With cybersecurity being a priority in every boardroom, SME business leaders are particularly pressurised, with lower budgets than their larger counterparts. Threat levels are high, with as many as 43% of businesses and three in ten charities experiencing some kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. Beyond resources, there could also be another key barrier to SMEs taking adequate cybersecurity action. It seems friction amongst leadership is creating a divide in business with lack of a CISO or cybersecurity representative at board level being common. This cavalier approach may leave companies wide open to successful…

Setting a company vision is crucial to guiding a team or organisation towards a successful future. After all, if you don’t know where you are heading as an organisation, how will you know you are on the right path, or ever going to get there? Developing and embedding a well-defined company vision provides direction, inspires motivation, and ensures your team is working together towards one common goal with a united sense of purpose. Sue Carr, director of marketing and PR agency V Formation, provides advice on setting a vision for your company. What is a vision? A company vision is…

Alex Campbell and Katie Friedman—co-founders of Gold Mind Academy and authors of ADHD… Now What?, a new book (out 21 July) on understanding ADHD wiring and reclaiming your power—draw on over a decade of experience helping organisations move from theory to meaningful neurodiversity support. It’s easy to talk about “supporting neurodivergent staff” in theory. But what does that actually mean day to day, especially when not everyone has a diagnosis, or even identifies as neurodivergent yet? That’s the challenge many workplaces face. Over the last decade, we’ve worked with many organisations trying to be more inclusive. What we’ve learned is…

Late payments are a huge headache for UK SMEs. Nearly three-quarters of UK SMEs are grappling with overdue invoices, with one survey finding an average of £96,000 owed per business in late payments. This cash flow squeeze can choke a small company’s growth and even threaten its survival – the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) estimates 50,000 business closures a year could be avoided if customers paid on time. Put simply, waiting months for payments isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a critical problem holding back our entrepreneurs. John Day is Sales Director and Shareholder at Apollo Business Finance, a UK-based…

Matthew Ekholm, Digital Product Passport and Circularity Specialist at Protokol looks at how businesses should use the EU legislation as a proof point to appeal to a growing sustainable consumer and effectively eliminate accusations of greenwashing Issues surrounding sustainability continue to heighten in the modern world, with businesses knowing too well the demand on them to become more eco-conscious enterprises. In fact, as 70% of consumers admit they are now willing to pay more for products from sustainable brands, it is more important than ever that businesses turn on their green agenda. Moreover, as more reusable and refillable products enter…

Constant Contact, the leading digital marketing and automation platform for small businesses and nonprofits, and Enterprise Nation, has announced the winners of the Small Business, Big Break competition. In a game-changing initiative designed to propel the nation’s most innovative small businesses into the spotlight, three outstanding SMEs have each been awarded a share of a marketing package worth over £300,000, including TV advertising thanks to support from Channel 4 alongside tailored digital marketing support. At a special pitch event held on July 14 in London, eight dynamic small businesses – chosen out of thousands of hopeful entrepreneurs who entered the…

Vivek Savani, UK Country Manager of iBanFirst. looks at four ways SMEs can protect profit margins amid global trade shifts. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the power engines of our UK economy, accounting for 16.6 million jobs and generating a total estimated turnover of £2.8 trillion. However, market instability following ‘Liberation Day’ placed pressure on SMEs’ profit margins – especially for those engaged in international trade. In April, the UK economy contracted by 0.3% as businesses cut jobs and cancelled investment plans in response to higher taxes and uncertainty fuelled by Trump’s tariff war. This has undoubtedly shaken business…

Asking ChatGPT a single Query uses 0.34 watt-hours of energy, which is 10 times more energy than a traditional Google search.  So, how much could ChatGPT usage be costing UK users, and how is this set to increase along with other household and business bills over the next decade? As part of their research into the future cost of business energy bills, the business energy experts, Utility Bidder, have revealed how much small, medium and large hospitality businesses could be expected to pay for their energy bills in the next ten years – and ChatGPT users will see associated usage energy costs…

