In the modern workplace, prioritising employee wellbeing and productivity has become key for employers. This is increasingly important when working with a smaller team. Investing in the comfort and health of your team leads to better performance, increased happiness and heightened job satisfaction. If you are an employer it is worth considering the immediate impact that optimising your air management can have. Often overlooked, improvements in air conditioning, ventilation, and air quality are some of the most effective ways to elevate the overall mood and morale within your workplace. It is important to note that business owners are legally obligated…
Author: sme-admin
Clicks and relevant metrics have long served as a benchmark for advertisers to assess the efficacy of digital ad campaigns. Digital advertising has undergone significant transformation since the creation of the first banner ad campaign in 1994, which boasted an impressive click-through rate ranging from 40% to 50%[2], however around 85% of internet users no longer engage with banner ads by clicking on them[3]. As such, data and programmatic expert Crimtan is considering whether advertisers should still be relying on metrics such as clicks, or are there alternative, more accurate measurements? The focus should not be on clicks as not all users…
One million people could be ‘going private’ with their healthcare by 2025, according to analysis from leading independent consultancy Broadstone. Looking at quarterly Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) data1, Broadstone found that insured admissions for Q3 2022 to Q2 2023 – 590,000 as per the latest data available – increased by 11% compared to the previous year. If that rate of increase continues, insured admissions could reach around 670,000 in 2024 and over 745,000 in 2025. The number of people funding their own care has plateaued of late at around 70,000 every quarter but still remains around 20,000 per quarter…
Chasing invoices can be a tricky task, leaving tradespeople unsure of the best way to approach it without risking customer relations. In order to help businesspeople protect their work and finances as much as possible, the insurance experts at Toolbox by Admiral have revealed six of the easiest ways to both prevent and chase unpaid invoices. Many tradespeople are self-employed or run their own business, meaning that they’re responsible for sorting out the finances. Whether tradespeople have an accountant or not, making sure all of their customers pay on time is a task they’ll have to undertake to maintain a healthy cash…
Despite having up to 10 months notice to file their Self Assessment tax return, nearly half (46%) of owners are holding off filing until 2-3 months before the 31st January 2024 deadline. In fact, a quarter (25%) of the millions of small business owners across the country will file in the last month. While a quarter (25%) of small businesses are staying on top of their taxes and filing their return within the first month, one in five (22%) say they have previously missed the deadline resulting in considerable fines. New Intuit QuickBooks research reveals that for the majority (59%), the lead up…
Distil.ai, the business intelligence platform that helps ecommerce businesses to understand customers’ behaviour and boost sales has crunched the Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend data and can now share its findings for the UK and US markets. The data gives an insight into customer shopping habits, helping sellers navigate the previously murky waters of consumer behaviour. Distil.ai has pooled its data from the BFCM weekend across the USA and UK, analysing data from a sample of 40,000+ online orders to dig into the online shopping habits of the general public, distilling it to understandable outputs that tell some unexpected stories.…
The Supreme Court has recently handed down its decision in a case brought on behalf of Deliveroo riders seeking to recognise the IWGB union under the statutory recognition procedure for collective bargaining purposes. While that particular issue was specific to the Deliveroo case, the Court’s reasoning and decision has broader implications for all business operators involved in flexible labour models. Kate Palka, Lawyer at The Legal Director, explains the impacts of yesterday’s judgment in more detail: Employment status in the gig economy has been under scrutiny for almost as long as the platforms have existedand courts and tribunals have historically…
The pace of technological evolution in 2023 was incredibly fast, leading many to wonder if 2024 will slow down. The adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) dominated various sectors this year, and significantly altered how we use technology. With the new year just around the corner, experts are predicting the changes and trends we can expect to see more of, and how businesses can harness these new tools and features to their advantage. Here are just a few of the tech trends that are likely to appear in 2024. Ethical AI Practices As AI spreads into more domains, businesses must…
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has issued a super-complaint to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to highlight the harsh lending practices of banks that excessively demand personal guarantees for business loans. Personal guarantees can be a “straitjacket” on business growth, forcing entrepreneurs to put their homes or other assets on the line when taking out finance. This can be particularly paralysing when they are applied to small loans – leaving many business owners more likely to abandon their business or growth plans or push them into being over-cautious in their decision-making, deterred from making bold choices. FSB is therefore…
The founder of leading holiday camp provider, Academic Camp, has written a free magazine aimed at parents who are looking for opportunities to improve the educational and pastoral experiences of their children outside of their own school and home environments. The magazine, Reach for Your Future, has been written by Academic Camp founder Helen Lami in response to an increasing demand from parents to widen the experiences of their children and to look outside of their own school provision or the family holiday to provide these. This came alongside a need to show in greater detail what high-quality school holiday camps can look…