I saw this post on Linkedin today and thought it worth alerting our readers to the scam. An unwary victim received a package containing a USB drive. In every respect the package appeared to have come from Microsoft. It was high quality and all the logos looked genuine. He plugged it in and then the ransomware did its thing, infecting his PC. A host of tech savvy people have commented on the post questioning why on earth someone would plug in a device that has arrived, unsolicited in the post. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who I’m sure…
Author: sme-admin
Despite today’s challenging market, SMEs continue to play a vital role in the British economy. But could legacy systems and outdated technology be preventing their growth? Catherine Amran, Small & Medium Business Director at Virgin Media O2 Business, explores the true cost to SMEs if technology advancement is neglected – and what support is available to help them thrive. The UK’s 5.6 million SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are the backbone of the British economy. These companies make up 99% of the UK’s business landscape and bring a sizeable economic contribution, with an estimated £2.3 trillion in turnover in 2021.…
One positive (in the loosest sense) of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns was a more conciliatory approach taken by parties to shareholder disputes. This may have been because of the significant initial backlogs experienced at the courts (which, simply, were not equipped to work remotely) rather than any actual softening of attitude. As we emerge into the post-pandemic commercial landscape with new and possibly turbulent challenges ahead (from war in Ukraine to the cost of living crisis), it remains to be seen whether the soft approach will continue or whether there will be a return to aggressive and hostile…
SME Today talks to Mark McDonagh, Client Services Director at Midlands-based design agency, EBY, about the current market, his opinion on recent Government advice on making marketing cuts and why marketing during a period of economic uncertainty is more important than ever. “There’s no denying the current financial market has got people worried. Talk of economic downturn alongside rising living costs is fuelling fears of a recession, which naturally leads to caution and pessimism. In contrast to the prevailing optimism as we initially emerged from the pandemic, knee-jerk reactions can result in spending cuts and postponement of growth plans, often to…
By Ben Booth, CEO of MaxContact We spend a lot of our lifetime at work – about one-third of it, to be exact! – so it’s no surprise that our jobs can have a tremendous impact on our own wellbeing. The Work Happiness Score by Indeed found that only 27% of UK workers are happy at work, with nearly three quarters (72%) admitting that unhappiness at work has had a negative impact on their physical and/or mental wellbeing. One workgroup who are experiencing increasing pressure and stress amid the ‘summer of discontent’ are contact centres workers. With factors such as…
At a time where customer expectation is at an all time high when it comes to online shopping, the importance of accurate and speedy order fulfillment has never been more important. If you’re an eCcommerce business owner or a third party logistics partner, you’ll know all too well that refunds due to inaccurate orders can be very costly. With shipping and handling charges in mind, as well as an increased risk of losing customer loyalty and repeat sales, there’s no room for errors during the fulfilment process. Although sending an incorrect item is a common mistake to make, small errors…
With the economic market getting tougher due to high inflation, businesses will be looking to cut back on unnecessary expenditure, especially with suppliers whose services are no longer needed. Yet businesses can find themselves in a quandary when, after some digging, they realise these contracts have auto-renewed, and getting out of them is financially hefty. This can be especially painful if the business didn’t receive a notification via email alerting them to the renewal of their services. Or alternatively, it jumped straight into the junk folder. But, is it the responsibility of the business to make sure they read these…
Yesterday, Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), announced an expanded partnership with Microsoft. The news includes plans to integrate Microsoft Business Products, including Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, as embedded services in Sage products and the Sage Digital Network. “Increasingly, SMBs are digital businesses – but connecting the tools they use can be a barrier to their success.” said Steve Hare, CEO, Sage. “Microsoft products have long been the tool of choice for collaboration, with Sage powering the back office. Through our expanded partnership, we will simplify life for millions…
Small businesses are being urged to use the summer break to see how they can reduce outgoings when being faced with rising inflation, rising interest rates, the cost-of-living crisis and volatile fuel costs at the pump. The timely advice has been issued by fuelGenie, a leading fuel card provider, which is aiming to help small businesses overcome these challenging times with lower cost fuel, consolidated payments, easy to manage invoicing and a handy mobile app. Fuel cards are a proven way for small businesses to help reduce motoring costs and start to create a more efficient business model, especially when…
Interest in the 4-day work week is rising yet millions of UK workers are set to miss out on the benefits, according to research from productivity platform, ClickUp. It found that certain careers are more likely to miss out on the promise of working a day less each week for no reduction in pay, while other employment sectors may reap the rewards. Businesses must take action to close these gaps to create equity for workers in the UK. Those working in education reported the highest levels of pessimism, with 44% of workers believing it is unrealistic to move to a 4-day work…