More than 80 Bournemouth Town Centre BID levy payers across the town centre have joined the new Against Business Crime Partnership since its launch, working together to tackle antisocial behaviour and shoplifting and retail crime. Led by the Town Centre BID, this partnership of local businesses, police and the council, was established in response to rising levels of theft, verbal and physical abuse and anti-social behaviour, provides a platform for information sharing and incident recording to help empower more targeted police and local authority action. Across the Bournemouth Town Centre BID area more than 30 incidents have been reported in…

There is no denying that the current business landscape looks very different to what it did, even a couple of years ago. From the cost of living and rising business costs to the evolution of working arrangements such as hybrid and remote working; business leaders are facing many new challenges.   The ability to foster collaboration, instil a business ethos and culture, and effectively communicate these values throughout the organisation presents a significant challenge, particularly in remote and hybrid settings. In fact, according to the Arbinger Institute, 46% of all decision-makers and leaders reported that culture drives improvements in areas critical…

Philip King FCICM, former Small Business Commissioner and advisor to PKF Littlejohn Advisory, believes a ‘back to basics’ approach would help many businesses overcome the late-payment challenge. It is an established fact that companies often become insolvent not because they are inherently bad businesses, but simply because they run out of cash. Poor cashflow management, compounded by bad debts and slow paying customers, are typically to blame. But while it is tempting to lay the blame wholly on late payment, businesses must shoulder some of the responsibility for their own poor credit management practices. Put another way, best practice credit management…

Showerkap, a UK tech startup, has designed the world’s first water management system that enables organisations to monitor and conserve water usage, while also nudging users  to make more eco-friendly decisions that reduce water consumption, carbon emissions and costs. Five years ago The Environment Agency warned that the UK  was only 20-25 years from not having enough water to meet demand, yet even now,  with just 15 years to go, our prolonged shower habits are still accelerating water waste, high energy  costs and negative environmental impacts. Founded by engineer Steve Harding, Showerkap applies behavioural science to help motivate people to make…

New research on the uptake of employee benefits has revealed that HR leaders across the UK believe benefits and work perks are falling short. A lack of focus on what employees actually need and a failure to properly onboard staff are among the key reasons that benefits aren’t being used, the analysis found. In a survey of 500 UK HR Directors, carried out by employee money-saving platform Nous.co, almost half (48%) of HR leaders said they were seeing poor uptake of employee benefits because “employees don’t seem interested” in what’s on offer, showing perks are missing the mark for staff. Two…

With 20,000 people currently off work due to mental health illness[1], health and wellbeing is at the top of the agenda for employees. Improving mental health isn’t just a personal issue. At work, performance and wellbeing are aided when employees are happy, content, and feel they trust management enough to give feedback, ask for help or raise their concerns when necessary. However, concerningly there is a significant gap in the trust employees have for those that are senior to them. In fact, recent research conducted by Personio found that whilst trust between employees is strong, only 64% claim to trust…

Fiona Scott of Scott Media talks to a couple from Texas who have invested in Wiltshire – in the town of Malmesbury to be precise.  What was the appeal, for an American couple, of this market town with its roots so intertwined with Anglo Saxon England? What on earth had brought them 5,000 miles from their home to this little Cotswolds corner of the UK?  I recently met with Whit and Kim Hanks, successful American entrepreneurs, to find out. We met in the Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury which they now own.   Who are you and what do you do? …

DeepL, a global leader in Language AI, has unveiled its latest offering tailored for businesses, DeepL Write Pro. This new release—DeepL’s first service powered by its own LLM—changes the game for knowledge workers writing any type of business content. From critical internal employee communications to customer-facing messages and contracts, DeepL Write Pro helps enterprises communicate accurately and securely on a global scale. Unlike common generative AI tools that auto-populate text, or rules-based grammar correction tools, DeepL Write Pro acts as a creative assistant to writers in the drafting process, elevating their text with real-time, AI-powered suggestions on word choice, phrasing,…

