It was impossible to go through 2021 without hearing about the crisis afflicting global supply chains. Back in the first quarter of 2020 the pandemic triggered a catastrophic sequence of events that would ultimately impact how efficiently the world’s distribution networks operated. As Covid-19 ripped across the world and instigated lockdowns across nations and industries, including manufacturing, many assumed that global demand would drop. As we know, the opposite happened, and the pandemic ended up supercharging the public’s appetite for goods as people ended up spending less on things like travel and eating out, preferring to make a beeline for…
Author: sme-admin
As an entrepreneur, you can be faced with many difficulties. But self-doubt is often the greatest challenge to conquer. That little voice that says, ‘you can’t do this.’ Or ‘you don’t know enough, you’re not strong enough.’ It begins as a whisper, but gets louder as your business develops. You begin to feel like an imposter in your own life. And that, more than anything else, has the power to cap your business’ potential. And the problem is, it’s a really difficult issue to avoid. Faking self-confidence only intensifies the problem. So, how can you conquer those demons and elevate…
With limited resources, the owner of a small business may be tempted to take on various administrative roles themselves to save money, but what about HR? Are owners allowed to be their own HR function? In this article Sandra Berns of Centric HR provides some insights, discussing the legitimacy of business owners being HR and who can actually be HR within a company. Can an Owner be HR? So, can the owner of a company be HR? It is perfectly acceptable for business owners, MDs, CEOs, COOs, etc. to also perform HR duties in absence of a separate HR professional/department;…
The theme of National Apprenticeship Week 2022 (7th-13th February 2022) is Build the Future, which is exactly what Coalville based Engineering Design & Supplies (EDS) was looking towards when recruiting Apprentice Engineer, Mason Mckeown. Established in 1986, EDS are specialists in the design and manufacture of lifting equipment, fixtures, and tooling with customers worldwide. Since Managing Director Sascha Kovacs took the reins in 2020 the company has expanded rapidly with no sign of slowing down. “An apprentice definitely felt like the right route to aid our expansion. We were looking to make a long-term investment in somebody, and the more…
It’s National Sickie Day on Monday and, as mental health related illnesses are the number one cause of employee absence, here are some tips from absence management specialists, Activ People HR on how businesses can better support mental health Research tells us that more ‘sickies’ are likely to be pulled on Monday 7th February, commonly known as ‘National Sickie Day,’ than any time of the year. While people are typically more ill during the winter months, Adrian Lewis, Director at Activ People HR says employers should be vigilant and monitor whether sickies are signs of more serious employee mental health issues,…
Getting through to HMRC isn’t always plain sailing. There are number of different channels and services available for contacting HMRC, including telephone, online contact options and post. The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) offers a brief guide to HMRC’s communication channels to effectively engage and source information and achieve answers to queries. How to contact HMRC Fundamentally, HMRC provide a digital self-help library, alongside webchat, email, post, telephone lines and dedicated helplines, and phone numbers reserved for your accountant or tax agent. Often, using your accountant will secure you the quickest response, although you can of course approach HMRC yourself.…
The Analox Group, based in Stokesley, has been named Best Global Gas Sensing Products Manufacturer, In receiving the Northern Enterprise Award, officials from the Analox Group said the Award recognizes the hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence exhibited by Analox Team members over the past 12 months. According to award officials, the Northern Enterprise Awards represent the innovative, driven and pioneering businesses based in the North of England. The pandemic has hindered many businesses and industries and continues to do so as we move forward, but the business sectors in Northern England have displayed a solid sense of resilience…
As 2022 gets into full swing, many business owners are considering how they can give their tech setup a refresh. 5G first hit the UK’s shores in May 2019, but it’s taken a while for the rollout to expand enough to make it a viable commercial option. Here, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of business mobile expert Crystaline, explores why opting for 5G is a connectivity upgrade worth considering, and how it translates into business benefits. Although 5G has been around for a couple of years now, in 2022 we’re going to see further expansion of the market both in terms of…
Kelly Swingler, an executive coach for professional women, has launched a new podcast ‘Core-Led Women’ for female entrepreneurs experiencing, or fearing, burn-out. The podcast will be available for download every Tuesday morning from 8am and will feature an episode a week exploring a different theme. Kelly runs her own coaching business and has a background in HR. She was the youngest HR director of a corporation with over 3,000 staff when she left in 2014 after struggling to cope due to burn out. She since went on to create her own HR consultancy – which still runs today – and…
Inspirational award-winning speaker, empowerment coach and best-selling author of ‘Unleash Your Awesome’, Taz Thornton, is looking for 25 self-employed people or business owners to become the Elite25 – all people who want to create positive change in the world. Elite25 will launch later this month, so those taking part will be able to start the year with new ideas and processes to make positive changes through self belief and by transforming their own outlook, message, business and brand. Taz, who lives in Lincolnshire, has had more than her fair share of negatives to overcome to get her in the positive…