Author: Martyn Swann, Global Head of SME Distribution, AXA – Global Healthcare Starting a business abroad or expanding your business overseas is a goal for many, and it can be an overwhelming experience with challenges to overcome along the way. Ultimately, however, setting up a business abroad can have huge benefits for organisations of all sizes. If you’re planning on growing your business abroad like we have done over the years at AXA – Global Healthcare, having people on the ground is a game-changer. We know that in an increasingly digital world, spurred on by the Covid-19 pandemic, remote working only continues to grow in…
Author: sme-admin
Latest research by instantprint reveals valuable insights into workplace collections and celebrations amid the challenges of rising living costs. The study examines employee perspectives on office spending and highlights their sense of obligation in these practices. Are Employees Taking Part? While workplace collections and celebrations may appear to be age-old traditions, it is evident that not everyone actively participates in them in modern times. The survey asked respondents if their workplace carries out collections for celebrations and or milestones. 53% said yes, 31% said no, 9% shared ‘other’ and 8% were not sure. The survey then asked employees specifically if they participate and contribute…
In a remarkable achievement at this year’s Firm (The Forum for In-house Recruiters) Awards, eSift were delighted to be awarded the Best Supplier Partnership award for their work with Pilgrim’s Food Masters, adding to the award they had previously achieved for their Recruitment on Demand service. These awards demonstrate that companies should always appreciate the power of a boutique business to lead the way and provide a flexible and agile service to its partners. The backdrop to this success story lies in Kerry Foods’ divestiture of its meat and ready meals division to Pilgrim’s in 2021. Part of the process…
Author: Ken Naismith, Chief Executive of Workpro. Some of the brightest minds in the technologies of the future have been unusually vocal about the potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with concerns ranging from simple job losses to world domination by heartless robots intent on wiping out mankind. Others are more sanguine, pointing to profound benefits in sectors such as transportation, healthcare, finance and manufacturing, with a recent PwC report suggesting AI could add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Between these poles are countless businesses and organisations who are well aware that AI is coming, if indeed…
Author: Ben Thompson, CEO of Employment Hero The UK should be congratulated on its new law promoting flexible working, which gained Royal Assent a few weeks ago. This new law gives a variety of protections to employees who are keen to work flexibly, and ensures that employers take on these requests in good faith. After so much change in working behaviour brought about by the pandemic, this act looks to arrange some of that attitude shift into law. It doesn’t force businesses to just allow people to work in any way they want – but it does require that requests that…
Daemon, a UK-based digital transformation consultancy with a vision to use technology to make the world a better place, announced today that it has appointed Peter Ironside as Chief of Markets. In this position, Peter will be responsible for continuing to grow the business in line with its ambitious plans to scale up its operations, both in the UK and internationally. Peter spent eight years at KPMG as a Director, before moving onto a Managing Partner role at Gartner for three years. At Gartner, one of Peter’s main focus areas was to increase collaboration between Gartner Consulting and Research, developing…
Switching your business comms system, or due an upgrade? When it comes to moving to a new unified communications (UC) solution, businesses have two options — to host these services on-site, or to have them hosted in the cloud. But what are these options, and crucially, what’s the difference? Here, Kristian Torode, co-founder of hosted UC provider Crystaline, explains. Communication is crucial for any organisation, both internally and with its customers. To facilitate more effective communication, businesses are increasingly turning to unified communications (UC) solutions. UC encompasses a host of different channels, including voice, video, messaging, conferencing, and content sharing…
Following the announcement from the Government that funding for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in England will be withdrawn, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chair Martin McTague said: “Even though we knew this was on the horizon, the decision to remove all funding from LEPs is still disappointing. With economic growth stuck in the doldrums and small firms beset on all sides by cost pressures and falling demand, going ahead with this decision seems especially badly timed. “LEPs are a key ingredient in many local business ecosystems, providing resources, know-how, and practical solutions to small firms. The value they provide in return for their…
By Roy Lauder, Director and Co-Founder, Harrison James Partnership Growth has been a bit elusive recently and with inflation rising, the Bank of England is trying to squeeze demand out of the market with interest rate rises. Hopefully we are near the peak of these. At times like this businesses come under pressure. A temptation is to batten down the hatches blame the government and try to wait it out. However this is an opportunity to get ahead of your competition especially if they are hiding. Here are four areas with key considerations for you to take on board that…
It was revealed this year that almost every UK company that took part in the world’s biggest four-day week trial, organised by ‘4 Day Week Global’[i] has decided to continue with the reduced working hours model, with 92% of the 61 participating companies confirming the policy is a permanent change[ii]. While this shift towards a better work-life balance is promising, Adrian Lewis, Co-founder and Global Lead at Activ People HR advises caution to firms looking to follow suit and ensure they have the right systems in place to make this a success. Adrian says, “The four-day working week is something many employees…