Award-winning Olympian javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread MBE will be the keynote speaker at the Big Business Breakfast, sponsored by Business West. This event is part of the Great British Expo’s South West Expo, taking place at the Steam Museum in Swindon on July 17, 2024. The breakfast event is from 8:30 am to 9:45 am. Fatima, who was awarded the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award for outstanding achievement in the face of adversity, will share her inspiring story of resilience at the Big Business Breakfast. She will recount her journey from being abandoned as a…

2023 marked the great office return, with a steep rise in interest for both employees and employers returning to the office environment. According to the Virgin Media O2 Business Future of Work study, 58% of workers cited stronger connections with colleagues as a primary motivation for returning to the office, while 55% reported improved mental health attributed to in-office work environments. Currently 57% of business leaders expect their employees to return to the workplace full-time, with only 9% permitting fully remote work, according to recent research. Despite this trend, a significant portion of the workforce continues to operate remotely. With…

The UK’s economic landscape is showing promising signs of recovery, with recent data indicating a notable upturn. Key voices in the business community are urging the new Government to seize this momentum and implement growth-focused policies to sustain and enhance this positive trajectory. , National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), responded to the Office for National Statistics figures showing a 0.4% rise in GDP for May: “The good growth registered in May picks up the momentum from the strong economic expansion seen in the first quarter, following April’s lull. To achieve the Prime Minister’s ambition to drive…

Litigation – that is, formally dealing with a dispute through the parties’ domestic courts – has long been the go-to solution when commercial disputes arise, but this form of dispute resolution has been regarded as lengthy, costly, and does little to preserve any commercial goodwill between the parties involved. Conversely, Arbitration has become an internationally welcome form of commercial dispute resolution. So, what does arbitration entail, and is it the right choice for you should you find yourself at the centre of an ongoing commercial dispute? What is arbitration? There are times where formal litigation is unavoidable. However, both commercially…

Well, it was inevitable, we all knew what the result would be, but we had to wait 6 weeks for it to be made official.  The Labour Party has clinched a decisive victory in the recent UK election, ushering in a new era under the leadership of Keir Starmer. This resounding win marks a significant shift in the political landscape, reflecting the electorate’s desire for change and renewal. As the dust settles on the election aftermath, Starmer’s new Labour government faces the formidable task of translating their mandate into tangible progress and addressing the myriad challenges that lie ahead. The…

Free-from food company Creative Nature has been celebrated with three awards at the Free From Food Awards, at the presentation ceremony in London. Founded in 2012 by Julianne Ponan MBE, Creative Nature emerged from Julianne’s personal journey with multiple food allergies and anaphylaxis. The company’s dedication to creating delicious, safe, and inclusive food options has propelled it to the forefront of the industry. The Free From Food Awards, established in 2008, are the UK’s premier awards recognising excellence in the free-from food and drink industry. Highly respected and trusted, these awards highlight the innovation and quality within this growing market.…

Events like ClimbUK, the UK’s festival of innovation, industry and investment, aim to demystify the process of growing a business, bringing together industry experts with representatives from the startup and scaleup community to share insights, knowledge and experience. In this article, Gordon Bateman, founder of Investor Ladder and Climb24, shares three key learnings from this year’s conference and how they could help you take your SME to the next level. Resilience is key  The topic of resilience featured heavily throughout Climb24, with many of the 2,000 attendees agreeing that this was vital in weathering the startup landscape. Dominic McGregor, founder…

Over 250 million videos currently exist on TikTok discussing some of the biggest career trends in 2024, including quiet quitting, rage applying, and acting your wage.  These videos started appearing on the social media platform in 2022, with many employees discussing their workplace experiences and dissatisfaction with their roles, creating an influx of other workers following suit. Are employees just jumping on trends, or are workplaces not taking employment satisfaction seriously? To discover the impact these TikTok career trends can have on the workplace and employees, the feel-good PR agency, Lem-uhn, has partnered with Employment Services Director at Peninsula, Kate Palmer, to…

