says: Firstly, I am sorry to hear about a slump in business. Having spent many childhood holidays in Blackpool, I know what a great place it is for unwinding and some genuine fun. I also continue to bring international visitors to Blackpool, just to show them what the place has to offer.

Clearly, the economy is not doing as well as it was a few years ago, although compared to many of our European competitors our unemployment is much lower and the macro-economy is robust. But this does not help Blackpool, which is suffering from what most of us hope is a temporary slump! From what I have observed, significant investments in infrastructure are required to bring the town up to modern standards, not least an improved rail and road transport system that obviates the usual hold-ups at the busiest times of the year. The retailing sector could also do with a substantial investment programme, Blackpool having lost out to Preston and Bolton over the last two decades. While United Utilities are doing their best with water quality, and substantial progress has been made over the last decade, this also goes hand-in-hand with the need for improved marketing. In other words, creating a healthier image for Blackpool that attracts families.

Blackpool still has an image as a fun place to go, but mostly for short stays (hen or stag parties) or day-trippers from neighbouring towns. What the hoteliers need are people who want to stay for longer spells, coming back to the image issue again. In this respect, I am not convinced that converting Blackpool into a gambling mecca is going to do anything positive for the image, even if (in the very long-term) this might bring in the gambling fraternity.

One of the strongest sayings in the strategy literature is 'stick to the knitting'. In other words, for a town like Blackpool it is essential to attract back the family trade by making the city a viable tourist spot for that kind of clientele. This doesn't mean stagnation; it means adapting and modernising what Blackpool has traditionally offered to the needs of the modern family. Admittedly, NW England is never going to compete with Spain or France for sun-hours, but the experience can be just as invigorating, as long as it is packaged effectively.

This puts the emphasis on policies devised locally, regionally and nationally, given that the council, County Council, regional development agency and national ministries all have a role to play in boosting the quality of service. While this does not neglect the need for hotels to continue to offer quality service, this can be the best in the world but customers will not come for a variety of other reasons.

If you've had a small business for a couple of years, you're still putting in loads of hours, but only just breaking even, should you give up now or is the hard bit over with?
The Prof says:
It's well-known that the vast majority of start-ups disappear within three years, often because the firm runs out of cash or the entrepeneur decides on an easier life. My view is that unless you exhaust all sources of advice, including Business Link, local universities and the RDA, then you should persist. The hardest years are always the first, so trawl widely for advice and resources and persevere.