By Thom Groot is CEO of The Electric Car Scheme The recent confusion around autumn Budget speculation has highlighted just how critical it is to understand what EV salary sacrifice actually delivers – and why it matters so much to both employers and employees navigating the transition to cleaner, more affordable transport. One thing is clear – EV salary sacrifice is a force for good. Not all salary sacrifice is created equal It has been reported that the Chancellor is drawing up plans for a £2bn raid on pension salary sacrifice schemes, with the exemption expected to be capped at £2,000…
Author: sme-admin
The UK’s new Harwell Quantum Cluster has officially launched at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, marking a pivotal step in the nation’s ambition to lead the global quantum revolution. Building on initial work over the past year the cluster will now further accelerate quantum innovation, scale emerging technologies, and aim to create over 1,000 high-value jobs and bring £1 billion in investment into the UK over the next decade. The initiative is led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, in partnership with the Harwell Joint Venture (Brookfield Asset Management and The UK Atomic Energy Authority), the Department for…
Predictions have revealed that global business travel spend will reach $1.57 trillion in 2025, as the industry continues on its upward trajectory post-pandemic. Experts at the ground transportation platform Mozio, have analyzed global data to reveal 46 business travel trends and statistics, covering spending, demographics and more. According to Mozio’s research, over half (55%) of business travelers see work trips as a perk that makes their jobs more interesting and rewarding. So, what else did the research reveal? You can view the statistics here – https://www.mozio.com/blog/business-travel-trends-statistics 10 key business travel statistics for 2025 The UK will welcome 5.1 million business visitors in 2025, making up 16%…
England’s new regulations on high fat, salt and sugar products came in early October, and already franchises – particularly, fast food chains – are running into trouble. Nigel Davies, the CEO of digital workplace platform – Claromentis – talks through pitfalls and how to navigate them. Since 1 October 2025, England’s regulations on high-fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) products tightened again: the long-trailed ban on volume-price promotions – multibuys and BOGOFs – finally took effect, building on the location restrictions that have applied since October 2022 across both physical and digital storefronts. Meanwhile, the UK-wide advertising regime now begins on 5 January 2026 after a…
Many growing businesses still assume that every organisational shift needs to be led by an external consultant. Mark Green, founder of Change Rebellion, believes this assumption is limiting their progress. In his new comment piece, he argues that companies should be developing their own internal change capability if they want to respond quickly to challenges and avoid unnecessary cost and disruption. It may seem odd for a change management specialist to recommend that a company develops its own in-house capabilities. Why would someone who gets paid to swoop into a business and save it from a transformational nightmare give out…
Higher Voltage is a one-day conference for solo business owners taking place Thursday, 22nd January, 2026 at The Cinema in the Power Station, Battersea Power Station, Wandsworth, London. This event is built around people who “are” their businesses—solopreneurs, sole traders, freelancers, side-hustlers, founder-led micro-businesses, etc.—representing a growing force in the UK economy. 3.1 million (56%) UK businesses accounted for in 2025 statistics from The Department for Business and Trade are registered as sole traders, and 4.3 million (75%) of all UK businesses do not employ anyone aside from the owners. The 2025 report directly credits the rise in total number…
UK consumers are showing that inflation encourages more thoughtful, selective purchasing. According to new insights from Flowwow, a global gifting marketplace, and Admitad, an international performance marketing platform, shoppers are becoming more deliberate, prioritising items that offer genuine value and emotional satisfaction. With each purchase examined for relevance, practicality and personal meaning, the UK is heading into its strongest digital shopping season on record. Cyber Weekend spending is projected to reach £3.8 billion, approaching £1 billion in spend per day. From mass discount hunting to meaningful self-reward Inflation has prompted a clear change in behaviour. Shoppers now make fewer purchases,…
Dr Glenn Mason, Head of Adult Psychological Therapies & Consultant Counselling Psychologist, and Sarah Carter, Head of Account Management at Onebright, explore how unseen trauma can quietly impact employee wellbeing, performance, and engagement, and why trauma-informed leadership is becoming essential for building safer, more resilient teams. When we think about mental health at work, our minds often turn to stress, anxiety, or depression. Yet for many people, trauma sits quietly beneath the surface, shaping how they think, feel and function long after the event itself. Trauma can emerge from experiences both inside and outside the workplace, for example a traumatic bereavement, an accident, witnessing something distressing, or being exposed…
After several years of economic uncertainty, the UK’s small business landscape is showing an interesting, and encouraging, shift in borrowing behaviour. According to the British Business Bank’s latest Small Business Finance Markets Report, fewer SMEs are using external finance – down from around half to just over 40% – yet the total value of lending is on the rise. In other words, smaller firms aren’t borrowing less, they’re borrowing smarter. The “selective borrower” has emerged, and they’re more cautious, and increasingly focused on investment that drives efficiency and growth rather than short-term survival. Here, Rory Crisp‑Jones of Jones & Co Finance, argues this…
Two fifths of UK employers (40%) are actively hiring people returning from a career break, while around a third are actively hiring (31%) – or looking to retain (37%) – older workers, new research from independent consultancy Barnett Waddingham (BW) reveals. The findings reflect an environment of mounting pressures both within, and outside, of businesses. Internally, a growing number of people are delaying their retirement and choosing to work for longer; earlier this year nearly two fifths (36%) of employees said they had already, or were considering delaying their retirement because they wanted to continue working, or due to financial…