Two in five (38%) adults in the UK spend less than an hour a day outdoors, with lack of access to green spaces having a knock-on effect on mental and physical health. This is according to new research from leading health provider Bupa, which is calling for access and quality of shared outdoor spaces to be improved to boost the health and wellbeing of our people and planet. The main barriers to getting outdoors are not having enough free time (15%) and having a busy job (13%), and many people also struggle to access outdoor spaces, despite the known health benefits…
Author: sme-admin
Empowerment and business coach Taz Thornton has united a team of LGBTQIA entrepreneurs women for a series of weekly live talk shows called ‘Proud Women’ throughout June. These ‘Loose Women’ style broadcasts will air via the social media platforms LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube and will touch on topics related to Pride Month including how business and individuals can truly be allies and support equality and equity. There will be four panellists taking part: Katie Allen: a specialist diversity, equity and inclusion consultant and coach from Peterborough. Katie is on a mission to help aspiring allies activate their awareness. Katie represents…
One of the UK’s most successful industrial business support programmes comes to an end in June after helping the manufacturing sector to create or safeguard 12,435 jobs since 2016. The Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), which is designed and delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, will see funding from the European Regional Development Fund end and is now urging the Government and local authorities to ensure that tailored advice for manufacturing SMEs is quickly put in place. A recent independent evaluation* of the programme found that MGP has delivered excellent value for money and achieved real results. The report revealed that over…
Originally introduced to Parliament in July 2022, the DPDI (Data Protection and Digital Information Bill 2022-23) has been refreshed, reintroduced and is poised to move to the House of Lords for consideration. “Ministers have co-designed the Bill with key industry and privacy partners on amendments which will give organisations greater flexibility over how they can comply with the regime while maintaining high data protection standards” Dept for Science, Innovation and Technology Press Release Flexibility is welcome, but confidence is key TLD Client Legal Director, Amanda Mallender, is acutely aware of the challenges these legislative changes could bring to SMEs who…
In the UK, many employees choose not to use all of their full allocated annual leave, which may result in adverse effects on their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as their overall effectiveness at work. Additionally, annual leave is a health and safety measure that can help to prevent injuries and accidents in the workplace as it allows employees to rest and recover from the physical and mental demands of work. There are many reasons why employees may not take their annual leave. Some people may feel guilty about taking time off, while others may worry about their work…
London, 31 May 2023: With the cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation rates reducing disposable income for households across the UK, businesses are once again navigating a challenging economic climate. Despite this, new research shows that businesses are prioritising investment to fuel growth – enquiries into funding have increased by a staggering 277% in the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same period last year. This has translated into decisive action from decision makers, with the total number of transactions up by almost a third (30%) and an 11% increase in the total amount funded compared with the first quarter…
As a small business owner, you will know that your continued success depends to a large extent on your ability to prevent replication by competitors and harm from third parties. Building up your business requires a laser-like focus on the secret ingredients that make your business unique. These secrets may take many shapes and forms, but they all help in moulding your source of competitive advantage. If this is lost, it can be difficult to recreate. Therefore, it is in your interests to pay close attention to the protection of these business secrets. Ashley Gurr a commercial and contract lawyer…
Michelle Huff, Chief Marketing Officer at UserTesting, explores the impact of volatile market conditions, especially in the UK, on customer brand loyalties. In a time when every penny counts, she highlights how Brits are making more considered choices and how customer expectations have reached new heights. Brands are no longer judged solely against their direct competitors; interactions from brands across any sector can set the standard. Therefore, it’s vital that companies look beyond their doorstep and are ready to adapt to evolving customer expectations and deliver an exceptional customer experience. Improving customer experience One of the key best practices for…
In recent years, we’ve seen a surge of interest towards influencer marketing, social media and short-form video content in the marketing sphere – with email marketing looking rather tired and outdated by comparison. So, just like the fax before it, is it time to consign email to the scrapheap and open a TikTok account? Sam Martin-Ross is Founder and Director of digital marketing agency, Digital Uncut tells SMEToday readers it might not. A study from the Content Marketing Institute found 87% of B2B marketers reported email as their best performing free organic distribution channel due to the ease and speed…
Emelia Quist, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Head of Policy Research, has been named as a trailblazing executive for people of colour in business in the 2023 Empower 100 Executive Role Models list, it was announced today (24 May). As the Head of Policy Research at FSB, Emelia oversees all areas of diversity advocacy work, particularly on ethnic minority entrepreneurship, which benefits over 5 million UK small businesses and the self-employed. Her work also contributes to small businesses’ workplace diversity and local community cohesion. Emelia commissioned and led the first research project of its kind on ethnic minority and black-led…