Toby Strangewood, co-founder of Wake The Bear, shares his practical insights on how to communicate effectively without the fluff of emotional storytelling. As an SME founder or owner, effectively communicating to customers, employees or investors is vital. Disclaimer… No, this is not yet another article about emotional storytelling. Nor is it another reference to how stories have been embedded in our human psyche since the beginning of time. And I don’t proclaim to be an expert storyteller – these are just empirical learnings. Finally, you’ll be pleased to hear this article is not written with some kind of clever hidden…
Author: Greg Robinson
As Cheryl Sharp, CEO and Founder of Pink Pig Financials, observed, the year started with strong optimism. The impact of the Covid years was subsiding, it felt like the cost of living was easing, albeit only slightly, and inflation was moving in the right direction. And while those things may all still be true, businesses are still feeling the impact. Consumer spending is down and this has had a ripple effect across all sectors. With so many SME businesses feeling the pinch this year, survival becomes the overriding priority. Price increases have been inevitable in a bid to keep up…
Document management specialist Filestream is thrilled to announce the promotion of Paul Day to the role of Managing Director. Paul Day, a veteran employee with a remarkable 29-year career with the company, took on his new role on June 1. Filestream has undergone a significant transformation since Paul first joined. He began his journey in 1995 as a delivery driver for office equipment at Lectus, founded by Charles Hooker. Over the years, Paul steadily climbed the ranks, gaining invaluable experience in diverse roles such as fax machine repairs, senior engineer on major contracts, and service manager. In 2003, after the…
The short answer is yes, but it takes work. The more practical question is usually whether you may want, or need to, given the impact the answer can have on tactics. Simon Walsh, Partner in the Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Team at SA Law looks at how SMEs embroiled in a legal dispute can preserve their commercial relationships with the opposing party? May 2024’s introduction of compulsory mediation in many lower value claims (more on that below) however means that whatever your view on whether there is a relationship to preserve, you now need to prepare yourself for a…
Two Drifters, a Devon-based distillery that featured on the last ever Hairy Bikers episode, is set for major growth having secured a £100,000 funding facility from Time Finance. The deal has been arranged to help fund the Devonian SME’s alcohol tax duty, enabling the business to bottle and distribute more of its sustainably produced rum. Husband and wife duo, Russ and Gemma Wakeham, set up their rum business in their home county of Devon in 2019. They had a vision of creating a distillery which was carbon negative and partnering with suppliers to ensure they deliver the best quality product…
As the Prime Minister calls for a General Election, the focus on small businesses becomes more critical than ever. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) emphasises the importance of these enterprises in the UK economy, highlighting their significant role in job creation, innovation, and economic stability. With 5.5 million small firms and an additional 16 million individuals employed by them, small business owners and their employees form a substantial and motivated segment of the electorate. As political parties vie for their support, they must present robust, pro-growth policies to address the unique challenges faced by small businesses and promote an…
Since launching the UK’s first bamboo tissue brand, The Cheeky Panda in 2016, I’ve been really fortunate to have received mentoring support by a number of industry veterans and it’s been integral to increasing my professional growth. It’s been invaluable to work closely with ex Vita Coco CEO, Giles Brook and Simon Duffy, Founder of Bulldog Skincare, who have generously shared their expertise and counsel along my journey to help me grow the brand to where it is today. I strongly believe that everyone should have access to mentors at all stages of their careers, to support them on a…
One in five people across the UK live with a disability or impairment, but what do we actually know about them? says Dr Carol Sargent, a specialist in dementia-friendly tourism. In an initiative to explore the accessible market within Scottish tourism, dementia specialist Dr. Carol Sargent has joined forces with a leading market research firm 56 Degree Insight to shed light on this particular market and highlight what the tourism industry can do to welcome them. Jim Ecclestone of 56 Degree Insight said, “We poll the Scottish adult population on a quarterly basis to understand their holiday taking views and…
Data from HCML, the leading corporate health and wellbeing specialist, shows that the number of mental health assessments carried out in the last year was up 38% when compared to 2022/23. With Mental Health Awareness Week upon us, HCML’s research shows that for all these individuals, 95% did not meet the recommended activity guidelines, highlighting the need to get people moving more. The data shows that in nearly half (49%) of those assessments, the main symptom reported was anxiety and depression. Just over a third (35%) of assessments were related to stress, and 8% were for bereavement. Pamala Gellatly, Strategic Development Director,…
Apprentices at leading engineering training centre Oxfordshire Advanced Skills, based at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Culham Campus, have come up with innovative design concepts to help people with disabilities in the final of the Emma Wiggs Challenge 2024. Double paralympic champion Emma Wiggs MBE, who launched the competition for a second time following the success of last year’s event, was one of the judges assessing the entries which showcased how design engineering can be used to improve life for people with disabilities. Since her mobility was impaired overnight by a virus at the age of 18, Emma has dedicated…