The advent of social media and its subsequent integration into our lives has diversified our living, communication, and information sharing pattern. The use of social media has real-life implications in terms of its use, market dynamics, identity, and privacy. Statistics reveal an evolving number of social media users and activity, i.e. six out of 10 users of Instagram login daily, while Tiktok has crossed one billion active users. Along with personal communication and information-sharing platform, the use of social media for marketing and branding has remained prevalent to reach out to the masses. It is used to communicate and interact…
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Richard Blunden, CEO of Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries Group, shares his knowledge of running a thriving franchise. Opening a franchise offers a fantastic opportunity to run your own business under the umbrella of a national brand. This means your business is instantly recognisable and can enjoy the support of the brand whilst receiving guidance from people with in-depth knowledge of the business. Running a franchise is all about building a strong partnership with the brand experts as you independently run the business. Richard Blunden has over 20 years’ experience in franchising, working for some of the largest and most prestigious…
According to recent research, 82% of business leaders find B2B marketing boring – and 88% of CEOs want a bold, contrarian or provocative approach. That’s fine, says Workbooks’ CEO John Cheney, but execution is just as important as strategy. Before going wild with an innovative B2B marketing strategy, it is vital to put in place the marketing engine and ensure the current ‘people, process and technology’ is set up to effectively deliver campaigns and gain real value from creativity. Executing strategy On the one hand, 60% of B2B marketers face reduced or stagnant budgets in 2023. On the other, marketers…
Ben Foster, Co-founder and Director of The Natural Love Company talks to SMEToday about his working day and the biggest challenges he faces running his businesses. With 12 years in the wedding photography business and over 600 weddings, Ben is an expert in love. When the pandemic meant business stopped completely he found time to start The Natural Love Company. The idea for an aesthetic and sustainable sex toy company had been one he’d first thought of while studying at university. At The Natural Love Company Ben heads marketing and strategy, design and the shaping of the company’s vision, aiming…
Tim Hayden is the founder and CEO of Hagley West, a watch business that in recent years has experienced exponential growth thanks to the incorporation of modern-day marketing tactics that harness social media as an incredible business growth channel. Hayden hasn’t been short of challenges throughout his career, but through perseverance and a positive attitude, he has made his vision a reality. Those life experiences have helped to form the underlying ethos of Hagley West ‘Love Your Journey’. Ultimately this strapline is something that every single person can relate to at some point in their life and has formed the…
Research from ForrestBrown, the leading R&D tax relief consultancy, reveals that half (50%) of UK science and technology businesses expect to move some of their R&D activity abroad as a result of upcoming changes to R&D tax incentives. Currently, UK companies pursuing scientific and technological innovation can benefit from R&D tax relief while supervising overseas resources. This helps to make the UK a more attractive location from which to lead complex global R&D programmes, enabling companies conducting cutting-edge development to utilise specialist technical expertise that may be scarce in the UK. Legislation due to come into force from 1 April seeks…
Almost a third of university courses still combine face-to-face teaching with online learning, data gathered by the BBC suggests. However, as one disgruntled student labels virtual education no more than a “glorified online streaming service”, how can educators deliver quality, virtually? Here, Ross Slogrove, UK and Ireland country manager at business phone system provider Ringover, explains how VoIP technology can help overcome these challenges. In January 2023, the BBC reported that 28 per cent of university courses are still being taught the hybrid way, compared to just 4.1 per cent pre-pandemic. For some students, blending the physical with the virtual has been beneficial, offering…
Workplace disputes can happen within any business, sometimes involving one individual member of staff and other times involving whole teams or even the entire company. Issues can arise over rates of pay, working styles, discrimination or disagreements over specific tasks. Solving disputes in the workplace isn’t always easy, however, there are a range of solutions that in many cases can help to ensure that your business doesn’t suffer from any negative outcomes from workplace disputes. Legal solutions firm LexisNexis has outlined its best advice for solving disputes within the workplace. “As soon as an issue arises in your workplace, it’s so…
Author: Rodrigo Alier, Executive Director, Partners & Brands at Glovo The landscape for businesses right now is a challenging one. But, amidst the economic uncertainty, there is an opportunity for small to medium businesses (SMBs) to come out of the year stronger than ever. The secret ingredient behind this? Customers. In June, Morgan Stanley forecast that the global e-commerce market would grow from $3.3 trillion today to $5.4 trillion in 2026. While the news is equally good for q-commerce, with the sector predicted to grow from its 2021 valuation of $25 billion, to $72 billion by 2025. The coming year might…
The number of new businesses being set up in the UK continues to increase, brought on in part by a nationwide entrepreneurial spirit developed during the pandemic. However, the infant years of any business are some of the most challenging, and with the economic environment far from stable in the UK, 2023 presents a mix of challenges and opportunities. To support new and established businesses, a panel of leaders from The University of Law (ULaw) Business School have shared their predictions and advice on the big opportunities to focus on this year, and how to make the most of them.…