Almost half of Brits’ finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic – with those aged 50-64 affected the most, according to new research by leading health service company, Cigna Europe.  Over 1,000 Brits took part in the Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey, which reveals that 29% of Brits are unable to maintain their current standard of living, 24% are unable to pay their mortgage or housing – whilst almost 4 in 10 (39%) have no financial security if they are unable to work due to illness. The research also highlights only 22% of people have sufficient money for retirement, with those aged…

The tech sector has been among the few winners of the pandemic. According to Tech Nation, a new startup launched every half an hour in the UK between January and December of 2020, double the rate of the previous year. The entrepreneurial spirit and talent of British business owners, combined with record levels of funding has made the UK a competitive tech hotspot. So much so that the government has set up a fund to supercharge fast-growing tech firms to further foster tech innovation in the UK. Behind almost all tech startups, and one of the primary assets of businesses…

Business Development – Scaling v Growth One of the most important decisions a business owner has to make is choosing whether the company will focus on growth, or on scaling. While it’s generally best to focus on one approach for a reasonable stretch of time before switching gears, there are many ways that companies go about this struggle. Brands typically either grow their customer base by marketing and attracting new clients, or they scale by focusing on optimizing their current offerings and generating profit from loyal consumers. Which strategy you choose might depend on several factors, including the stage the…

Entrepreneur Kelly Swingler will be a keynote speaker this month at The Richmond Human Resources Forum in London sharing the story of her burnout experience which led her to create the world’s first Wellbeing for HR Programme. The former HR director believes the sector needs to get better at creating their own support packages and prioritising their wellbeing too. Kelly, whose talk is entitled: ‘What does wellbeing look like for HR people themselves?’ is an executive coach for professional women and founder of The Chrysalis Crew – an award-winning people and change consultancy. She is also the author of the ‘What’s Your…

Visit The Thames Valley Expo in Reading & connect with the local business community. Great British Expos are delighted to be bringing back one of their longest-running Exhibitions. The Thames Valley Expo (Reading) takes place on the 2nd November at Green Park Conference Center. This exhibition is the ultimate event for businesses within the region and provides the ideal meeting place to learn, collaborate, network and discuss the latest innovations helping encourage economic prosperity for Berkshire. Attending the Thames Valley Expo gives SMEs a huge advantage. Connect with 100’s of like minded business in the one place; make new connections,…

Paul Glynn is the Managing Director of Sandler Training UK (Southern Counties). Award winning Sandler Training is one of the leading sales training and leadership development companies in the world, assisting large multi-national companies, as well as small- to mid-sized businesses, with their vision of growth through increased sales and profitability. Next week Paul will be sharing his expertise at The Thames Valley Expo Reading as one of the Keynote Speakers but before that he speaks to SME Today about his work experience, challenges and inspirations. You are an established and successful entrepreneur – please tell us about your background…

Over the last few months, many SMEs will have been working to their new hybrid working policies now social restrictions have eased. But getting people to actually come in when they’re supposed to is a new challenge on the wider business agenda. When employees have proven they’ve worked productively from home for 18 months, some of those hesitant to return will wonder why they’re being forced back into the office. But a huge mistake that businesses can make is coming down too heavy-handed and policing with an iron fist who isn’t at their ‘desk’. This could damage trust and make…

One of the most important decisions a business owner has to make is choosing whether the company will focus on growth, or on scaling. While it’s generally best to focus on one approach for a reasonable stretch of time before switching gears, there are many ways that companies go about this struggle. Brands typically either grow their customer base by marketing and attracting new clients, or they scale by focusing on optimizing their current offerings and generating profit from loyal consumers. Which strategy you choose might depend on several factors, including the stage the company is in at the moment,…

