How do some businesses not only survive recession but thrive? According to Bain, 10% of organisations did well during previous recessions – and while 17% of public companies suffered, 9% bounced back stronger. But how? As James Hyde, Chief Product Officer & Founder, James and James Fulfilment explains, eCommerce retailers that prioritise core operational issues now – from supply chain optimisation to recruitment, sustainability to digital transformation – will be far better placed to grow profitably when the economic outlook improves. Changing Priorities The retail outlook has changed quickly. Businesses are not only wrestling with spiralling costs and on-going supply chain disruption but…
Author: sme-admin
West Midlands-based employment support specialists Steps To Work has launched a new programme, to help those who have served in the Armed Forces as they embark on a new career path. Steps To Work is using its specialist employment knowledge to provide a scheme aimed at veterans, reservists and cadets. The employment support includes: helping with job applications, CV building, interview techniques and access to training and development opportunities. Bhanu Dhir, Chief Executive Officer at Steps To Work, said: “Our support package is one of the ways in which we want to offer our appreciation to those who have given so much to…
Lawrence Perret-Hall, Director at CYFOR Secure, discusses the benefits of cyber insurance for SMEs and how collaboration with cybersecurity partners and insurers can help overcome the risk of cybercrime Small businesses are three times more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals than larger companies. Yet the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey this year found less than half of micro, small and medium businesses have a formal cybersecurity strategy. These statistics should raise concern among SMEs. Not only are they more at risk of suffering a cyberattack than large businesses, but they are also…
New research from GRiD, the group risk sector’s industry body sector, shows that only a third of employers offer their entire workforce financial support in the event of ill health, injury or death. At its most basic, Group Income Protection (GIP) provides insured employees with vital financial protection by paying a percentage of their salary if they can’t work due to long-term illness or injury. But a good GIP policy can actually offer so much more. Vocational rehabilitation and absence management support can help prevent staff going sick in the first place. It can also help them return to work…
Oxford Health Policy Forum has announced it will be working with the team behind an initiative known as The Changing Face of Medicine to help raise awareness of how medicine, healthcare and the role of doctors will – and should – change over the next 20 years. The Changing Face of Medicine is comprised of recognised individuals within the medical world who are seeking solutions to the many challenges faced by society today when it comes to healthcare. The role of the doctor is under strain and may need redefining. In such a fast-moving world and with so many stakeholders…
An employment lawyer has warned football fans they could be sacked if they call in sick to watch the World Cup. The tournament in Qatar kicks off in less than two weeks’ time and with England’s first game taking place on a Monday afternoon many workers may be tempted to pull a sickie in order to watch the match. With this in mind, the experts at national law firm Richard Nelson LLP have encouraged footie-mad fans to think twice before faking an illness as it could lead to them being dismissed. Andrew Knorpel, consultant solicitor in the employment law team at Richard Nelson…
Late payments aren’t a new problem for small businesses, but recent research has shown that the situation appears to be more of a challenge than ever. In fact, a 2022 study by Small Business Index (SBI) found that 30% of business owners have seen an increasing number of overdue invoices over the past three months. This can have serious consequences for business owners, and make it more difficult to manage cash flow, but the good news is that there are steps that you can take to manage late payments, and their effect on your business. Elizabeth Hughes, Content Editor at Pandle, provides…
Online reviews hugely influence consumer spending, worth billions of pounds to businesses every year. However, the rise of fake online reviews has become a significant and expensive problem for businesses. Anyone can post a fake review or instruct agents to submit fake reviews against a business in high volume, with these services being offered on several reputable online marketplaces and are easily accessible. It is for this reason that the UK government has announced reforms to shield the public from fake online reviews, making it unlawful to pay others to write or host a fake review. But these changes only go…
A specialist food manufacturer has experienced a huge boost in productivity and profit after investing in automation technology, with the support of Made Smarter. Firstplay Dietary Foods, based in Stockport, makes a range of low protein products for people with metabolic conditions like Phenylketonuria (PKU) which leave people unable to eat protein without risking brain damage. With a growing international demand from patients and dieticians, due to the increased number of countries delivering newborn screening, the business has invested £120,000 in new digital machinery, increasing its blending capacity, while replacing a manual weighing and packing process with automation. The business…
The profitability of a company can hinge on its reputation, so what simple steps can start-ups take to build theirs, without forking out the big bucks for quality PR? Rory Lynch, a legal director at Gateley, shares his top tips. A brand is more than a logo: it’s an asset. Beyond the colours and fonts associated with its trading name, a brand is the determining factor for how customers perceive your business. To survive, therefore, a business’s brand needs a five-star reputation. Now more than ever, customer purchasing decisions are influenced by brand perception. According to a 2020 survey by…