According to a report commissioned by the government historical total Venture Capital investment levels in female founders have remained significantly low, at under 5% in the UK and this needs to change. In this piece, PwC talks about what they are doing to try to change this. PwC Raise | Ventures partners with fast-growing, early-stage companies looking to raise between £1m – £30m to fund growth and provide support and expertise throughout the investment journey. They work with many inspiring entrepreneurs building disruptive tech companies that are changing our lives and very often having a positive impact on society. Some…
Author: sme-admin
It goes without saying that keeping an eye on outgoings and profit margins is crucial for any business, but it’s also essential to keep tabs on the margin of safety, perhaps now more than ever in the age of uncertainty. But what is it, why is it important and what invaluable insights can it give SME owners? John Edwards, Chief Executive and Group Executive International of The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA), explains. Why is it important for a business owner to know their margin of safety? Quite simply, the margin of safety is the amount of sales that a…
Virtualnet began life over 20 years ago as an Internet Marketing Consultancy. We quickly evolved into a software development agency by also offering bespoke web solutions. We have had a varied client base over the years from well-known large organisations to smaller companies and charities. This has meant we’ve turned our hand to several projects, right from basic requirements to fully functioning web solutions. We have a 95% client retention rate year on year. We can design and develop tailor-made software solutions to suit the needs of any organisation. Our experienced in-house team of Developers and Account Managers have years…
Creating consistently successful advertising campaigns should be a goal of every marketer and business owner yet knowing where to allocate spend or how effective a campaign is can be an on-going challenge. As such, leading programmatic and data expert Crimtan has created a tool for businesses to determine the true value of a paid marketing campaign. When businesses invest in marketing, they want proof that they are receiving the best return on investment. For example, it’s important to put budget into targeting and engaging customers who are likely to act as a result of seeing an ad, rather than customers who…
It’s certainly not news that identity fraud remains one of the biggest threats in the UK. In the last 12 months, business leaders estimate that identity fraud has on average cost their business £398,520, with a total of over £609.8 million stolen through fraud and scams in the first half of 2022. Increasing fraud types Such is the concern over the rapidly rising numbers in fraud cases, that UK Finance is urging that it must be considered a national security threat, as some fraud types have increased and criminals continue to adapt their methods. From employee impersonation and faulty products…
Author: Sue Bramall, director of Berners Marketing, which provides an expert legal content subscription service for law firm marketing. Recently, I bought a new PC and was amazed at how easy the setup and installation experiences were compared to the last time. Not so long ago, I routinely handed over anything technical to my teenage son. But fortunately, technology companies have now faced up to criticism about poor user-experience and have invested in ‘design thinking’ to improve the journey for their customers. We tend to think about design in terms of designing a new product, creating beautiful packaging and enticing…
A restraint order is a Crown Court order that has the effect of prohibiting a specified person from dealing with their assets in this country or abroad. It can be made before any criminal charge has been authorised against an individual(s) or after charge when a person becomes a defendant in the proceedings. This specific type of order is designed to prevent any assets from being dissipated, liquidated or moved without consent of the prosecution, and also ring-fences them for potential confiscation proceedings at a later date. When Does a Restraint Order Typically Take Place? Typically, a restraint order…
Recent analysis from Arden University, a leading UK-based provider of flexible, online and blended learning, has examined which university degrees could give students the best employment and salary prospects in the fiercely competitive post-Covid job market in 2023. The research identifies that psychology features in the top ten university subjects studied by UK CEOs. Recent research considered LinkedIn analysis of degrees studied by 260,000 UK CEOs and Managing Directors. Whilst the highest results were predictably dominated by business, management, ecommerce and economics related degree subjects, psychology’s top ten ranking illustrates the subject’s potential as a pathway into a lucrative career. According to…
Today’s ONS data reveals that the UK’s output per hour worked was lower than France, Germany and the United States in 2021, but higher than Canada and Italy when using the component method. However, the UK was the only G7 nation to see its annual output per hour worked drop in 2021 (although this excludes Japan because of a lack of data) and ended up 10% lower than the other G7 nations’ average. Paul McGuckin, Head of Employee Benefits Distribution at leading independent consultancy Broadstone, commented: “The UK’s productivity continues to lie substantially behind many of its major international peers…
Author: Helena Osborn, Account Manager at Protean Inbound Marketing Social media platforms are a great way for businesses to reach a large and targeted audience, helping to increase brand awareness and visibility. It allows interaction with your customers in real-time, which can help to build relationships, improve customer satisfaction and allow you to easily respond to customer inquiries and complaints, improving your overall customer experience. Social media marketing is generally more cost-effective than traditional marketing methods, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes. But, before you launch into major social media campaigns for your business, it’s important…