Bury-based cruise provider Cruise Club UK have recently begun a full-scale digital transformation, with Manchester digital agency BANC managing the project from start to finish – and beyond. Using the agency’s extensive knowledge and experience, Cruise Club UK’s evolution will see them undergo an across-the-board revamp to increase digital presence and drive business online. Known for their very loyal customer base, the timing of the work couldn’t be better. The developments in the cruise market in recent times – something that’s seen more and more of its audience going online – mean that Cruise Club UK have a huge opportunity…

In today’s fast-evolving marketplace, business owners face unique challenges in navigating payments and consumer preferences. By understanding these facets, businesses of all sizes can better position themselves to meet customer needs, optimise their payment processes, and harness the opportunities presented by digital transformation in the financial landscape. Worldpay empowers businesses of all sizes to make, take and manage payments. Whether online, in store or mobile, you’ll find Worldpay at the heart of great commerce experiences globally. The Worldpay Global Payments Report, now in its ninth year, can also shed valuable light on customers’ shopping patterns and preferences, both in-store and…

Intuit Inc.  the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp,  today released a new report, “The Science of Loyalty,” focused on the drivers behind consumer behaviour and tangible insights that marketers can take to build loyalty and cultivate meaningful relationships between their brand and its customer base. Brand loyalty is often depicted as devotion – a narrative of customer affection and fidelity. However, the findings revealed a deeper truth. Sourced from a survey of 4,000 consumers across the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK—including 1,000 consumers in the UK—the results revealed that re-purchasing behaviour is not merely a manifestation of…

A historic Devon pub is here to stay thanks to an enterprising loan from Reparo Finance. The owner and landlord has big ambitions for the award-winning 17th century pub.  Now a £350k structured loan is funding a huge renovation project at the family run pub and restaurant, modernising rooms upstairs to provide state of the art bed and breakfast facilities. The loan was facilitated as part of the sale and purchase of the pub from a partnership to a limited company. A complex deal of this nature is often impossible using traditional lenders. However, Reparo Finance are experts at providing bespoke finance…

Best selling author and business networking expert Stefan Thomas has marked the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed book “Business Networking for Dummies” by sharing ten ways in which the world of networking has changed since 2014. In that ten years, Stefan has attended over 1,500 face to face networking events in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and has seen the world of networking evolve literally in front of his eyes. With over 10,000 book sales under his belt, Stefan’s book continues to serve as guidance for professionals navigating the intricate world of business connections.   Stefan lives in Oxfordshire and is a professional speaker,…

Countless tech brands risk disappearing into the ‘Sea of Same’ because they haven’t invested in developing a distinct brand narrative which sets them apart from their competitors. While investing heavily in R&D, tech businesses without a compelling narrative risk becoming indistinguishable in the race for market share and when tender lists are drawn up, they are forgotten, if, indeed, they were ever recalled at all.  Many businesses fall into the trap of using generic platitudes and common hygiene factors, mistakenly believing in some way they are unique or distinct. A closer look reveals the exact same generic phrases, spattered across…

When your startup is ready to grow, you need the right financial tools to help you achieve your business goals.  After initial investments are made in your company (including by family and friends), there are broadly two ways to raise capital – equity financing where you sell shares in your company or debt financing where you borrow money.  If you want to maintain control and avoid diluting ownership in your own company, debt financing is the better option.  This simply means borrowing money from lenders – which can be traditional banks, online lending platforms or specialist early-stage debt providers.  Knowing…

Marketing matters more now than ever for small businesses and is a crucial tool for driving profitability. In fact, according to HubSpot, companies that prioritise marketing efforts are 13 times more likely to see positive Return On Investment [ROI]. With research by Promixa indicating that up to 60 per cent of marketing budgets are wasted, ambitious small businesses wanting to scale can’t afford to take a half-hearted approach to their campaigns, and even the most well-intended marketing strategies can be derailed by simple mistakes that can easily be avoided. Here are some of the most common mistakes many small businesses…