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…
Author: sme-admin
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…
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…
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…