Xero, the global small business platform, today (14th July) announced Analytics Plus, part of a new suite of planning and forecasting tools, powered by artificial intelligence and designed to help businesses and advisors plan for the future with confidence. Available from today, Xero Analytics Plus combines cash flow forecasting featuring advanced predictions and insightful business reporting tools, directly available in Xero. The tools are the culmination of rigorous testing and development with the broader Xero community during a challenging period for small businesses, and build on the company’s commitment to be the most insightful and trusted platform for small businesses.…
Author: sme-admin
An event to mark the ongoing success of James and James eCommerce Fulfilment in Northampton, include the sharing of expertise and ideas from key business advisers, is available to view on YouTube. On Thursday, July 8, James and James hosted Adversity Into Opportunity: Scale Up Your Business in a Post-Covid World, to mark the presentation by the Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson, of the firm’s Queen’s Award for International Trade. Guests were able to tour the firm’s new Brackmills headquarters and fulfilment centre, comprising 600,000 square feet of operational space, into which James and James moved at the end…
Virgin Media O2 has revealed new research finding that 1 in 5 (19%) workers are considering a ‘nomadic working’ trip this summer, making the most of remote working by setting up their office from holiday accommodation or with friends and family. Londoners are especially keen on the idea of nomadic working, with close to 2 in 5 (38%) of those living in the capital saying they’re likely to trade in their home office or workplace for an alternative location in the UK this summer. Virgin Media O2 Business has identified ‘The Nomads’ as an emerging group of employees coming out…
Yell has released new research into how small businesses are managing their online presence in light of the pandemic, and how, as we come out of lockdown in the UK, getting your website right has never been more important. The research identified an effective online presence as a key driver for sales and enquiries for SMEs. 80% of businesses stated that their website and social media presence were the most important aspects for generating leads and sales, closely followed by digital marketing and branding (both 79%). 34% of businesses stated that they thought their website was unimportant before the pandemic,…
With the Government’s work from home order scrapped, the question of whether or not businesses will continue to work from home will depend on the age of the business owner. New research from Hitachi Capital Business Finance reveals that older small business owners will continue with hybrid and home working, whilst younger small business owners seem raring the get back to a bustling office in the next six months. At a time when the nation gears up for a return to a pre-pandemic world of work, Hitachi Capital surveyed a representative sample of 1,464 small business owners and decision makers, asking where…
Have you created a strategy to address how you will enforce and fund the protection of your intellectual property (IP) assets, if required? Enforcement IP rights are enforced through civil proceedings. This means there is no policing body that prevents infringement of IP rights and infringement disputes must be brought by the rights holder. However, litigation costs in the English courts can be very high – ranging from £100,000 to several million pounds according to the size and complexity of proceedings. Thankfully, legal enforcement proceedings are relatively rare and most often negotiation can lead to settlement before legal action is…
The upcoming switch off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) will change the way that we make calls, but there’s also another consequence for internet connectivity — the full fibre rollout. The type of broadband connection a business has can have a major impact on connection reliability, which can impact operational efficiency. Here, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of business communication services provider Crystaline, examines the different broadband connections offered in the UK, and what they might mean for your business. Openreach, which runs the UK’s digital telephone and internet network, reported that in 2020 broadband usage more than…
James and James Fulfilment, a provider of outsourced fulfilment services to online retailers, announces that significant growth over the last 12-18 months has led to strategic investments in new hires, infrastructure and facilities at its Northamptonshire-based headquarters. Through 2021, James and James hired 92 people and expanded its operational capacity with a new state-of-the-art, multi-million pound, 600,000 sq ft distribution centre. These investments will benefit employees and clients and support future UK, European and US growth. Of the 92 people hired, 27 are based from James and James’s headquarters (HQ) and 65 within their UK fulfilment centres. Recent key strategic hires…
Further lockdowns are the number one worry for the owners and directors of UK SMEs but 53% are cautiously optimistic about the year ahead and 22% are very optimistic, according to a survey of 1000 SME owners and directors by Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance, provider of the UK’s only Personal Guarantee Insurance. Worries about Brexit are also keeping SME owners and directors awake at night. This supports the latest Business Insights data from the ONS showing that paperwork remains a top challenge faced by businesses for importing and exporting. 27% said Brexit was their top concern, while 18% ranked late…
In response to current concerns on the ways health risk related to COVID-19 negatively affects individuals’ mental wellbeing, in turn reducing perceived efficiency at work, Dr Michael Koch, Lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour at the University of Kent, reveals the dangers of this and what must be done to rectify the ongoing damage. He said: “The COVID-19 pandemic affects countless people. Yet, our understanding of its impact on mental well-being and work especially among the self-employed is limited. These individuals are among the most economically vulnerable given that COVID-19 has disrupted businesses, leading to business shutdowns and…