Author: sme-admin

New research has revealed the cheapest places for Brits to work abroad. Columbia is the cheapest place to live if you’re looking to apply for a digital nomad visa, followed by Sri Lanka and Turkey. Columbia’s cost of living prices are around 55% lower than the UK, with rent prices being approximately 73% lower.* Travel booking website OMIO has analysed a range of factors including the cost of living index, rent index, grocery index, safety index, mobility (monthly pass), the number of co-working spaces, speed of internet (fixed), speed of internet (mobile), the cost of visa and the ease of obtaining one to determine the best places of…

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When I was asked to interview Shalini Khemka CBE, I have to admit I’d not heard of her or her organisation – now I wonder how and why? This unassuming yet driven business woman has made it her mission to bring together influential people to collaborate and work together for the good of the UK economy. She has the ear of decision makers and she takes action – frankly not taking ‘no’ for an answer. The one thing I learned about her in the brief hour we spent in each other’s company is that Shalini does not give up. Tell…

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Our feature writer Fiona Scott is attending the SuiteWorld 2023 conference in Las Vegas and is learning all about NetSuite, Oracle and meeting entrepreneurs from across the world. This is the last of a series of articles from that conference. When I was invited to speak to 42-year-old Jason Kencevski, I’d not heard of him or of the company he now runs as CEO – Speedmaster which specialises in automotive parts for those who love their cars. The company is well known in Australia and in the USA, sadly the company does not export to the UK. Find out more…

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Our feature writer Fiona Scott is attending the SuiteWorld 2023 conference in Las Vegas and is learning all about NetSuite, Oracle and meeting entrepreneurs from across the world. This is the second of a series of articles from that conference. The official opening to the event was a keynote speech by Evan Goldberg founder and executive vice president of Oracle NetSuite.  Fiona said: “Having never been to a big business conference stateside before, the dancers at the beginning dresses in ‘business attire’ was a bit of an eye-opener. It was done in true ‘American’ style as we Brits might say.…

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Menopause. It’s a hot topic of conversation for individuals and businesses alike, but with such a stigma still attached to it, the conversation around the menopause certainly packs a punch. Every single person with female reproductive organs will experience the menopause – or ‘The Change’ – at some stage in their life, whether that be through natural causes, or medical or chemical induction. Did you know that the menopause, where the female reproductive system no longer releases eggs, is actually just a one-day event? The perimenopause, however, can last up to 12 years, and can set off a chain-reaction of both…

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In the world of the media SMEToday is a young publication and, as with any business, it’s important to celebrate all milestones. We’re thrllled with the success, recognition and traction that the publication has to date as we celebrate the amazing work, expertise, insight and stories associated with the diverse, vibrant and innovative SME sector across the UK and beyond. Hence why our feature writer, Fiona Scott, finds herself this week in Las Vegas at SuiteWorld2023 – a three day event to celebrate and share information on NetSuite and its parent company Oracle. How did this trip come about? The…

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While the turbulence caused by COVID-19 impacted all businesses, SMEs arguably felt the full force of the pandemic. Multiple lockdowns, financial pressures and the extended closure of high streets across the country were felt the most acutely by SMEs. However, despite the odds stacked against them, many SMEs, cornerstones of local communities and the economy, have pivoted and evolved to thrive in this new retail landscape. Three years on, as businesses can welcome shoppers once again, the retail landscape has markedly changed. Rapid delivery, a lifeline to retail businesses during the pandemic, has become part of consumers’ heightened expectations and…

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Most entrepreneurs are busy helping their customers every day. After a while, serving customers becomes routine. You perform your work without giving it much thought. Routine means that you stop thinking about how you do your job; the task is carried out automatically by your body. You are asked the same questions by customers every day and you know how to best respond and what not to say. But what if you suddenly receive a request from one of your best friends? ‘Say, we have decided to renovate our house. Would you be free to lead the project for us?’…

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Online grocery retailers are being hit by a triple whammy of fraud as the cost of living crisis bites, according to a new report from Ravelin. A key risk factor for most merchants in the sector is the rise of friendly fraud, which includes chargebacks, promotions and policy abuse by retailers’ own customers. Over a third of finance leaders describe first party frauds including “friendly fraud”, as the number one risk factor facing their business. The rise in this type of customer specific fraud is strongly linked to the cost of living crisis. In addition, account takeover (ATO), and online…

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2023 has not been a year for celebration for the UK’s cycling industry, with distributors and retailers alike sharing news of redundancies and closures, and numerous small and independent bike stores being absorbed by the remaining behemoth brands. Factors like extreme inflation, dampened consumer demand and exchange rate fluctuations have all been named as contributing factors. But for consumer-facing retailers, there are some glimmers of light in an otherwise dark and gloomy tunnel. Trading since 1983, indie brand Paul’s Cycles has had a particularly good year, this year – with maintenance services, a renewed focus on selling discounted premium brands…

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