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…
Author: sme-admin
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.…
In the first of a six-part series from Virgin Media O2 Business exploring the challenges medium businesses face today, Paul Livesey, Digital Solutions Specialist, gets you up to speed on the IT developments you need to be aware of this year, and the action you can take to help secure success. In the face of the WLR switch off and skyrocketing data demands, how can you prepare your business for the future of work? The connectivity landscape is changing fast. Demands for higher bandwidths and increased capacity are rising at breakneck speed, and as employees get increasingly comfortable working wherever…
If not, why not? If it does, is your current technology partner really giving you everything you need/want? It’s extremely important that, whoever you choose to work with as your technology partner, they provide top-quality support services that last throughout your entire relationship with them. The service offered by different technology partners varies greatly, and for many organisations looking for guidance along their digital transformation journey, some of these partners just don’t provide everything they need – so it’s well worth doing some research before choosing your partner. Avrion is a ‘one-stop shop’, if you will. We encompass all the possibilities you may be…
Most managers recognise it’s part of their role to act on mental health (75%) but many don’t know how to. New data released by Mental Health First Aid England reveals a third of managers (33%) feel out of their depth supporting their team with mental health concerns, rising to almost half of managers aged under 25 (45%). This comes at a time when three-quarters (74%) of managers are concerned about their team’s mental health due to the cost-of-living crisis. Nearly one in four (23%) people with management responsibilities state they are ‘very worried’ about the impact of the squeeze on…
The current cost of living crisis is having a global impact, with Covid and events like the war in Ukraine playing a significant role. In the UK, Brexit has further contributed to slowing economic growth. It all points to people spending less as they become more cautious with their money. Consumers are feeling the pinch of the highest prices they’ve seen in a generation, with energy bills soaring, food costs rising, and mortgage interest rates reaching 15-year highs. As a result, inflation hit a 40-year high of 11.1% last Novemeber, and while it is too early to predict its future…