Ahead of this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 Oct), small and medium sized businesses in and around Birmingham and Manchester are being urged to sign up to a free new platform designed to overhaul how they treat employees who are pregnant, struggling to conceive, or lose their baby during pregnancy. 1 in 4 pregnancies in the UK end in loss through miscarriage or other complications. But, sadly, research by Tommy’s and the CIPD shows that many employers don’t know how to navigate the situation. Employees – and employers’ ability to retain staff – suffer as a result. A 2021 Tommy’s survey found that: More than half (52%) of working parents have or would quit over a lack of support, but those who…
Author: sme-admin
David Furby, CEO of Novatech, discusses the hurdles that the IT partner had to overcome to achieve its ambitious environmental goals Reducing our carbon emissions and working towards being not only a net zero business, but a net positive one, was an ambitious target that we set ourselves in 2021. Acutely aware of the energy used within the technology sector, Novatech set out on its journey to net positive and, in 2023, we’re proud to say that we now generate more energy than we use. Many may question the impact of an SME going net positive when there are thousands…
Lincolnshire-based award-winning coach and personal empowerment specialist Taz Thornton will give a keynote speech at the inaugural Confidence & Wellbeing Conference for Businesswomen on Friday, 29th September at the Brightfield Business Hub, Orton Southgate, Peterborough. The day-long conference has been designed to help businesswomen ‘ignite your power, boost your confidence and wellbeing and inspire you to reach for the stars amongst like-minded women’. It is being organised by Enlivened, which provides networking events, support groups, workshops and coaching for businesswomen in the Lincolnshire area. “I’m delighted to have been asked to deliver a keynote speech at the Confidence & Wellbeing…
In this Q&A Gary Knight, CEO of UK-based WOLF, discusses how he successfully launched an app to the Middle Eastern market – during the pandemic – and amassed over three million users. Rewind three years. The world was about to enter a global pandemic where parts of the world would close for business and travel would be grounded. Without knowing how the lockdowns would pan out and change consumer behaviour, you’d be right to suggest launching a tech brand for the Arabic-speaking world, from our HQ in London, came with risk. However, we took the risk and it turned out…
A significant milestone for many business owners is when they take on their first commercial property lease. Whether that is a warehouse space, new office, or a retail outlet it is usually a time for celebration as it signals growth. So well done for finding the space but before you enter any lease, remember that the devil is always in the detail. Don’t expect landlords or their agents to be especially forthcoming about various clauses that could leave you out of pocket later on. Having been a commercial property lawyer for almost 20 years, Victoria Evans, Head of Commercial Property…
By Dr. Bipin Patel, CEO, electronRx Environmental, Social and Governance targets exist in almost every business. It has become essential for companies to prove that they have targets, a mission, and a deliverable strategy to reach them. Everyone has heard the phrases “journey to Net Zero” or “becoming Carbon Neutral”, but the most significant rise has been around engagement with social value. It can be argued, quite rightly, that this is driven by societal change. Consumers are paying significantly more attention to whom they purchase from and will research the company’s ethics on factors such as the environment and understanding…
Responding to Office for National Statistics figures showing that GDP fell by 0.5% in July 2023 compared with the previous month, Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “This fall in GDP will come as little surprise for small businesses, who have endured uncertain trading conditions over a summer marked by poor weather and still-high levels of inflation. “It is disheartening to see a fall in the three main sectors of services, construction, and production, with the fall in services especially eye-catching due to the dominance of the service sector in the UK economy. “The steady increase in interest rates has…
A business based in Cam has launched an appeal to help continue donations to children and young adults with special educational needs in Ukraine. Samboards, which creates specialist sensory products for people with complex disabilities, has been donating their products to refugees in collaboration with Aid for Ukraine Gloucestershire. So far, the Cam company has donated a range of products, such as its sensory libraries and SATPIN boards, to two orphanages and a rehabilitation centre. Different from fidget spinners, the products have been designed with different textures which, when felt by the user, trigger the feel-good hormone dopamine while also…
Alex Melone, Co-Founder and Chief Production Officer at CodeCrew, an Email Marketing firm dedicated to delivering data-driven results, delves into the pivotal role of strategy as the true differentiator in e-commerce success. With an average ROI of $40 (£32) per $1 (£1) spent, email marketing is one of the most lucrative tactics for e-commerce out there. But getting that 4000% ROI is not as easy as it looks. The difference between failure and success? A strong, data-driven email marketing strategy. Getting the Basics Right Most struggling e-commerce businesses complain about a high unsubscribe rate and a low click-through rate. Usually,…
In an era defined by digital dominance, where every business interaction is just a click away, the fate of the traditional business card seemed sealed. And when we plunged into the depths of a pandemic, the final blow appeared to have been dealt to this seemingly archaic tool. However, against all odds, the business card has not only endured but is experiencing a surprising resurgence, emerging as a cost-effective branding powerhouse for small businesses and the self-employed. In fact, Google search data shows interest is on the up, searches for “business card printing” have increased by 49% in the past…