Small firms have a strong appetite for international trade despite rising costs, new customs and product safety requirements and potential changes from the US election, according to new research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). FSB’s Ready to Dispatch report, published this week, calls on the Government to commit to trade export support policy that fits small businesses, as well as streamlining export support access, as small firms await the Trade Strategy and Small Business Command Paper, scheduled to be published in Spring 2025. Nine in ten small firms believe exporting is important to the overall economy and growth in the…
Author: sme-admin
New research by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr shows that two-thirds of UK jobs with a predominantly female workforce have gender pay gaps in favour of men. Ciphr’s gender pay gap study, based on the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), found that most (70%) female-dominated occupations, with workforces of over 50,000 employees, have a gender pay gap. Just 3% of occupational roles held by a greater proportion of women than men (60% or more vs 40% or less) have no gender pay gaps, while a quarter (27%) have pay gaps that favour women. Some of the…
New research has identified that nearly two thirds of people in the UK (63%) are likely to spend more money in pub venues that they consider to be fun places, according to a new study of UK consumers. As the hospitality industry continues to battle against cost-of-living pressures and increased operating costs, the survey points to the fun factor being a major customer pull and spending prompt. The survey was commissioned by Saturn Visual Solutions, a digital signage consultancy, and carried out by OnePoll with 2,000 UK-based, adult full-time and part-time workers. They were asked if they would they be likely…
Birmingham Metropolitan College is delighted to announce a series of free, online workshops tailored for non-profits and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the West Midlands. These workshops aim to provide practical tools and strategies to help organisations succeed in today’s digital landscape. Social Media for Social Good: Strategies to Grow Your Mission: Online: 5th December 2024 – SMEs and Non-profits across the West Midlands are invited to an exclusive event led by SEO Social. This FREE event is designed to equip organisations with tools and strategies to harness social media for growth, fundraising, and community engagement. Register here; Website & SEO Essentials: Online:…
With searches for “work burnout” increasing by 47.38%, businesses must design workplaces that are tailored to employees’ needs and accommodate evolving team dynamics and project demands. Flexible spaces help to achieve this, creating a positive environment that encourages collaboration, integration and innovation, which is beneficial for the success of a business. Studio Alliance office design experts have provided five practical tips to encourage this within the workplace. 1. Adaptable spaces Adaptable spaces are beneficial for ensuring rapid communication and allowing for a seamless exchange of ideas. Moveable walls, modular furniture, writable surfaces and interactive technology are at the heart of this, enabling teams to work together, collaborate and make decisions easier. 2. Transparency For the…
British Glass has accused the Government of shattering the UK glass sector after a controversial new packaging tax was passed by Parliament. Under the new packaging extended producer (pEPR) scheme, which shifts the cost of collection and sorting from local authorities to producers, heavier containers like glass will incur higher levies, meaning products in glass bottles and jars could be set have an additional cost in excess of 10p whereas products in plastic or metal containers will only have a marginal cost. Glass fees for beverage packaging will be around 49 times higher than other, less-recyclable materials, leaving brands with…
Nebius’ recently launched Nebius AI Studio has been recognized as one of the most competitive Inference-as-a-Service offerings on the market by leading independent analytics provider Artificial Analysis. Nebius AI Studio offers app builders access to an extensive and constantly growing library of leading open-source models – including the Llama 3.1 and Mistral families, Nemo, Qwen, and Llama OpenbioLLM, as well as upcoming text-to-image and text-to-video models – with per – token pricing, enabling the creation of fast, low-latency applications at an affordable price. Artificial Analysis assessed key metrics including quality, speed, and price across all endpoints on the Nebius Studio AI…
Dave Capper, CEO at Westfield Health, shares his thoughts on the ‘Get Britain Working’ plan with a focus on tackling long-term sickness, a main cause of economic inactivity in the UK: “The government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ plan is an important step in addressing the UK’s economic inactivity crisis. The £240 million initiative aims to reform jobcentres, expand work and learning opportunities for young people and reassess the role of employers in ensuring work is accessible to individuals with disabilities and health conditions. Economic inactivity and long-term sickness are two of the biggest challenges facing the country today, and these reforms are crucial measures that…
Vitality, the health and life insurer, has today published the ‘Active Women, Healthy Lives: Understanding Barriers to Women’s Participation in Sport’ report into women’s physical activity and health. The report finds that less than 1 in 4 (23%) women are completing the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week and that 96% of women feel responsible for their own levels of physical activity*. The report suggests that this feeling of responsibility could be misplaced. Given the link between health and productivity, employers have an opportunity to support female employees by stepping in to help improve their health and tackle…
Australia is emerging as a goldmine for UK exporters, particularly in food and beverage, retail, and other high-growth sectors. With a robust bilateral trade relationship, strategic location, and affluent consumer base, the country offers unparalleled opportunities for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ready to expand internationally. UK food and beverage exports to Australia have more than doubled over the past decade, driven by the market’s demand for premium, sustainable, and innovative products. Whisky remains the leading UK food and beverage export to Australia, reflecting the appetite for quality British products. The Australian grocery market is highly concentrated, with 85% of all food…