Your business is growing. Right now, you’re able to rely on a contract workforce to get things done. It’s a simple, hassle-free solution that allows you to achieve your goals without being bogged down by admin and expense. It’s great for you, and good for your workers. Everyone has the flexibility they need to thrive, and your business is benefitting from it. But more regulations come into play as your team increases. You don’t want to stifle growth – that would be madness. But equally, with IR35 making managing a contract workforce a far more complex matter for businesses with…
Author: sme-admin
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused untold disruption to the business world, turning it completely on its head. It has changed long-established working practices, the fortunes of entire industries and even deeply embedded mindsets. With all the uncertainty that began in early 2020, some retail leaders have, quite understandably, lost a sense of ambition. As we all know, the retail sector was left paralysed by the pandemic, with the effect on leaders laid bare by recent research. Before the pandemic, 93% of retail leaders felt ambitious, with 43% even stating they were ‘very ambitious’. The post-pandemic drop is dramatic: just 72%…
Free-from food company, Creative Nature, has recruited a new staff member to help the company with digital marketing and administration. Caitlyn Ward from Walton-on-Thames, is settling into her new role. “It can be quite fast-paced, but in a fun, challenging way instead of overwhelming. I’m never afraid to ask questions if I’m not sure what I’m doing and everyone has been super supportive.” Caitlyn is a former student of Rydens Enterprise School (now the Three Rivers Academy) and she has worked part-time from her teenage years within the service and hospitality industry as a waitress, kitchen assistant and some office work.…
Clean Transport Accelerator launched by NatWest and University of Warwick to help SMEs fast-track their innovations. With transport being the largest carbon emitting sector in the UK, a partnership between NatWest and WMG at the University of Warwick has led to the launch of the Clean Transport Accelerator. It will support businesses which are part of the mobility sector to develop products and services that will play their part in achieving the UK’s net-zero goals. The first cohort of the programme will help 10-15 businesses through education, events, networking and coaching. They will also have access to experts and equipment…
Lovevery, the early childhood brand, loved by parents around the globe, invests in the UK, opening Logistics Centre in The Midlands. The expansion and investment into the UK sees its first local Fulfilment Centre, as a part of the expansion plan by supply chain expert, Bleckmann, who provides end-to-end logistics solutions for retail and lifestyle brands, such as Lovevery, open in The Midlands Gold Triangle; Magna Park Lutterworth. The move by startup, Lovevery, to join other recognisable brands at Bleckmann including Gymshark, follows its successful US $100m Series C raise, announced last October. To date, all Lovevery product shipments into the UK have been processed via its European HQ, based in the Netherlands, which at times became challenging, due to Brexit and Covid19. The strategic move to shift all UK…
The Office has been off air since 2013, but we can’t help but wonder how Dunder Mifflin employees would navigate present-day life. Would Michael spend more time switching up his Teams background, than managing his actual team? Would Angela turn up in a hazmat suit? And how would one of television’s most dysfunctional work families stay connected and keep sales alive while working remotely? Here, Douglas Mulvihill, UK marketing manager at Cloud communications software developer Ringover, explains how he’d keep Dunder Mifflin pushing paper. The Office taught us many lessons about the importance of company culture — but not so…
Small businesses will have heard the warnings of “watch out for silly spelling mistakes” or “consider adding a hyphen if the domain you want is taken”, but there are still bumps in the domain road that keep catching even the most clued-up SME out. While you don’t need to be a domain name expert to create your own website, arming yourself with the right knowledge can help you make the right decision and avoid any costly mistakes down the line. Georgia Themistokleous and Chris Spencer, domain specialists at Fasthosts, share their expert insight into what small businesses should look out…
Neil Jurd believes anyone can learn to lead. You don’t need to be a ‘born leader’, subscribe to complex academic theories or get up at 4am to brainstorm ideas in a cold shower. This simple, concise, highly practical book “THE LEADERSHIP BOOK” offers a step-by-step guide to excellent leadership. Neil believes “Leaders achieve things far beyond what they could do alone, by engaging others intellectually and emotionally in pursuit of a clear and compelling purpose.” Why this Book Matters 52% of leaders have doubted their ability to lead during the pandemic* – leaders are facing ever more complex challenges…
Britain’s tech sector continues to break records as new government data shows more than 1,800 cyber security firms generated a total of £10.1 billion in revenue in the most recent financial year, a 14 per cent increase from the previous financial year. The DCMS Annual Cyber Sector Report, which tracks the growth and performance of the UK’s cyber security industry, reveals the sector contributed around £5.3 billion to the UK economy in 2021, rising by a third on the previous year from £4 billion – the largest increase since the report began in 2018. Employment across the industry rose by 13…
Anthony Hughes from RVA Surveyors answers some questions SMEToday asked regarding what 2022 will bring for business rates. What are your predictions for 2022? It’s going to be a bit of a strange year, with many businesses getting back to normal or the new normal trading conditions. With almost all of the Covid support ending in March and the start of the final year of the current rating list, there will be uncertain times for some who will be faced with having to pay business rates for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. This will be a…