A new, first of its kind business combining books and baking has launched in the UK. Bookish Bakes sells baking kits and subscription boxes inspired by contemporary and classic fiction, allowing people to combine two of life’s great pleasures – reading and baking. Bookish Bakes’ kits include a seed cake inspired by The Hobbit, lemon tea biscuits based on Pride and Prejudice, a Turkish delight cake inspired by The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, crumpets from Rebecca and a two-loaf bread baking kit based on A Tale of Two Cities. You can also add a pre-loved book to the…
Author: sme-admin
Dunore Utility Connections, a UK-wide utility and connectivity startup, has achieved rapid growth in the nine-months since launch thanks to the disruptive thinking of its founders. In July 2021, two industry veterans, Tim Carroll and Jon Newsham joined forces to challenge the traditional working practices and standards that have “long plagued the utility industry”. In a short space of time, Northampton-based Dunore Utility Connections has developed a reputation as a trusted partner for construction and development companies who are faced with the challenge of navigating the complex maze of utilities. Together, Carroll and Newsham are renowned for their unrivalled knowledge, expertise and transparent working practices…
Swindon-based Key Performance Training is re-locating its offices to bigger premises in Kembrey Park, a move that will provide a welcome boost to the local workforce. The family business is the only lift truck training centre in Swindon, providing forklift training to men and women looking for work or who want to expand their skill set. In addition, the company offers training in first aid, health and safety, and courses for fire marshals and wardens. David Gearon, who runs the training centre, said: “We were outgrowing our previous training centre, so we decided to look for new premises at the…
The John Lewis Partnership is recruiting for more than 150 roles as part of a major investment in digital. The specialist roles will play a major part in helping keep John Lewis and Waitrose the go-to brands for customers who want omni-channel access to quality, value and sustainability. Getting ever closer to customers online and being highly responsive to changing consumer habits are key to our future growth. We are seeking to recruit engineers to bring innovation and expertise across a range of technologies including Software, Cloud Platform, Native App, Data Engineers and Delivery Leads. The Software Engineer and Delivery Lead…
Coventry-based health and fitness expert, Lee Stuart, is embarking on a brand new business venture, Primal Health and Fitness, becoming the latest in a line of local start-ups to occupy FigFlex Offices at Friars House. The announcement comes during FigFlex’s Small Business Week, a nationwide campaign to champion small businesses, which will run from the 3rd to the 6th May and will see FigFlex work in partnership with its resident small businesses to promote the ways in which they operate and their journeys to success. Coinciding with FigFlex’s Small Business Week, Lee is launching Primal Health and Fitness, a rebrand…
Starting this June, over 3,000 UK employees will enjoy an extra day each week to spend with their families, on their hobbies, …or simply in bed. The catch? There isn’t one—employers will pay their full salaries, too. The upcoming 2022 four-day working week pilot is said to be the world’s largest yet. Partly run by researchers from Oxford and Cambridge, the scheme will ask the big question: “Can employees be just as productive in 20% less time?” Currently, the average U.K. workweek stands at around 36.3 hours, spread across five days. And while even this can feel excessive, it’s a…
Recruitment is always an awkward process. It can be so hard to silence personal bias, and so tempting to take the easy route. The obsequious candidates who accept your word always present the easier option, while those who openly challenge your point of view seem likely to upset the apple cart. But while drone workers have their place, and can create a sense of cohesion within the workplace, taking on new hires with different opinions and perspectives can actually be beneficial to your business. Three reasons why companies should be unafraid to hire employees who disagree with them New insights…
NEW BOOK: Industry experts reveal the hidden secrets behind smoother digital transformations Business leaders today face a dizzying rate of change and disruption. Not only have we seen seismic societal shifts accelerated by the pandemic, but emerging technologies are developing rapidly to shift expectations and behaviours of consumers and employees alike. It has left many managers, entrepreneurs and professionals caught in the middle of this maelstrom feeling uneasy and anxious. But the reality is that successful digital transformation isn’t just about technology – it is about optimising the human element, and mastering the things that computers still cannot do –…
Trials for the four-day working week have proved successful in both Iceland and Scotland, with excitement for their progress being widely publicised across the UK for having a dramatic increase on the personal wellbeing of employees. An increasing number of businesses in the UK are now signing up for a trial of the four-day working week as they aim to replicate the increase in productivity and employee satisfaction that the scheme has proved. The promise of both a happier workforce and increased output for fewer hours of work is enticing for employers and employees alike. Discussing the potential logistics of…
As Covid cases hit their highest levels for months, the pandemic is exacerbating staff shortages in retail. According to ONS figures, infection rates in retail almost doubled between the start of March and mid-March. Against this backdrop of chronic absences, there were almost triple the number of vacancies in February 2022, when compared to February 2021. Now more than ever, retailers need to show they’re putting employee health first, by developing sound wellbeing strategies. According to Retail Trust, some 91% of retail managers said they’d noticed more mental health issues among staff. However, 28% of these managers said they didn’t…