Celia Varet, Digital Impact and Sustainability Director for BT Business, outlines how small businesses owners can harness social media as an effective marketing tool. In this article she shares key tips for business owners looking to become social media savvy and find new ways to interact with their target audience. As small businesses continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19, SMEs across the UK continue to seek innovative ways to cut costs and combat ongoing challenges. One approach is through new marketing strategies; recent research by BT Business reveals that 76% of business owners have adopted social media platforms…
Author: sme-admin
New research suggesting the self-employed sector’s contribution to the UK economy fell by an estimated £25bn in 2022 is a “wake up call” for government to change course on its agenda for the nation’s smallest businesses, the UK’s freelancer trade body has said. The findings, released today by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), suggest that whilst the solo self-employed population remained stable at 4.1 million in 2022, the sector’s economic contribution plunged by an estimated £25bn to a total of £278bn – an 8 per cent contraction compared to 2021. The figures come as IPSE launches…
SMEs often underestimate the importance of organic written content within their marketing strategy. It is tempting to focus on marketing activity with an instant gratification whether that’s in the form of higher engagement, increased follower growth, or lead generation. However, written content is a powerful growth tool when used correctly. Strictly speaking, written content is the backbone of any good marketing strategy. Imagine a website with no words – social media posts, brochures, adverts with just imagery…it simply doesn’t work. Nailing your content strategy can be daunting – you have to consider language, tone, your audience and their needs, as…
This week is National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), the 16th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships. For those looking to advance their career or learn new skills, an apprenticeship can be a great way to develop the skills and knowledge required and provide businesses an opportunity to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills. But taking on something new can come with challenges. Whether adapting to new routines, meeting new people or taking on a new role, change can be hard. And with additional factors such as rising living costs, international instability and mental health pressures at play, employers need…
Spain has announced a new digital nomad visa that will allow non–European Economic Area residents (including British and US citizens) working for foreign companies to live in the country, without having to obtain a full work visa. The Spanish parliament approved the move in December, and this visa introduction is part of the country’s newly passed Startup Law, which aims to attract tech companies, remote workers and digital nomads to Spain. With the visa, people can live and work in Spain for up to a year at first, and then apply for this time to be extended, up to a total period of…
Roger Wright, Waste Strategy & Packaging Manager at leading sustainable waste management company Biffa, looks at five ways plastic packaging can be better recycled. The unpalatable fact is the UK still produces too much waste, and we don’t recycle enough of it. Currently in the UK, we’re falling short of our 2050 target to prepare 65% of municipal waste for re-use and recycling, and plastic packaging is an important part of this story. As of 2021, the UK has a recovery/recycling rate of 44% for plastic packaging, while materials such as aluminium (75%) and paper and cardboard (70%) are much higher. It…
Following metatalent.ai’s latest Green Skills roundtable: ‘How the Great Reshuffle Calls for a Greener Transition’, CEO Rehan Haque summarises the event’s findings, outlining how businesses can promote a greener skills economy in the next year and beyond. The need to prioritise and resource a green revolution has never been greater as we move into 2023. Pressure placed by the energy crisis has led to questioning whether sufficient progress has been made to meet the growing ambitions and societal expectations of reaching a greener, net-zero economy. Business leaders must take responsibility for pivoting their companies towards benefiting a green skills economy…
Monthly bills are the biggest financial concern for Brits on any salary: a worry that is set to worsen as broadband and mobile bills increase by 15% this Spring. As part of their cost-of-living statistics report, the finance experts at money.co.uk sought to investigate the current biggest financial concerns across different wage brackets, as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. To do this, they looked into factors including people’s main financial struggles, the average price increases in grocery shops and bills, and how people are adapting to cope with surging prices. Britain’s biggest financial concerns £15,000 or less £15,001 – £25,000 £25,001 – £35,000 £35,001 – £45,000 £45,001 -…
Sustainability and environmental concerns are increasingly at the forefront of decision-making for businesses of all sizes. The drive to net zero and the current energy prices have sharpened thinking with companies about being more responsible for their emissions and for ensuring the sustainability of their supply. This is true of any company which relies heavily on documentation. A company that wishes to store documents has three choices: paper, local servers or cloud storage. Berkshire-based document management specialist company Filestream has been championing electronic document storage since 2003 and has seen millions of documents moved from paper to the Cloud. Moving…
The last few years have presented numerous challenges for SMEs. Just when there seemed to be light at the end of the Covid tunnel, there has been rapid inflation and recession is now looming (predicted by the Bank of England to be the longest since records began). As we move into 2023, Jenifer Martindale, Partner in the Commercial Litigation team at Wilsons Solicitors LLP, looks at what risks and issues the UK SMEs are likely to face as 2023 progresses? Repaying Coronavirus loans The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) were a business saver…