Five human skills SMEs should nurture in their team right now to improve capability and engagement. We’ve all heard of the term ‘soft skills’ or ‘power skills’ as they’ve also been coined. They are the essential being and thinking (or social and emotional) behaviours we should all be developing in our teams to improve future capability alongside the ‘hard’, doing, technical skills too. Soft skills, such as patience, adaptability, curiosity and being able to build relationships and collaborate, are all integral to fostering healthy, respectful and productive working environments; places where we all want – and choose – to work.…
Author: sme-admin
Kelly Swingler, an executive coach to CEOs and senior people leaders who want to lead from their core and change the world of work, was offered a ‘no-brainer’ opportunity. She was asked by Matt Manners and Ruth Dance, co-founders for Inspiring Workplaces, if she would like to join them as a co-founder herself, work with Inspire: Cities and also be a judge for the Inspiring Workplaces Awards this year. “I have known Matt for several years and our relationship is built totally on trust,” said Kelly. “The entire Inspiring Workplaces ethos is all about creating a local and global community…
Vitality, in partnership with the RSA, is launching a new study that warns of the crippling impact of successive lockdowns on the future physical and mental health of employees, and calls for UK businesses to urgently incorporate health and wellbeing into the Company Risk Register. The report’s key findings and recommendations include: Worsening physical health – homeworking has reinforced sedentary lifestyles leading to an ‘ergonomic timebomb’ risking increased back and shoulder injuries and pain. This has been coupled with a reduction in physical activity of 28%[1]. Increased anxiety: 50% of homeworkers are anxious about a return to the office. As…
Many start-ups won’t imagine they can make use of video as a tool for great Customer Experience (CX) but with preferences for video chat increasing, even early stage businesses can make use of video as a communications channel to support customers. The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect and completely changed how consumers interact with brands. Since March 2020, purchasing journeys in nearly every industry have moved online with many businesses changing the way they connect with their customers. In a recent report released by Webhelp, it shows consumer preferences for video calling in a customer service setting…
GoDaddy Inc., today reveals that a micro-business ‘powerhouse’ has emerged in the North of England during the global pandemic, with growth in new ventures outstripping that in the South. More than a year on since the first Covid-19 lockdown, GoDaddy’s ‘State of the Nation’ data1 confirms that UK entrepreneurs have continued to defy the odds, and that there has been an increase of 21% in new ventures2 across the nation. The strongest growth was seen in ‘The Northwest Gateway’ – an area spanning from Stafford and Telford in the Midlands to Cheshire in the North – which saw new venture…
London-based soft prosthetics company, Koalaa, is celebrating after securing investment from British Design Fund (BDF), to help bring its innovative prosthetics to children and adults across the world. BDF works with ambitious British startups who are ready to scale-up and build thriving stand-out businesses. Alongside capital investment, BDF provides expert mentoring to support such companies to accelerate their growth plans. BDF invested in Koalaa under the EIS scheme and is the company’s first institutional investor following an angel round in May 2020. The funds from BDF will be used to increase manufacturing capacity at the company’s west London facility, in…
It is not just the weather that is getting better: restaurants are fully booked; city centres are bustling again and the vaccination programme is exceeding expectations. The question for SMEs is no longer how they will weather the storm, but how they will get ready for the commercial upswing as the economy opens up again, particularly when it comes to managing cashflow and adapting to a business environment that has fundamentally changed. To take the temperature of UK businesses, Allstar Business Solutions surveyed 500 SME business owners and senior decision makers at the end of 2020 and found that, as…
Capital Business Media has joined the Mayor of London in backing an art project to paint a giant mural on a community centre wall. The Mayor of London’s office has pledged £5,000 and Richard Alvin, group managing director of the global business media group, has also made a significant contribution. The mural will be painted by local artists and co-designed by people of all abilities and backgrounds from the community on the wall outside Sundial Community Centre and will celebrate the community spirit of Tower Hamlets and Hackney in east London. However, the project, run by artist Rose Hill, can…
Crasner Ventures, the early-stage venture capital investor that supports businesses led by female founders and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, announces its investment in Umwuga Ltd, an emerging markets-focused social network that connects workers and employers. Umwuga is Crasner Ventures’ second portfolio company. Umwuga is revolutionising the recruitment industry in emerging markets, by enabling workers to connect and communicate on their own terms, showcase their abilities, experience and personality and engage and negotiate directly with prospective employers. The platform opens up employment opportunities to those often excluded by a recruitment industry and social networks designed predominately for white-collar workers. It also…
TSB Bank has delivered a boost to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with a new offer of 25 months’ free banking, up from six months previously. This free banking offer will give start-ups breathing space to get up and running, and help businesses that have been hit by the pandemic to get back on their feet. The business banking offer also comes packaged with a wide range of support to give SMEs the tools they need to grow and prosper. Through TSB’s partnership with Enterprise Nation, business customers have a year’s free membership worth £99, which also gives them access…