A detailed report has exposed why women in the workplace across Britain and Europe have been so severely impacted by COVID-19. “Three Barriers to Women’s Progression: What organisations can do, 2nd edition”, is the most comprehensive paper of its kind, drawing upon 70 studies, to identify the underlying causes of gender inequality in business. The paper was produced by Sharon Peake, founder and CEO at Shape Talent, who led a number of experts in conducting detailed analysis of authoritative literature and research on gender diversity over several years. From the analysis, Shape Talent has identified the three underlying barriers preventing women from being represented…
Author: sme-admin
Photography is rarely on the top of business expenditure, which is a great shame – because good photographs lead to sales. Sales lead to profit. Why? A good image evokes emotion and if your images make you stand out among your competitors, potential customers will put you at the top of their list when making calls or emailing about your product or service. This is especially important if your product or service is more ‘luxury’. In a world where everyone can take images on their smartphones or tablets, that doesn’t mean that an image will emanate a feeling of luxury.…
Gone are the old background noises of office chatter and printers whirring. Since remote working has become the norm, more homely sounds have come to the foreground. Although these sounds might add a personal, mildly endearing touch to your calls, it’s not always welcome. Here, Doug Mulvihill, UK marketing manager at Cloud phone system provider Ringover, explains how to use technology to keep things professional while working remotely. When working from home (WFH), it’s easy for the lines between personal and professional life to become blurred. Dogs barking, doorbells ringing and kettles boiling are sounds that have become commonplace when…
Allica strengthens its direct-to-customer offering with senior appointment to lead its network of Relationship Managers Allica Bank, the leading fintech SME challenger bank, announces the appointment of Emma Lane as Head of Client Relationship Management. This new role is responsible for the development and performance of its growing UK network of Business Relationship Managers and further accelerates the Bank’s focus on restoring relationship banking to SMEs. Emma joins from Allied Irish Bank (GB) where she led their team of relationship managers in the South East. Prior to this, Emma held a number of senior roles at Lloyds Banking Group. Allica…
Experts are predicting a rise in people calling in sick after their Christmas parties this year. With government officials advising against cancelling office Christmas parties this year, many workers will still be celebrating the festivities with their teams over the next week. With employees facing a dilemma as to how much they should enjoy the event, employers are being urged to let their employees work flexibly after the party to avoid an influx of absences, particularly as some employees may wish to isolate after the event. “Companies often see an increase in sick days after Christmas parties” George Miller, Employment Lawyer…
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of the UK economy. According to UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, they account for 50% of the total revenue generated by UK businesses and 44% of the country’s labour force. Supply chain issues have been making headlines at present, and these issues are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Many different entities make up a supply chain, including suppliers, manufacturers, freight forwarders, warehouses, distributors, and retailers. These entities facilitate the movement of information and resources around the UK and the world. Broadly, the UK’s current supply chain issues stem from global shortages of…
Just over two weeks ago the Etihad stadium in Manchester, home of Manchester City Football Club, hosted the last Great British Expo of 2021. A multitude of businesses, both local and national, congregated to network and discuss business, thankful to be face-to-face again after the months of Covid lockdowns. Representatives from the entertainment industry, recruitment, IT and marketing through to accounting and business growth consultants filled the venue keen to meet new suppliers and uncover new opportunities. Keynote speakers and industry-leading workshops offered visitors the chance to hear from experts in their field and to receive sound business advice. Whilst…
No handshake, no deal. Life has been tough for sales people raised on face to face meetings and networking. Yet while some have railed against the lack of personal contact over the past 18 months, digitally empowered individuals have gone from strength to strength, tapping into deep online data and fast video access to prospects to transform the sales process. Digital tools, including AI, have changed the nature of sales for good. They are supporting sales people by identifying the most likely deals with more accuracy, reducing wasted time and improving conversion. They are defining the most successful approach for…
The eCommerce party just became a little more challenging. Online businesses have enjoyed a boom time over the past 18 months as customers moved online in unprecedented numbers. With a raft of new factors now placing additional pressure on eCommerce retailers, however, from rising prices to global supply chain disruption, escalating environmental awareness and changing customer expectations, new fulfilment thinking is a priority. Whether it is adding contingency stock to mitigate shortages, expanding fulfilment locations to get closer to the customer or reviewing carrier options to better set and meet customer expectations, effective fulfilment demands insight, understanding and the data…
Allica Bank, the leading fintech SME challenger bank, announces a £110m Series B funding round led by Atalaya Capital Management*, alongside existing lead investor Warwick Capital Partners. Allica is the only fintech challenger bank in the UK dedicated to providing a full range of credit and payment services to established, growing SMEs – combining proprietary technology and experienced local relationship managers to provide great customer experience. Since first opening its doors to SME lending in March 2020, the bank has built strong momentum in its existing lending, with more than £0.5bn in committed loan offers provided to customers in the…