Prize draw This week we announced our intention to run a small business channel for UK readers, and we unveiled bCentral.co.uk as our first information supplier. We have set up a trial landing page for your perusal.

We've had a lot of feedback, and some complaints. First, there is a competition/prize draw to win an Acer Tablet PC, the purpose of which is to encourage people to sign up to bCentral's newsletter for small business. If you want to enter the draw and only if you want to enter the draw, you have to sign up, or already be signed up, to Passport. You do not have to be signed up to look at the rest of the content.

The Passport compo proviso - in big print - has irked some - "are you in bed with Microsoft?" asks one reader. "Are you mad?" asks another. No, we're not in bed, just flirting. As for the completely hatstand accusation, we say this: squirrel.

Oh, and a Credit Suisse First Boston employee decries our stipulation that the competition is a: open only to people working at small businesses (rule of thumb - employing fewer than 100 people) and b: that workers from the likes of CSFB and other big businesses should get their Tablet PC on exes.

"I object!" he writes. "The way we're making money at the moment we soon will be a small business...." Good point, CSFBer, but you still won't win.

Browser Wowser

Several people have told us Our small biz test site doesn't work well or at all in Opera and Konqueror. Sorry. We'll try to sort this out come launch day.

Last, we've had some PR agents, one web site contact us and several readers who suggest that we run online forums for small businesses. We have always shied away from serious involvement in forums/bbs and the like - there ain't enough of us to go round. But we will mull over this some more. Any more suggestions? Preferably constructive, please. ®