New Vitality research* has revealed that 52% of employees believe that their workplace health and wellbeing initiatives are little more than a ‘tick-box exercise’. This comes despite nearly two thirds of employees reporting their employers provides access to formal health wellbeing benefits and services (63%), health and wellbeing support tools such as apps, online resources and employee assistance programmes (65%), and training for things like stress management (64%). Yet despite this widespread offering, only 60% of employees believe their employer genuinely prioritises employee health and wellbeing, and just over half (57%) believe that the health and wellbeing support available to them actually matches their needs. 55% of employees also said they would like more personalised support and 61% said they would engage more if interventions were tailored to what they need. The results from Vitality’s…

Global instability is increasingly translating into local disruption for UK businesses, as security intelligence from Securitas shows risks once considered distant are now shaping day‑to‑day operations. Geopolitical tension, activist pressure, economic uncertainty and shifting public sentiment are converging in ways that are directly impacting sites, supply chains and workforces – often without clear triggers or immediate warning. Organisations are increasingly seeking strategic partners that can help them understand these evolving risks and translate insight into practical action. Analysis from Securitas’ Risk Intelligence indicates this shift has accelerated over the past year, with global developments now influencing operational risk at a…

Red Tape, Resource Misuse And Conflicting Goals Stops Social Businesses From Providing Sustainable Regional Value Social businesses are prevented from delivering sustainable regional value due to complex policies and unclear guidance from local authorities, unnecessary financial constraints, and resource misuse finds new research from Durham University Business School. The study provides a warning to policymakers that their interventions, or lack thereof, are actively damaging the capabilities of social businesses to deliver tangible regional value. Going further, it presents a new model to better support regional success, by enhancing four key drivers of progress; collaboration, agility, regulation and entrepreneurial leadership. The study,…

For years, small businesses have monitored Google rankings, customer reviews and local search visibility. Those measures remain important, but another route to discovery is emerging. Instead of searching through a page of links, a prospective customer may ask ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Anthropic Claude a direct question: “Which local business should I choose?” This changes the customer journey. The AI assistant may create a shortlist, compare suppliers or recommend one business before the customer has visited any of their websites. UK SMEs should not abandon established marketing in response. However, they should begin considering whether AI assistants understand their businesses…

The UK wants its small and medium-sized enterprises to become the most digitally capable and AI-confident in the G7. That ambition will not be achieved by persuading more owners to buy licences or attend generic training. It will be achieved when firms can show that AI improved a real workflow without creating hidden rework, customer risk or dependence on skills they can no longer perform themselves. The government’s 2026 update on SME digital adoption expands access to advice, training and practical support. Recent business data also shows why implementation matters. AI use has become common enough to attract attention, but integration into business…

Insurance experts at Everywhen say the hand luggage carried by holiday makers and business travellers has quietly become one of the most valuable items people take away. There was a time when the most valuable item in your suitcase was probably a camera. Today, many travellers are boarding flights carrying a smartphone, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, wireless earbuds, camera and portable charger, often without realising the combined value of what they’re taking away. Insurance experts Everywhen say the modern holiday has undergone a major transformation, with technology becoming as essential to travel as sunglasses and sunscreen. As a result, many holidaymakers could…

Author: Robert Kraal, Co-Founder of cloud-native payment processing company Silverflow.  Ask a room full of payments leaders what matters most to their business and you’ll get near-unanimous agreement within seconds. Ask them why they can’t act on it and the room goes quiet. That’s roughly what happened when we surveyed 250 senior payments and fintech leaders at Money20/20 Europe this year. We asked how important data visibility was to their decision-making. 92% said it was important or extremely important. That’s about as close to consensus as you ever get from an industry built on competing standards, competing rails and competing acquirers.…

Independent British author and entrepreneur Charlie Panayi has reached No.1 on Amazon after his independently published book, Excuses Will Kill You: Break The Cycle. Own Your Choices. Transform Your Life, topped Amazon’s Behaviour and Compulsive Behavior bestseller charts. The book also became a No.1 Hot New Release in both categories, reflecting strong early demand for its practical message of personal accountability, ownership and lasting change. Beyond its commercial success, the project was created with a wider purpose. Every penny of profit from the book is being donated to charity, meaning each purchase contributes to worthwhile causes while encouraging readers to…

Running a small food and drink brand can be an uphill battle. For challenger businesses, the obstacles are often less about the quality of the product and more about the systems, costs and practices surrounding it. When you are competing against much larger and better-funded businesses, even relatively small barriers can have a significant impact. Purple Pilchard asked a group of founders to name their single biggest business gripe. What came back was a collection of candid, considered and sometimes strongly worded responses that highlight some of the realities of trying to build a small food and drink brand in…

Frances Li, Founder and Director of Biscuit Recruitment, urges employers to think before accepting a friend referral, as well as what candidates should consider before working with a friend. Frances explains why a referral should open the door rather than carry someone through it, how employers can keep referrals fair and transparent, and what candidates should ask before accepting a friend’s recommendation. “Working with your best mate might sound like the ideal scenario, but it’s still worth asking yourself whether the role is genuinely right for you. If you end up in a position that isn’t the right fit, it can…