The new way to work is here and finding a workspace is easier than ever. Spare Desk is the brainchild of Bristol entrepreneur and experienced project manager Andrea Szell. The mum of 3 had the idea for Spare Desk before the pandemic accelerated the ‘new way of work’ and the increased requirement for flexible working and sustainable working practices. Spare Desk is a  platform that enables individuals and businesses who would like to list and monetise their unused workspaces to connect to users who need on-demand workspaces tailored to their requirements. Whether you are looking for a desk to sit…

In some ways, the pandemic created a more level playing field for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Often faced with the need to pivot amid fast-changing market conditions and maximise limited budgets, they suddenly saw that their largest competitors were grappling with the same issues. Although hard hit by COVID-19, many SMBs were also able to harness their well-honed agility and ingenuity to help them adjust — powering speedy innovation and adaptation. Despite experiencing falls in year-over-year sales as high as 55%, SMBs have adjusted swiftly to growing shifts, particularly digitisation. Already driving nearly half of UK digital advertising spend…

Rotem Shemesh, Lead Product Marketing Manager, Security Solutions at Datto, provides SMEs some guidance on how to protect against the numerous phishing attacks businesses face today. Phishing attacks remain the most common threat vector according to the UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey, published in March this year. Of the 39% of UK businesses that suffered a cyberattack in the last 12 months, 83% were due to a phishing attempt. This is not surprising, given how easy it is to deploy a phishing campaign; and while phishing is not new, it is often used as the first step in larger-scale cyberattacks to trick users…

The proliferation of SaaS (software as a service) products in today’s business environment is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, startups have never had such easy access to powerful tools. Users can start with a single seat and scale up as required. However, the breadth of options available can be overwhelming and understanding how to prioritise spending is a key issue for founders. Is now the time to start investing in new SaaS products? Or are they better off investing that budget elsewhere? Below Shaun Shirazian, CPO, Pipedrive, outlines the best time for SME businesses to look for and invest in…

New research conducted by embedded finance provider YouLend and payment service provider Dojo has revealed a significant trend when it comes to the way businesses are operating: they are ditching cash payments.   In fact, only 5% of businesses in the UK only accept cash today, according to the data, published in a new white paper: Less Cash, More Possibility The research indicates that the primary driver is a proliferation in mobile payments. Already, almost half (48%) of businesses have adopted digital payment methods – with female-owned businesses taking the lead, at a 51% adoption rate, relative to 42% for…

2022 was always going to be a year of change. In what is now becoming a ‘post-lockdown’ world, the re-opening of society and the challenges that brought has driven intense change in our world. However, as well as the physical world changing, the digital world is ever evolving with that. And in 2022, as Ryan Hill, Senior Account Manager at Hampshire based agency MRS Digital, explains, there’s plenty of change on the horizon. What Changes Are Happening This Year? This year alone, there’s been a whole host of changes announced already, and more will inevitably be announced in the coming…

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which took place over the weekend saw huge celebrations in the UK and around the world. Her 70 years as monarch represent a remarkable length of time, which dwarf the typical tenure of a here-today, gone-tomorrow leader in politics, business or other arenas. Whilst different fields have their own particular characteristics, there are parallels between the responsibilities and challenges of leadership, whether you’re the Queen or a leader of any organisation or group. Ten macro themes of the Elizabethan era, which a leader in any field would do well to take note of are as…

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) data for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is a growing priority. Whereas smaller companies may not have previously cared about their ESG credentials, the pressure from European banks and investors, as well as larger businesses at the top of the supply chains, have made sourcing and showcasing this information a greater focus. Jessica Camus, Head of ESG at diginex provides some pointers. However, with so much discussion, emphasis, and focus on the data itself, many SME leaders would be forgiven for thinking the job was done once the data has finally been sourced. The reality is…

For a new business owner, there are a lot of things to consider, from marketing and logistics to HR, design, accounting and more. It can be overwhelming, but we’re going to explore the best beginner marketing ideas to get you started: Why is marketing important? What are KPIs, and how do they impact marketing? How to write your marketing plan Read on to discover how easy your marketing plan can take shape… Why is marketing important? Someone once said, “A goal without a plan is just a wish”, so, while you may have a goal and an aim for your business,…

Its Business Innovation all the way in Birmingham and our aim is to bring business together @ The Midlands Expo Birmingham Here at Great British Expos we are delighted to bring back one our longest running Exhibitions The Midlands Expo (Birmingham) on Thursday 24th June @ The Holte Suite, Aston Villa FC, Birmingham. This exhibition is the ultimate event for businesses within the Midlands region, designed to help you network, make new connections and grow your business. Attending the Midlands Expo gives SMEs a huge advantage. Join over 1000 SMEs from across the region who will be attending the business…

Xero’s Small Business Index is at its lowest point since February 2021, suffering the most drastic monthly fall since April 2020  Tougher economic conditions caused by rising inflation has left the UK’s small businesses squeezed tighter between soaring energy bills and wages on one side, and slower consumer spending power and late payments, according to the latest data from Xero, the global small business platform.  Xero’s Small Business Index, based on anonymised and aggregated data from hundreds of thousands of small businesses, fell 11 points to 83 in April. This is the lowest reading since February 2021 and the most…

Julianne Ponan, the founder of award-winning, allergy-free food brand, Creative Nature, will be one of the key speakers at The Allergy & Free-From Show in London this summer. It’s ten years since Julianne Ponan aged just 22 started making her own healthy snacks out of frustration at the lack of nut-free products on the market that weren’t packed with additives.  She used superfood ingredients to improve the nutrient value and used her then fiancé, Matt, as a guinea-pig to get the flavours right. Julianne has life-threatening allergies and her business, Creative Nature, was built to cater for those with problems…

Michelle Stark, Director at Fasthosts shares the four key indicators you should look out for when checking your hosting provider’s cybersecurity is up to scratch. Just as a physical shop wouldn’t underestimate the importance of burglar alarms or CCTV cameras, businesses operating in the online world can’t afford to overlook their cybersecurity. The internet is constantly expanding and evolving, and the wider a business casts its net into this, the more likely it will catch something it doesn’t want. In fact, there are 65,000 attempts to hack small to medium sized businesses occurring every day in the UK and this…

The workplace can be very stressful at times and, while some stress can be avoided with proper task delegation, communication and resource allocation, another less obvious factor is negatively impacting many workers’ mental wellbeing – gut health.   With corporate wellness high on the agenda for many organisations, now is the time for employers to prioritise their teams’ gut health as part of their overall approach to employee mental wellbeing. However, with limited understanding amongst employers on the intrinsic connection between the gut, the brain and workplace wellness and performance, it is no surprise that so few are taking their…

A new study on skills in the workplace has revealed a list of the most important skills that workers expect a manager to possess, with leadership right at the top of what they want. Around half (51% of men and 45% of women) of the 2,048 working-age adults polled by Censuswide, on behalf of enterprise LMS provider Digits, thought leadership skills were the most essential. Verbal communication and teamwork skills ranked joint second for over a third (35%) of people, closely followed by empathy and problem-solving skills (30% and 29% respectively). Surprisingly, written communication skills came last on the list…

The sustained performance of family businesses can be attributed to several characteristics and next-generation leadership skills unique to their business models. A Global Family Business Report from KPMG Private Enterprise and the STEP Project Global Consortium highlights how emotional attachment to one’s organisation and the ability of next-gens to take risks and experience life outside the family business are critical elements of future business success. ‘The regenerative power of family businesses’  brings together insights from 2,439 CEOs and other leaders from top family businesses across 70 countries and territories, illustrating the common factors that make up the formula for family business…