By James Mabey, Senior Associate at Winckworth Sherwood Amid the current cost of living crisis and economic backdrop, it is understandable that many executors will decide to administer a deceased’s estate themselves and dispense with the cost of instructing a solicitor. We have compiled a list of 5 key reasons why it pays to pay for Probate. Protection from financial risk: Executors are accountable to beneficiaries and are liable personally for anything that goes wrong, and so administering an estate oneself, rather than instructing a solicitor, means taking on additional risk. This can be exacerbated by the fact that for…
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Author: Chris Donnelly, Co-Founder of Lottie and Forbes 30 under 30 As the number of small businesses across the UK continues to rise, more employees than ever before are becoming aware of the benefits of working for a startup. Online searches for ‘working at a startup’ have surged by 137% over the last 12 months. From a fast-paced environment to lots of opportunities for learning and growth, there’s many benefits to working at a startup business. New research by Lottie (a later living marketplace) has found more employees than ever before are turning to Google to understand the key qualities…
With the cost of living crisis and energy bills increasing, SMEs will be looking to cut budgets. However, cybersecurity has to remain a priority, Rob Batters, Director of Managed and Technical Services, Northdoor plc provides SMEToday readers with his thoughts There are real financial pressures on many SMEs now. The cost of living crisis, energy bills, and the continuing impact of the pandemic are all piling pressure on small and medium-sized businesses across the UK. Undoubtedly, and understandably, businesses will look for ways to cut costs and budgets over the coming weeks and months. Identifying those areas to cut back…
65% of medium-sized companies see tech as their biggest growth driver – yet a third say it’s their main internal challenge Report finds almost half of medium businesses want more support from their IT team to help drive their business ambition With medium business employees only spending a quarter of their time in the office, cutting edge tech is needed to help them collaborate and work smarter Almost 9 in 10 medium businesses noticed an improvement in productivity when providing employees with new technology Amid the rising cost-of-trading and economic uncertainty, the majority (65%) of business leaders from medium-sized UK…
There’s no denying that businesses are facing significant challenges as inflation, interest rates and energy prices all continue to rise. But our modern world may also hold the solution. Harnessing digital processes and investing in technology can help businesses dramatically reduce costs now, while preparing for the future. Time is money A huge portion of costs for a small to medium business is spent on time. Through technology, however, there are ways to drastically reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks and therefore cut costs, all while ensuring customers receive the service they need. For example, how much time is…
By Charles White Thomson, CEO at Saxo Markets UK Nanny finance in the form of central banks and their years of excessive quantitative easing and desire to cut rates, at the first sign of trouble or discontent, has dominated the world for many years. This seemingly overly soft approach and desire to step in and make things better has created a generation of investors with a dependency on being financially bailed out or rescued. The consequences of years of cheap money can be seen in asset bubbles across the globe and the biproduct is rampant inflation. Financial historians will not be…
Gita Patel, an employment solicitor at SA Law, discusses Rishi Sunak’s plans for employment rights. These are uncertain times for UK businesses. Just last month, newly elected Prime Minister Liz Truss promised sweeping employment law reforms, including a “red tape bonfire” of EU regulation. But now that Rishi Sunak has taken over, do employers still need to prepare for this? The answer is: yes, as the Brexit Freedoms Bill is still being pushed through – meaning that basically all EU-derived employment laws are going out the window. But what exactly will these proposed reforms entail, and how will this impact…
A new blockchain powered technology that protects ownership and tackles the growing blight of counterfeiting has been quickly adopted by businesses keen to protect themselves and their customers. UK based DNA, who officially launch their tech solution this week, create unique digital passports which prove authenticity and ownership of jewellery, collectibles, art, rarities and luxury goods. The technology makes virtually any physical product instantly verifiable, storing every historical transfer of ownership, and other information about the product, on a unique DNA digital passport (Native Asset) which is then safeguarded on the Kadena blockchain platform. DNA is built for mass adoption and…
It’s that time of year again, and the festive shopping season is just around the corner. Whilst the majority of small retail businesses will already have a plan in place for Christmas shoppers, there’s still time to make some last-minute adjustments to help boost sales. Larger businesses and retailers often start planning their festive marketing for the coming year as soon as Christmas ends to give them plenty of time to prepare their ads (we’re looking at you, John Lewis). It’s a good practice to get into as it saves you time down the line when you need to be…
Cloud-based business phone system, CircleLoop, has released the ‘Recession-proof Index’, a new ONS data analysis which finds that businesses launching within the Health industry are likely to have the best chance of surviving the current recession, according to trends uncovered during the 2008 recession. According to the data, by 2009 in the immediate aftermath of the last financial crash, start-ups in the South West and East of England saw the joint-lowest rate of business failures across all regions, at just 23%. This was closely followed by the South East at 24% making these regions the most recession-proof for new businesses.…