An AI matchmaking platform called ‘whatimpact’ has launched in order to connect companies and charities, and help implement CSR programmes in line with the new requirements in the Social Value Act (SVA). The Procurement Policy Note that came into effect in January requires all companies that bid for public contracts to present a social value delivery plan and to report back on their social value impact, or risk losing their contract. As a result of the new procurement policy note, simply adding general corporate policies and corporate responsibility statements to a tender is no longer sufficient. Now, companies will need…
Author: sme-admin
Software company, Glow, has hit the market with an all-in-one WordPress maintenance tool to allow digital agencies and web developers to manage multiple WordPress sites from a single dashboard. The launch follows a successful 12 months of Glow providing outsourced WordPress website maintenance services to agencies and end users via a web-based app. The new to market version of the Glow app will meet the needs of agencies and developers maintaining multiple WordPress websites, by allowing them to do so more efficiently and more profitably. As an all-in-one product, Glow will eliminate the need for multiple tools and systems ordinarily…
HR Consultancy firm, Realise, has launched a new service which will help businesses improve employee engagement and boost productivity as we emerge from the Pandemic. The Pandemic has completely transformed workplace culture as more people demand flexible working and also consider inclusion and diversity high on their priorities when choosing an employer. Recent data from People Management found that 44% of people are feeling anxious about returning to the workplace whilst 76% of employees believe their company should be doing more to support their mental health. Realise’s valuable service for both SMEs and corporates brings a strategy to help businesses…
One of the fastest growing R&D tax specialists in the UK has launched its first menopause policy. The business wants to change attitudes towards menopause in the workplace and help to create a better understanding, therefore helping to alleviate potential embarrassment for those suffering from menopausal symptoms. Access2Funding’s new policy aims to raise awareness and understanding, outline the support available and allow colleagues to openly and comfortably instigate conversations about the menopause. Dawn Coker, Chief Operating Officer at Access2Funding, went through early menopause following a hysterectomy and uterotomy at the ages of 35 and 37, and is calling for improved…
Accountants and business advisers Haines Watts have achieved 7th place in the prestigious Best Companies ‘Top Ten Accountancy Firms To Work For’ list. The firm which has offices all over the UK and is the 14th largest accountancy brand in the country, has also been named among the top 50 companies to work for in the South West. Jonathan Austin, founder and CEO of Best Companies, said: “I would like to congratulate Haines Watts on its achievement. Best Companies have been producing the accreditation standard since 2006 to acknowledge excellence in the workplace. Organisations like this have continued to focus on…
Mobility technology company WhereIsMyTransport is set to successfully close the second funding round for capital to expand its already impressive portfolio of mobility data and solutions for emerging-market megacities. This will bring the total raised by the company during its Series A funding to $22 million. The funding infusion is led by Naspers Foundry, Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund, and SBI Investment, joining a notable list of existing investors, including giants like Google and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. The extension comes as WhereIsMyTransport deepens its mobility data offering in the Majority World, adding and maintaining complete network data from every mode of…
Leading free-from food brand, Creative Nature, has been named as a Gold Medal Winner in the FreeFrom Food Awards 2021. Creative Nature was awarded a Gold Medal in the Innovation category for their Cheeky Choc HazelNOT Gnawbles, which is a completely nut safe alternative to hazelnut chocolate. Julianne Ponan, CEO of Creative Nature, heard that they were a top medal winner at the FreeFrom Food Awards Party that took place virtually on May 27th. She explained: “At Creative Nature, we believe products that claim to be healthy should also be tasty. It’s the same for free-from products. Just because food…
Allica Bank has partnered with national, commercial law firm, Freeths LLP, as it continues to drive lending speed and improve transparency for brokers and SME customers. The legal firm’s expertise and additional operational capacity will help improve lending efficiency at the bank as it aims to support UK SMEs with the funds they need to purchase or refinance commercial property and grow. Freeths LLP is a top 45, £100m+ turnover, commercial law firm with 12 officers across the UK. The legal real estate team numbers around 150 staff, offering a real depth and breadth of expertise. The partnership forms part…
An Open University and Be the Business report found that while business leaders value training and technology, time and money barriers stand in the way of upskilling. Only 50% of business leaders say they plan to address gaps in skills in the next 12 months. The value of technology isn’t clear to all business leaders, with only a minority seeing it as having a positive impact on increasing efficiency (39%), revenue (31%) and profit margin (27%). However, rapid technology adoption over the past 15 months of the Covid-19 pandemic by SMEs demonstrates there is an opportunity to maintain the uptake…
Show me the COVID business practice that you randomly saw one day that is now an unconscious standard practice in your life (here’s hoping the TikTok reference lands). With 20 percent of executives surveyed in the UK saying that at least one-tenth of their employees could work remotely two or more days a week going forward, it’s clear that the flexible style of working adapted during the pandemic is here to stay. But with hope on the horizon as lockdowns ease and vaccines roll out, what other pandemic lessons will entrepreneurs be taking with them into their new flexible work…