Are you waiting for a bulletproof plan to start a business? Don’t. Contrary to conventional wisdom, building a business doesn’t start when you create a formalised business plan. For me, that is an outdated and unrealistic idea. It means knowing exactly what you want from the start and what steps you need to take, and in what order. Instead of structure and direction, a perfect business plan can become an unshakeable script that becomes a restriction before you even start and even make you fail quicker. Why? Because you are not giving yourself room to make mistakes, fail and try…

Even at its earliest stage, a company and its shareholders will be considering the best way to grow business, expand into different geographies and product lines and eventually, exit. Geography will be a significant consideration, with many UK companies weighing up—as musicians and actors have done for decades—whether long-term success depends on “cracking America”. Whether transatlantic expansion happens organically or through M&A, leadership teams should carefully review the options available to make sure they plot the right course. Simon Arlington, Corporate Partner, at Morrison & Forester provides some pointers The appeal of the US US expansions can be difficult for…

Virgin Media O2 is today lifting the lid on its first joint product offering, Volt, giving small businesses and entrepreneurs even more from its services – more speed, more data and more value. Small businesses with up to 10 employees can now supercharge their services and reap extra rewards simply by being customers of both brands. From a 4G startup and backup service to keep them connected no matter what, to double mobile data, through Volt small businesses and start-ups can unlock a host of exclusive benefits. All they have to do is take a Voom broadband service from Virgin…

Xero, the global small business platform, today announced a reimagined version of Xero Me, its employee self-service app which now comes with integrated Expenses technology. By integrating the award-winning* Xero Expenses technology right into Xero Me, employees of small businesses using Xero Payroll in Australia, New Zealand and the UK will now benefit from being able to submit expense claims in the same place they access payslips, submit timesheets and manage leave requests. The Xero Me app is evolving to become Xero’s central place for employees to manage critical people processes themselves, with more functionality being built into the experience…

New research by IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) shows that over a third of contractors (35%) have left self-employment since the changes to IR35, either moving into permanent employment, retiring, working overseas or simply not working. The research also found that of those who remain, more than a third again (34%) are now working through unregulated umbrella companies and another third (36%) are working through engagements deemed ‘inside IR35’. Working inside IR35 not only leaves contractors essentially in no-rights employment; it also has significant financial consequences: four out of five contractors (80%) working inside IR35 said…

Strong lending growth continues throughout 2021 with the target of £500m in committed loan offers for 2021 expected to be exceeded – driven by a positive mix of unprecedented demand from brokers, as well as encouraging early take-up of its new direct-to-customer offering – against a backdrop of increasing confidence among SMEs Introduction of new products and services in Allica’s lending portfolio, together with Allica’s entry into Scotland and the Healthcare market, further establishes its position as the breakthrough challenger bank for Britain’s established SMEs Significant early-stage traction from initial pilot of its unique branchless relationship manager network, with the pipeline of active loan applications more than doubling each month since launch Pace continues with the introduction of new propositions with Allica set to beta launch its innovative Business Rewards Account later this year Allica’s expanding SME proposition is gaining significant recognition across the industry. As well as 97% of commercial mortgage brokers rating Allica’s service positively in the Bank’s broker survey,…

A shift towards hybrid working, increased use of digital channels and the rise of new technologies means that businesses rely on the internet now more than ever. A reliable, high-quality connection is a non-negotiable for efficient operations across all industries, but it’s important to determine the right way to connect for your business. While many businesses opt for broadband, could an Ethernet leased line be a better choice? Here, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of business communication service provider Crystaline, explains.  An Ethernet leased line is a dedicated point-to-point connection between a business and its service provider. A business’ premises…

Anthony David Sladariu, SEO and Content Manager at Fasthosts, shares his five proven methods for small businesses looking to improve their SEO. As a busy small business owner, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) might seem like unnecessary extra work, particularly if you’re not familiar with where to start, let alone knowing how to apply best practice. But don’t let the jargon put you off — the concept of SEO is quite simple and it can be a powerful tool when it comes to getting free online traffic from organic search. When you undertake any search online, search engines like Google and…