James Higgins, Founder of luxury, ethical bedding brand, Ethical Bedding, took part in the latest series of Dragons Den. On the popular BBC One series, James showcased the properties and potential of the eucalyptus-based, sustainable bedding, gaining the attention of Touker Suleyman, who offered a 50% stake in the business. However, James boldly declined the offer, favouring his belief in purpose over profit. Here, James provides insight into the story behind Ethical Bedding, the importance of purpose over profit, his experience on Dragons Den and the next steps for the business: What was the inspiration behind creating Ethical Bedding? ‘After working in…
Author: sme-admin
To put it politely, the UK’s economy could be described as being in the toilet. First, the pandemic brought the country to a near standstill, causing thousands of businesses to go under, never to be seen again. Then, just as the situation with COVID was beginning to look a little brighter, Putin decided to invade Ukraine, placing the UK’s food and energy supplies under serious threat, and causing prices to soar. Now, the nation is in the throes of a crippling cost-of-living crisis, which is inflicting untold pain on households and organisations from Lands’ End to John o’ Groats. It…
The working world is fast-paced and driven by technology. Such rapid change can make it hard for young people to know where to start when it comes to addressing the digital skills most coveted by employers, Amy Caton, Digital Talent and Impact Senior Manager at BT Group provides SMEToday readers some guidance. It’s tempting to assume, in an increasingly digital world, that digital literacy is not an issue; that we can all interact intuitively with the apps and devices that now permeate our lives. Many young people feel tech-savvy, and confident using social media channels. However, in reality, the UK faces…
As technology continues to evolve, so does the world of digital marketing. Google Analytics has been a staple tool for marketers since its launch in 2005, and it has undergone significant changes over the years. In October 2020, Google introduced its latest version, Google Analytics 4 (G4), which replaces the previous version, Universal Analytics. In this article, marketing experts Protean Inbound explore the differences between the two and why it’s essential for marketers to upgrade to G4. What is Google Analytics 4? Google Analytics G4 is the latest version of Google Analytics that provides businesses with valuable insights into their…
Office architecture has been changing for three years. Meetings have become Zoom calls, a quick phone call an email, and an email an instant message. As the office landline becomes replaced with internet-based alternatives like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), some businesses are questioning — is it secure? To help stave off concerns of cyber-attacks, Ross Slogrove, UK country manager at VoIP phone system provider Ringover, analyses the security credentials of VoIP. In 2022, statistics from cyber security company Surfshark showed that there were 4,783 victims of cybercrime for every one million users in Britain. That translates to a 40…
Most HR practitioners knew it was coming but when the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel on 20 July 2022 there was a collective groan in many sectors such as retail and hospitality. While the decision did not affect salaried workers or those on fixed term or fixed part time hours, it still affected potentially between 320,000 and 500,000 permanent term-time and zero-hours workers such as sales assistants or warehouse staff and between 80,000 and 200,000 agency workers. Dispute The dispute in the case centred around the application of the simple 5.6 weeks’ holiday allowance…
Gareth Anderson, Head of Business Management at Allica Bank, provides SMEToday’s reader with some analysis around the replacement of the super-deduction tax break with ‘Full Expensing’ On Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, presented his Budget to parliament, laying out his plans for the UK economy. One small but significant part of his announcement regarded the future of the super-deduction tax break, which was introduced in April 2021 to encourage businesses to invest by allowing them to deduct 130% of qualifying investment costs from their profits when calculating the amount of tax they’ll need pay. It was a fantastic…
The current business landscape presents many challenges. However, amidst the economic uncertainty, SMEs can seize the opportunity to emerge stronger than ever by focusing on their customer experience strategy. According to Salesforce, 66% of customers have stopped buying from a company whose values didn’t align with theirs — up from 62% in 2020. To ensure the growth and success of SMEs, prioritising customer service needs to be of great importance. So how can business leaders change organisational practices to be more customer-centric? Damian Hanson, Co-Founder & Director of CircleLoop provides some insight. Where to start? Excellent customer service means ensuring all customer…
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the UK economy. They account for 99% of all businesses in the region and provide 61% of total employment. Despite promising post-pandemic recovery levels, SMEs are continuing to struggle with cash flow issues and conversion cycles, limiting the ability to drive the next phase of their growth. And this is where their ability to embrace and integrate digital technologies becomes even more important. So, what exactly are SMEs looking for when they turn to technology partners? Simplicity Every second counts for SMEs. As business owners, they are always looking for ways that…
Vicki Taylor, Director of Debt Finance at Growth Lending, provides SMEToday’s readers with a breakdown of the cash flow issues currently gripping SMEs in the UK and the alternative funding streams available to them away from the world of traditional lending. SMEs are struggling to stay afloat, let alone thrive, in a post-lockdown economy plagued by inflation woes and geopolitical instability. Amid such a turbulent time for UK businesses, cash flow is more important than ever. But cash flow continues to be a source of frustration for SMEs in sectors across the UK, and many are unaware of the alternative…