Running and growing a business of any size is a challenge. Trying to run and grow an SME can be even harder. In a bigger company with more resources, you might have the chance to delegate the management of day-to-day administrative tasks and other time-consuming activities. However, running an SME likely means time spent on these tasks instead of strategising for your business’ future. You want to spend time focusing on how you can grow and improve your business instead of getting dragged down in necessary but consuming admin. With an Equals Money account, you can save time and money…

US expansion is a fantastic growth opportunity for UK companies if they successfully execute the right strategy for their business. UK management teams are increasingly looking across the Atlantic to maximise their growth potential. In order to do this, leaders need to select the most effective strategy for their business model and ambitions. ECI Partners, the leading growth-focused mid-market private equity firm, shares its top tips for creating a successful growth strategy in the US. Looking to address the challenges that can often arise, ECI draws on the experience of two portfolio companies, Moneypenny and MiQ, both of which are…

As we surpass the two-year anniversary of the work from home order being put into place, many companies are continuing to explore different working models for their business. Clockwise Chief Operating Officer Alexandra Brunner looks at how companies across the UK are adapting to the new needs and ways of working.  The most drastic change we have seen in the post-pandemic office is the hybrid working model becoming central to almost every job. A recent survey from flexible co-working space provider, Clockwise showed that although 51 per cent of people prefer to work from home, over two thirds of Gen-Z…

As a business providing precision engineering services to the aerospace, motorsports, and marine sectors across the globe, West Midlands-based engineering firm A&M EDM prides itself on it’s innovative, pioneering, and forward-thinking approach.  By its very nature, R&D constitutes a significant proportion of the firm’s day-to-day operations and, through embracing the Government’s R&D tax credit scheme, it has successfully claimed back more than £780,000 to date. The scheme was introduced by the Government in 2000 in a bid to support SMEs by helping them reduce the cost of R&D activity and subsequently encouraging further innovation (a separate scheme for larger organisations…

Nearly half of all employees (48%) had no wellbeing check-in from their employer in the past year, finds new research among 2,000 workers.  The data released by Mental Health First Aid England to mark My Whole Self Day, 18 March 2022, reveals that double the number of employees report that their workplace had failed to check-in on their wellbeing over the past year (48% up from 25% in 2021). The last 12 months of the pandemic has seen increased reports of mental ill health yet only 27% report receiving a wellbeing check-in from their employer monthly or more. This is…

The last couple of years have been tough for businesses, but those that have been able to grow, despite the challenging circumstances, have almost without exception had to showcase a high degree of resilience. Here Alison Watson, Head of the School of Leadership and Management at Arden University, explores how businesses can optimise business resilience, and harness it to ensure they continue to thrive. The most successful businesses have always had a high degree of business resilience – it’s true of all types of organisations, but is particularly key when it comes to SMEs. The pandemic forced all of us…

For the last 20 years, Nick Fewings has been working with teams around the world to motivate and inspire them to transform how they work and achieve even greater success.  He has also shared his knowledge and experience of teamwork at many conferences, providing delegates with practical tips and suggestions on how to increase their team’s effectiveness. Asked on many occasions, “Have you written a book about how to achieve high performance teamwork?” His answer has always been no, but that has all changed. Team Lead Succeed is for anyone who works in a team and wants to make a positive…

Devin de Vries, CEO at WhereIsMyTransport offers his thoughts on why better information holds the power to transform and accelerate transport  innovation, especially in emerging markets. To the casual observer, it might seem that little in transport has changed over the past decade. The modes people use today to move around the city are still largely the same as they have been for years, with the notable addition of eBikes and eScooters in many cities. Many of the issues faced 10 years ago—congestion, pollution, and long commutes—are also the same. In fact, in many cities (even in rapidly advancing emerging markets) those…

In conjunction with the two year anniversary of the UK lockdown (March 2020), UK-based payments provider SumUp (www.sumup.co.uk) has analysed over 500,000 anonymous transactions from UK-based SumUp business account users, in order to determine the changing face of UK business expenditure over the last few years. The SumUp business account, which comes with a SumUp Card (by MasterCard), provides merchants with a one-stop-shop for business solutions. The account allows them to send and receive money instantly in the UK and enjoy unlimited free bank transfers, both on incoming and outgoing payments, as well as the ability to access your business’…

Despite the pandemic accelerating the UK’s shift online, new research reveals those living in Plymouth, Barnsley and Sunderland still prefer visiting the local high street. Payments provider Mollie analysed a list of 60 locations and ranked them on a number of factors to determine where shoppers are most likely to splurge online vs in-store, and vice versa. The research shows that those living in Plymouth have the biggest loyalty to the high street, with fewer business closures than all but Sunderland, meaning more options for shoppers. In Plymouth, there were 27.85 business closures per 10,000 population, compared to 25.75 in Sunderland. Each location…

Female-founded companies receive only 2.3% of global VC investment, a number that has dropped rather than risen in the past year.  Tash Grossman is a pioneer in the STEM sector (science, technology, engineering, and maths) which is dominated by men with less than a quarter of women in the space. The 25-year old is the Founder and CEO of Slip, a tech platform bringing a frictionless, omnichannel solution to the high street by digitising receipts and leveraging data for a seamless and connected customer experience. She has been recognised in TechRound’s 29 under 29, been a finalist in Verizon’s Young…

Research released by all-in-one HR, April 2022,  benefits and payroll platform Employment Hero has found that British small businesses are facing a rocky road ahead as only 40 per cent of employees feel fairly paid for their work and over half of the workforce have a work-life balance that is average or poor. The research, which surveyed over 2,000 employees in February, also found that employees are 75 per cent more likely to be loyal to an employer if they rated their employer’s commitment to wellbeing as good. This could save major turnover costs and make all the difference to a growing company.…

Business-to-business (B2B) Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is on the rise. An entirely separate model to the much-maligned consumer financing model, it is highly regulated and allows businesses to spread the cost of purchases, growth and internal investment. But there is still some confusion between B2B and B2C BNPL, leaving many businesses unsure of whether it’s the right financing solution for them. So, what is B2B BNPL, how does it work, how does it differ from its consumer cousin, and is it a good option for scaling businesses? What is B2B BNPL? B2B BNPL is a form of trade credit…

Is finance as male-dominated as it was? No, there have indeed been improvements but there is still a long way to go to reach real equality across the sector. Some of the factors behind the lack of diversity across the industry are ingrained social issues. Bias around education, training, opportunities, and recruitment all play a major role in constraining women in finance. Ultimately, this leads to significantly reduced career progression for those women who have pursued a career in financial services. I have worked in finance for over twelve years, starting in consulting and banking operational roles. In 2019 I…

By Laura Brown, head of demand generation at Esendex The closure of many brick-and-mortar stores and the increase in online demand has led to customer relationships becoming somewhat strained over the past few years as businesses try to navigate the unique challenges brought on by the pandemic. One such challenge companies are facing is in how to replicate the one-on-one connection you typically get in-store, prompting questions such as ‘how can I continue to provide such a personalised experience online?’ and ‘which platform is best for this?’. The reality is, there is now a plethora of communication channels available to…

When it comes to posture and sitting correctly at our desks and on the commute it’s something we all know we need to improve on, but it’s hard, despite knowing the benefits. What if I told you that there is something you can do anywhere, any time, that would help with maintaining your physical, mental and emotional health, and is as relevant today as it was in the time of Confucius. Enter the ancient art of Chi Kung, rooted in Taoist philosophy. As humans we are well practised in using our grey matter to solve problems and find solutions but…