In many ways, life has never been better. We live about 10 years longer than just 50 years ago, we have all sorts of goods and services that not long ago even a billionaire could not have – high-speed internet allowing unbelievable access to information, almost infinite streaming movies, songs, TV and hundreds of medicines. Yet for all this improvement there is a feeling that we are all a bit stressed and gloomy. There is some new evidence that what is making us feel bad is not necessarily the state of the world, but how we are getting our information.…
Author: sme-admin
More UK leaders are showing appreciation of their employees, with 60 per cent of UK workers feeling that the great work they do is acknowledged by leaders. This is a four per cent increase on 2021 figures in which 56 per cent of employees stated that they felt appreciated. These findings, taken from O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report, have been released to coincide with Employee Appreciation Day (4 March 2022). Despite a greater number of employees feeling recognised by their leaders, the research also highlights that more needs to be done to ensure workers feel valued, and strongly connected to…
Did you know today is Employee Appreciation, Friday 4th March – a day for employers to recognise and reward their people and let them know they’re appreciated. Motivation & engagement expert, Hedda Bird, author of The Performance Management Playbook: 15 must-have conversations to motivate & manage your people, offers some advice for businesses on how to celebrate it. How reward and recognition drive culture Most organisations say they want their staff to feel valued, however their actions don’t always follow their words. Some senior leaders operate on the basis of ‘they are paid to do a job, why should I be…
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…
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…