Most offices have a coffee corner. For SMEs, that corner carries extra weight. You’ve got fewer people, tighter budgets, and no spare hands to fuss with machines. Yet those two-minute pauses shape the day: mood, focus, the tone of quick chats before the next task. Why the coffee point matters for SMEs Micro-breaks work when they’re easy. In a small team, the knock-on effects of a slow or unreliable setup spread fast: a queue forms, someone gives up, the pause turns into a gripe. If the machine is quick, consistent, and always ready, you get a steady rhythm — step…
Author: Greg Robinson
2025 is a year that will go down in history for many things. The year AI became truly ubiquitous, a year of geopolitical realignment, a pivotal moment in the reshaping of global supply chains and, perhaps less recognised, one of the most opportune moments in recent history for companies to transition from tenants to owners. The fact is, for many businesses in 2025, the decision to purchase commercial property isn’t just about location and square footage anymore – it’s become a strategic move that can offer a range of financial, operational and long-term advantages over renting. Andy Jansons, of Jansons…
Major changes to UK company law are being introduced that will affect all new and existing company directors and people with significant control (PSCs). The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, has fundamentally changed how Companies House operates. The act gave Companies House the power to play a far more significant role in tackling economic crime, whilst supporting economic growth and making sure the UK is one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business. For small and medium-sized enterprises, these new measures mean new compliance requirements, but also greater trust and transparency, and…
ISO/IEC 27001 roadmap: A practical guide for UK SMEs – Putting information security first is your first step to building digital trust. It’s what helps businesses stay secure, resilient, and reliable. 43% of UK businesses have faced a cyber-attack in the last year. For SMEs, who are often working with limited budgets and stretched teams, the risks can feel overwhelming. But every change starts with a single step. BSI is offering a new brochure download to help SMEs put information security first. The free brochure is a roadmap to help you build a strong information security culture within your organization.…
North East-based training provider NC Group recently announced it secured formal approval from Pearson, the UK’s leading awarding body, to deliver Level 4 Higher National Certificates (HNCs) and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) in Engineering, making it one of a select group of independent training providers in the UK with this status. It is now pleased to welcome twelve learners from global to regional employers, including 3M, Katmex, Ineos, Harrison Packaging, Ricor North East, Hydram, Pragmatic Maintenance & Reliability, and the Invest People Group. “We’re delighted to see such strong demand for the HNC in Engineering,” said Liam Noble, Managing Director…
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing a paradox: they must operate with agility and speed yet remain vigilant in the face of growing regulatory scrutiny and cybersecurity threats. For many, compliance feels like a burden. An obligation that diverts time and resources from growth. But what if the very tools used to meet compliance requirements could also become strategic assets? Marcin Pichur, Regional Vice President Sales (UK, Spain, Italy, Poland), DocuWare, explores further. One such tool, often overlooked and underutilised, is the audit trail. From back office to frontline defence Traditionally seen as a backend feature tucked away in…
Creative Nature CEO Julianne Ponan MBE wins Business Woman of the Year at one of the UK’s most significant celebrations of women in business. The Enterprise Vision Awards are a national platform highlighting female entrepreneurship across many industries. The awards celebrate innovation, resilience, and the growing impact of women in business. This year, the award ceremony was hosted at the Blackpool Winter Gardens on Friday, 26th September, where the winners of 19 categories were announced. Julianne Ponan MBE, CEO of allergen-free food brand Creative Nature, was nominated in the highly competitive category of Business Woman of the Year, alongside six other entrepreneurs. Julianne was announced as the…
Hiring the right talent is never easy. Does the candidate have the right experience? Will they fit in with your team? Can they actually do the job, or just talk about doing it? It’s a tricky, time-consuming process, and it’s only getting harder in today’s labour market. Chris McNamara, Founder and CEO of PathwayCTM, provides some advice on how businesses can benefit from the value of an apprentice. Vacancies are rising, but so is competition for the best candidates. According to the Office for National Statistics [ONS], there were 2.2 unemployed people per vacancy between February and April 2025 –…
The days of the traditional career ladder may be numbered as Generation Z enters the workplace and quietly reshapes what “success at work” looks like. According to a recent Harris Poll reported by Forbes, 57% of Gen Z workers maintain a side hustle. This is more than any generation before them: 48% of Millennials, 31% of Gen X, and just 21% of Boomers. Alastair Greener, a keynote speaker, podcast host and forthcoming author of Generationally Speaking – How to Bridge the Generation Gap and Communicate with Confidence, believes this marks a cultural shift in how young people think about work. “Gen…
The CEO of managed IT provider WestSpring IT, Emma Carter, has warned businesses across the region to act now or risk destruction – with the end of Microsoft’s Windows 10 looming. On Tuesday October 14, Microsoft will cease providing free security updates, technical assistance or feature updates for any organisations using Windows 10 software. Recently WestSpring IT has onboarded several new clients, some employing more than 100 staff, who didn’t even realise that next month they could be exposing their whole IT system to hackers and cyber criminals. “This is a serious risk for any company which has not heard…