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…

Independent foster agency Banya Family Placement Agency is starting 2023 with a nationwide recruitment drive for foster carers throughout the country but particularly in major cities including London, Birmingham and Manchester.  Since Banya was founded in 1997 the agency has supported 7,000 children and over 400 carers. Banya is uniquely placed to help and assist unaccompanied minors from war torn regions of the world, children with additional needs and troubled teenagers. Banya has also developed specialisms in placing mother, baby and sibling groups.  Marketing manager Arfan Aslam says: “We provide a high standard of foster care for a range of children and…

 Tobin Murphy-Coles, CEO at Amba, explores the opportunities that investing in CSR provides for smaller businesses, and offers his advice on how businesses can bring about real change, regardless of size and budget. Post-COVID, there’s a growing desire for the companies we work for to become forces for good. It’s little wonder what’s driving this urgency; whether it be pension schemes that don’t invest ethically or simply the carbon impact of travelling to meetings, business is a major contributor to the climate crisis, and the reliance on consumers to undo this damage is nothing short of morally corrupt. To that…

With rising costs and bills continuing to pose concerns for businesses in 2023, undergoing a business transformation might seem out of reach for SMEs across the UK. Many businesses will be bracing for little to no growth this year. However, with the search term “how to grow business”² on the rise, it’s clear that organisations are still eager to develop and excel in 2023. With this in mind, experts from Huddersfield Business School’s Help to Grow programme have broken down the 12 challenges businesses are most likely to face when working towards a growth strategy and how to overcome them:…

Celia Varet, Digital Impact and Sustainability Director for BT Business, outlines how small businesses owners can harness social media as an effective marketing tool. In this article she shares key tips for business owners looking to become social media savvy and find new ways to interact with their target audience. As small businesses continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19, SMEs across the UK continue to seek innovative ways to cut costs and combat ongoing challenges. One approach is through new marketing strategies; recent research by BT Business reveals that 76% of business owners have adopted social media platforms…

New research suggesting the self-employed sector’s contribution to the UK economy fell by an estimated £25bn in 2022 is a “wake up call” for government to change course on its agenda for the nation’s smallest businesses, the UK’s freelancer trade body has said. The findings, released today by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), suggest that whilst the solo self-employed population remained stable at 4.1 million in 2022, the sector’s economic contribution plunged by an estimated £25bn to a total of £278bn – an 8 per cent contraction compared to 2021. The figures come as IPSE launches…

SMEs often underestimate the importance of organic written content within their marketing strategy. It is tempting to focus on marketing activity with an instant gratification whether that’s in the form of higher engagement, increased follower growth, or lead generation.  However, written content is a powerful growth tool when used correctly. Strictly speaking, written content is the backbone of any good marketing strategy. Imagine a website with no words – social media posts, brochures, adverts with just imagery…it simply doesn’t work. Nailing your content strategy can be daunting – you have to consider language, tone, your audience and their needs, as…

This week is National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), the 16th annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships. For those looking to advance their career or learn new skills, an apprenticeship can be a great way to develop the skills and knowledge required and provide businesses an opportunity to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills. But taking on something new can come with challenges. Whether adapting to new routines, meeting new people or taking on a new role, change can be hard. And with additional factors such as rising living costs, international instability and mental health pressures at play, employers need…

Spain has announced a new digital nomad visa that will allow non–European Economic Area residents (including British and US citizens) working for foreign companies to live in the country, without having to obtain a full work visa. The Spanish parliament approved the move in December, and this visa introduction is part of the country’s newly passed Startup Law, which aims to attract tech companies, remote workers and digital nomads to Spain. With the visa, people can live and work in Spain for up to a year at first, and then apply for this time to be extended, up to a total period of…