The last few years have been stressful for many businesses and their employees. Just as we thought the worst of the pandemic had passed, we’re beginning to experience the worst cost-of-living crisis since the 1950s with energy bills, fuel prices and food prices soaring. Businesses too are facing higher costs across supply chains, manufacturing, overheads, and more. In fact, rising inflation will be the second most impactful issue for businesses in 2022, up from 22nd globally just a year ago. Attar Naderi, Associate Director Europe & MENA at Laserfiche  provides SMEToday readers with some advice on how to Maximise your resources and…

How do some businesses not only survive recession but thrive? According to Bain, 10% of organisations did well during previous recessions – and while 17% of public companies suffered, 9% bounced back stronger. But how? As James Hyde, Chief Product Officer & Founder, James and James Fulfilment explains, eCommerce retailers that prioritise core operational issues now – from supply chain optimisation to recruitment, sustainability to digital transformation – will be far better placed to grow profitably when the economic outlook improves. Changing Priorities The retail outlook has changed quickly. Businesses are not only wrestling with spiralling costs and on-going supply chain disruption but…

West Midlands-based employment support specialists Steps To Work has launched a new programme, to help those who have served in the Armed Forces as they embark on a new career path. Steps To Work is using its specialist employment knowledge to provide a scheme aimed at veterans, reservists and cadets. The employment support includes: helping with job applications, CV building, interview techniques and access to training and development opportunities. Bhanu Dhir, Chief Executive Officer at Steps To Work, said: “Our support package is one of the ways in which we want to offer our appreciation to those who have given so much to…

Lawrence Perret-Hall, Director at CYFOR Secure, discusses the benefits of cyber insurance for SMEs and how collaboration with cybersecurity partners and insurers can help overcome the risk of cybercrime Small businesses are three times more likely to be targeted by cybercriminals than larger companies. Yet the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey this year found less than half of micro, small and medium businesses have a formal cybersecurity strategy. These statistics should raise concern among SMEs. Not only are they more at risk of suffering a cyberattack than large businesses, but they are also…

New research from GRiD, the group risk sector’s industry body sector, shows that only a third of employers offer their entire workforce financial support in the event of ill health, injury or death. At its most basic, Group Income Protection (GIP) provides insured employees with vital financial protection by paying a percentage of their salary if they can’t work due to long-term illness or injury. But a good GIP policy can actually offer so much more. Vocational rehabilitation and absence management support can help prevent staff going sick in the first place. It can also help them return to work…

Oxford Health Policy Forum has announced it will be working with the team behind an initiative known as The Changing Face of Medicine to help raise awareness of how medicine, healthcare and the role of doctors will – and should – change over the next 20 years. The Changing Face of Medicine is comprised of recognised individuals within the medical world who are seeking solutions to the many challenges faced by society today when it comes to healthcare.  The role of the doctor is under strain and may need redefining. In such a fast-moving world and with so many stakeholders…

An employment lawyer has warned football fans they could be sacked if they call in sick to watch the World Cup.  The tournament in Qatar kicks off in less than two weeks’ time and with England’s first game taking place on a Monday afternoon many workers may be tempted to pull a sickie in order to watch the match.  With this in mind, the experts at national law firm Richard Nelson LLP have encouraged footie-mad fans to think twice before faking an illness as it could lead to them being dismissed. Andrew Knorpel, consultant solicitor in the employment law team at Richard Nelson…

Late payments aren’t a new problem for small businesses, but recent research has shown that the situation appears to be more of a challenge than ever. In fact, a 2022 study by Small Business Index (SBI) found that 30% of business owners have seen an increasing number of overdue invoices over the past three months. This can have serious consequences for business owners, and make it more difficult to manage cash flow, but the good news is that there are steps that you can take to manage late payments, and their effect on your business. Elizabeth Hughes, Content Editor at Pandle, provides…

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…

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…