DeepL, a leading global Language AI company, today announced several updates to its live speech translation solution, DeepL Voice, including expanded language support and advanced meeting productivity features, with an integration with Zoom Meetings coming soon. As adoption accelerates among enterprises such as Inetum, Cybozu and Brioche Pasquier, these enhancements further position DeepL Voice as an essential solution for seamless multilingual communication in today’s global workplace. “Global businesses can’t afford to be slowed down by language barriers. That’s why over 200,000 business customers trust DeepL to help them communicate clearly every day,” said Jarek Kutylowski, CEO and Founder of DeepL. “These new updates to DeepL Voice…

Alison Bromley, Head of Partnerships at Onebright, discusses why investing in workplace mental health isn’t just the right thing to do but a proven, strategic business decision that delivers measurable ROI. The conversation around workplace mental health has evolved dramatically in the past few years. What was once considered a ‘nice-to-have’ employee benefit has become critical to business, and the numbers tell a compelling story that no organisation can afford to ignore. The economic reality is stark. Mental ill health costs the UK economy an eye-watering £110 billion annually. This figure encompasses sickness absence, presenteeism, and staff turnover, costs that directly…

Salary secrecy is costing you talent, says new campaign urging UK employers to publish salaries on job ads. Communications agency Jack & Grace has today launched #SayThePay – a salary transparency campaign calling on employers to publish salary bands in job ads – warning that businesses risk missing out on talent due to a lack of transparency. New research commissioned by Jack & Grace reveals a growing expectation for openness around pay – two in three people (64%) in the UK say they are unlikely to apply for a role if no salary is listed. The survey of 2,003 people also found over half (58%) of…

The South West Expo, held on 10th July at the STEAM Museum in Swindon, has been hailed a huge success, drawing in hundreds of SMEs and over 80 exhibitors from across the region. The day began with a buzzing breakfast networking session, followed by an inspiring keynote address from the UK’s No.1 motivational speaker, Brad Burton. Speaking to a packed room of more than 150 business owners, Brad shared his personal journey of resilience and growth. “I spoke today about hope, optimism, and belief — the three things that carried me through some of the toughest times in my life,”…

International communication and influence expert, Jose Ucar, looks at the importance of developing strong communication and speaking skills in a world where AI and technology are rapidly evolving. Jose discusses why these human skills remain essential for leaders and professionals who want to connect, influence, and make a meaningful impact. Artificial Intelligence has done something incredible: it has given us access to more knowledge, more quickly, than at any point in human history. With a few clicks, we can learn just about anything. But knowing more doesn’t necessarily mean we connect more. And it certainly doesn’t mean we influence, inspire…

Mike Evans, Director of Risk Intelligence, Securitas Group, explores the vital contribution of modern security solutions to the retail experience. Retail, at its core, is driven by a positive customer experience. From services and store layouts that make it easy to find everything you need, to eye-catching visual merchandising, every touchpoint influences whether a customer makes a purchase or if they will return in the future. Behind the scenes, there is an often-overlooked presence playing a pivotal role in shaping that experience: security. Today, retail security goes beyond loss prevention. It is about creating an environment where customers can browse…

Behavioural addictions are the last ‘taboo’ in the workplace, and they are on the rise, particularly amongst young men. Professor Marcantonio Spada, Chief Clinical Officer, Onebright, believes that now is an important time to throw light on this subject and ensure individuals in your organisation feel they can speak up about their concerns and, if necessary, seek help. A behaviour becomes problematic when it starts impacting negatively our everyday lives – we cannot maintain relationships, we struggle at work, we have problems with our finances, just to mention a few examples. So, for example, engaging in gambling and using smartphones, in…

SMEs are being urged to review their recruitment practices, as new research reveals that AI-driven CV fraud is on the rise, and small businesses may be particularly vulnerable. Degree verification and fraud service provider, Hedd, part of Jisc, commissioned YouGov to poll more than 500 HR decision makers. The majority (67%) of large companies reported an increase in job application fraud, attributing the trend to AI tools being used to enhance or fabricate experience or qualifications, but smaller businesses were significantly less likely to agree. Just 37% of small firms thought AI had contributed to increased CV falsification, compared to 64%…