Bank of America has agreed a new facility with Simply Asset Finance, the specialist business lending provider, which will unlock the potential of £120 million of further funding for businesses across the UK. The initial facility is for a value of £60 million with an accordion to £120 million.  This milestone agreement consolidates Bank of America’s position as a leading player in UK Asset Finance and the move will enable Simply Asset Finance to significantly increase its funding to UK borrowers for hire purchases, finance leases and refinancing. Bank of America identified Simply Asset Finance as a credible, and valuable,…

A Made-Smarter backed campervan manufacturer has secured a ‘transformational’ partnership with Mercedes-Benz after investing in new technology. Crozier Campers, based in Lancashire, is now part of the automotive brand’s Bodybuilder programme. It means the Poulton-le-Fylde company can order pre-registered Sprinter vans directly from the factory in Germany to convert and sell. Mercedes-Benz agreed to the collaboration following Crozier’s £40k investment in leading edge design software and CNC machinery which was supported by a £20,000 grant from Made Smarter’s North West adoption programme. Conor Crozier, Founder and Managing Director, said: “We are thrilled to have established a formal partnership with Mercedes-Benz.…

What brought you to Salesforce? I’ve spent over two decades working in the software industry, and Salesforce has been internationally recognised as the best-in-class Customer Relationship Management (CRM) provider for over half of that time. That’s an astounding achievement. Through the various roles I’ve performed at Salesforce I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to and help fuel the customer-obsessed culture that sets us apart from our competitors. That’s what brought me to Salesforce, and what keeps me here. Tell me about your role as Head of EMEA ESMB for Salesforce – what does your day to day look like? I…

Former world class wheelchair tennis players Louise Hunt Skelley PLY, and Samanta Bullock have collaborated to create a new venture EnableRise. EnableRise is a groundbreaking business dedicated to promoting inclusivity, empowerment, and positive change for forward-looking companies and organisations who want to embrace people of all abilities. As pioneers in disability advocacy, Louise and Samanta bring a wealth of experience and passion to EnableRise. Their mission is to create a more inclusive and equitable society through impactful public talks, workshops and consultancy services. Louise Hunt Skelley, who lives in Swindon, enjoyed an impressive career in wheelchair tennis, representing Great Britain…

With the digital age making a broader range of services readily available to customers, B2B sales are more competitive than ever. The digital era has transformed the way businesses work and this is especially true for the role of salesperson, where we have seen a huge shift in how businesses connect with their customers. So what makes a good salesperson in 2024? And what skills should they have to generate successful leads and boost their results? To gain an understanding of what the biggest skills gaps are in B2B marketing and sales, the experts at Sopro have delved into Marketing…

Keele University is proud to offer apprenticeships across different sectors and specialisms. We provide a personalised approach, consulting with employers at all stages and have an evolving programme portfolio. Since 2018, Keele University has supported over 650 apprentices from more than 150 organisations. We focus on ensuring the learning on our apprenticeship programmes can be applied into the workplace, placing employer requirements at the heart of what we do. We have a strong track record of working with SMEs, through a range OF European Social Fund projects and through collaborations across our Keele University Science Park. Our Gateway offers a…

60 festivals are taking part in a pioneering project to establish a green events code of practice across England. Creative climate non-profit Julie’s Bicycle, host of festival industry project Vision: 2025, is collaborating with ten local authorities and more than 60 festivals to test how a Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) can be adopted nationally. Vision: 2025 Chair and Shamabla Festival Director Chris Johnson states: “I’m very proud that our industry is making the environment a key priority to deliver more sustainable festivals in the future. I’m surprised that we’ve heard so little about environmental issues during this election…

Ahead of the upcoming general election, over half (52%) of SME owners do not feel informed on the different political parties’ policies and their potential impact on small businesses, according to new data by online accounting provider FreeAgent. The survey delves into small business owners’ thoughts on the UK’s economic performance as well as perceptions around the upcoming election and its potential impact on  small businesses in the UK. It reveals that many entrepreneurs are pessimistic about the changes to come and how they might affect the UK’s economic output, with 2 in 5 respondents (39%) believing there will be…