Will Ennett, Head of Sustainability at Talk Talk Business, discusses the steps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can take to start their journey towards net zero with SMEToday As the effects of climate change take hold it’s important for every business to play their part in reducing overall carbon footprint. SME’s have a unique opportunity to start pushing back against climate change, reduce environmental impact, and even save money in the long run. It’s essential they have the support to do so. It is noted that SMEs often have a lower carbon footprint than larger businesses, but collectively this accounts…
Author: sme-admin
According to the Rose Review Report on female entrepreneurship 2022, more women than ever are starting new companies, with 145,200 all-female-led new firms created last year, up from 56,200 in 2018 – a 37 percent year-on-year increase. These new all-female-led businesses made up 20 percent of the total in 2021, up from 16 percent in 2018, and the growth of all-female-led companies is now overtaking male-led ones. Many of these businesses are based here in the UK, exporting their world-class products to exciting new markets – like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC is equivalent to the UK’s 7th largest…
A smooth-running supply chain starts in an efficient warehouse. From inventory distribution to sorting, warehouses play a strategic role. That is why it is essential to avoid bottlenecks and ensure the warehouse is running efficiently. Jean-Baptiste Clouard, CEO at Flowlity, an innovative AI-based supply chain planning and optimisation solution, shares how to effectively use AI to optimise warehouse processes, as well as highlighting the benefits of implementing these processes for businesses. Forecasting Every year, billions of pounds are lost as a result of shortages or overstocks at the manufacturing and distribution stage. Maintaining an optimal stock level is essential to…
Some people love parties and find it easy being a social butterfly and working the room. Others dread the party season and will do anything to avoid being asked to a party. The office Christmas party is likely to divide opinions but it’s one that’s tricky to avoid. There are however some simple do’s and don’ts that can help people get into the Christmas spirit, but not too much so that they embarrass themselves. Below are Activ People HR’s do’s and don’ts to help people get through the festive party season: Do: Mingle and speak to people outside of your usual networks –…
By day he is the technical director of Berkshire-based document management specialist company Filestream, but each December businessman Paul Day has a very special second job as Father Christmas. For the past 25 years, he has donned the most famous red suit in the world, listened to children’s wishes, delivered presents and brought joy and hope to many. “It started when my sister, Carol, asked me to visit her Rainbows group and dress up as Father Christmas. I think it was the shape of me,” said Paul. “I had a suit made especially for me as I wanted it to…
New book, The Finance Book offers a practical toolkit for non-finance professionals to understand the language of finance from a business perspective. Authors Stuart Warner and Saieem Hussain tell you what you need to know to quickly get up to speed with core finance concepts. In the following article Warner and Hussain have put together some tips for SME Today readers to help you determine the health status of your business. SME owners and managers wear many hats including operations, sales/marketing, supply chain management, human resources management and IT amongst others. Finance is one of the disciplines that often loses priority amongst…
Wednesday 30th November marked the awards ceremony of The Thames Valley Business & Community Awards recognising and celebrating the outstanding achievements of businesses, charities and inspirational individuals throughout the region. Among the 15 winners were entrepreneurs who had created unique solutions to the problems they faced, sunk their heart and soul into improving their industry and overcome personal and professional hardship to triumph in business. The Thames Valley Business and Community Awards winners are: Business of the Year SEGRO The SME of The Year Earth 51 New Start-Up of The Year Holistic Hounds The Employer of The Year CV Library…
Harshna Cayley, Head of Online Payments, Barclaycard Payments provide SMEToday’s readers with some useful advice. As we look forward into 2023, many small and medium businesses (SMEs) will be assessing the ways they can navigate the current economic turbulence and uncertainty. With rising costs and high inflation, SMEs will be increasingly looking at their expenses, trying to keep costs to a minimum. Despite the current macro-economic environment, the popularity of using B2B subscription services amongst SMEs is still holding strong but it’s critical these services continue to add value. The use of subscription-based services to keep operations running smoothly has…
Analysis from retirement specialist Just Group reveals a worrying ‘planning gap’ among people nearing the end of their career while those with no later-life savings are particularly at risk of poorer outcomes due to a lack of preparation. The research was conducted among the 45-65 age group, those closest to the end of their working careers and starting the transition towards retirement. It found that nearly three in 10 (28%) 45-65s haven’t given any thought at all to their retirement plans, including a quarter (25%) of 56 to 65-year-olds. Only one in 10 (10%) had made full plans for retirement…
From 1 January 2023, new EU laws require all brands retailing in France and Italy to display recycling information on consumer product labels – in a bid to reduce waste and improve sustainability. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to 10% of turnover or other severe penalties. To meet this challenge, a new web app has been launched by UK-based tech company Buyerdock that enables brands to create 2D-QR codes that will help manufacturers to comply with the new regulations. These next-generation 2D-QR barcodes are powered by GS1 (the only authorised provider of unique Global Trade Item…