Online marketplaces that enable independent sellers and businesses to reach a wider array of consumers have dramatically increased in popularity over the past decade, and now represent a significant portion of the UK e-commerce market. New research released from Shieldpay, has found that almost 900,000 (882,900) UK businesses are currently selling on online marketplaces, generating an estimated £282 billion worth of sales every year – worth 6% of all UK business turnover. The Shieldpay and Cebr research found that companies selling on marketplaces reported stronger business performance, with annual revenue growth in 2021 amounting to 9.4% for businesses selling on…
Author: sme-admin
An estimated 803,000 – one in five – employees in companies with 5-49 people aren’t saving into a workplace pension as participation rates stall A further 374,000 employees at businesses with 50-249 people also not participating Employers need to communicate benefits of pension saving as they funnel £37.5 billion into pensions and workers benefit from a further £7 billion in tax relief New analysis of the DWP’s latest workplace pension statistics from consultancy Broadstone highlights the need for smaller employers to boost member pension participation with over a million of their workers missing out on the billions of pounds of…
Content is and always has been King. It just changes forms. And right now, video is the ultimate means of engaging an audience, whether online or at a conference. But with audiences coming close to saturation point, how can businesses make their video content stand out? Tom Baker, Video Lead at RCCO and Co-Founder of Wild Film, is an award-winning Video Filmmaker and Director, having worked on projects that have won eight dolphins at the Cannes Corporate Media Awards. In this article he provides insights on how to create better video content. Producing Engaging Video Content as a Small Business…
We normally associate cyber security with computers, but the addition of smart, connective technology to the vehicles we drive has opened up new vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit. In its 2022 Global Automotive Cybersecurity Report, Upstream, a cybersecurity and data management platform, revealed that cyber attacks on cars have soared 225% in the last three years. They found that the most common automotive cyber attacks saw a data or privacy breach, followed by car theft or a break-in via the car’s wireless key fob mechanism. Charles Griffiths, Head of Technology and Innovation at AAG explains this worrying trend, highlighting the measures manufacturers and…
Steve Haskew, Head of Sustainability and Social Leadership at Circular Computing talks to SME Today and highlights three actionable insights every business should be focusing on. Taking the first significant step towards addressing ESG regulations can seem like a daunting task for any business. While growing pressure is being placed on all industries to ensure they clean up their operations both environmentally as well as socially, there is no doubt that extra attention is being placed on bad actors after years of corporate exploitation. However, the risk remains that matters of ESG become buzzwords or ambivalent terms, meaning many professionals…
A new study into the future of business has found 85% of SMEs are likely to adopt new technology in the next five years in order to support their growth. The Quantum Leap Report, by Virgin Money, revealed that two in five businesses (39%) plan to utilise data science, almost a third (31%) will use artificial intelligence, and over a quarter (26%) anticipate using virtual reality. The research also found that while SMEs are aware of the rapid growth required for the future, 39% attribute a lack of time and 30% attribute a lack of money preventing them from using advanced technology.…
Meetings in the Metaverse could become reality for millions of UK workers in the near future after a new study found that hundreds of businesses are looking for, or building, office space in the virtual technology. Research undertaken by Regus, part of the world’s largest flexible workspace group IWG, found that two thirds (66%) of business leaders view the Metaverse as the natural progression for hybrid working, and that half (48%) are exploring office space within the online world for their employees. Enabling workers in different locations to interact via 3D avatars, bosses believe the Metaverse will have a significant impact…
More than 150 people joined award-winning Tamworth business Embello to celebrate its recent move to much bigger premises. Festivities at Embello’s new unit in Tame Valley Industrial Park, which is eight times bigger and will allow the printing and branding business to increase its capacity by 25%. The new building is in addition to its existing offices in Claymore and will see the company producing up to 100,000 items every week. During the community open day, guests were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour to see how some of the promotional goods are produced, as well as enjoying pizzas and drinks…
Alan Jones, CEO of UK leader in mmWave technology Blu Wireless, shares his thoughts on 5G and 6G and the potential they hold for SMEs, while also sharing his insights as a serial entrepreneur. How 5G and the Open Radio Access Network have widened opportunities for SMEs Ten years ago, when 3G and 4G technology became the norm, there were standard suppliers that delivered that technology. Therefore, trying to break into the wireless technology space as a small business was difficult. Companies had their preferred suppliers, and they were typically the networking giants in the field. That seems to have…
The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a network of influential figures from across the country. It champions and celebrates the hard work and achievements of Great British leaders, while seeking to inspire the next generation. The Council puts out regular podcasts with business leaders & politicians. Leaders Council members are also invited to take part and have their voice heard. A recent podcast with Dave Morris, MD of 3 engineering companies in Bedfordshire, should particularly resonate with the owners of small businesses. Dave is interviewed by Scott Challoner discussing his experience from starting out on a…