A new rooftop solar scheme backed by Paragon Bank is eliminating upfront costs for SMEs and is forecast to deliver average savings of £552,380 per customer over 25 years*. Businesses signed up to the initiative to date will also collectively avoid more than 45,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over the panels’ lifetime – equivalent to taking over 10,000 petrol cars** off the road for a year. The scheme, launched by FTSE 250 lender Paragon Bank in partnership with HDM Energies in July last year, aims to help SMEs cut energy bills and carbon emissions with no upfront investment – the…
Author: sme-admin
The landscape of workplace integrity is shifting rapidly as digital whistleblowing hits an all-time high, according to Safecall’s 2026 Benchmark Report. The shift toward digital platforms has fundamentally changed how employees blow the whistle. Since 2019, named reports have plummeted from 37% to just 25%. In contrast, anonymous reporting now represents 56% of all submissions – a 9% increase over the same period. This anonymity is even more pronounced online, where it accounts for 63% of all web-based reports. Despite the digital takeover, the human element remains a critical safety net for the most serious workplace grievances. Nearly a quarter…
ESM Operations Ltd, a global public safety services company headquartered in Cheshire announced a landmark year of charitable giving, donating a quarter of a million pounds to local and national community associations and sports clubs over the past 12 months. Demonstrating a significant commitment to corporate social responsibility, ESM Operations has supported 12 non-profit organisations, the most of which directly impact young talent and grassroots sports initiatives. Beneficiaries range from providing new kits for the fledging under-7s team at Witton Albion Junior FC to funding a new multi-sports club with a dedicated coach at Moulton Primary School in Northwich. A…
Can you tell the difference between LLMO and AEO? (Hint: There isn’t any). The relatively new world of AI SEO terminology is stuffed with acronyms, abbreviations and buzzwords that can easily confuse. But why is it important? Because today’s businesses fighting for visibility must embrace AI SEO to futureproof, engage and convert in an ultra-competitive search environment. Artificial intelligence is no longer just influencing SEO; it is redefining it. AI-driven algorithms are shaping a new digital landscape where traditional optimisation tactics alone are no longer enough. Given that AI search traffic could surpass traditional search traffic by 2028, it’s probably time…
Daniel Patel, Recruitment Director at Eursap, says the tension between rising CV volumes and meaningful candidate feedback is one of the most pressing challenges in hiring today. “The number of applications has risen dramatically, and the introduction of AI technologies has made applying to various positions easier than ever before. This means that there is a problem in terms of quantity right at the beginning of the hiring process, where companies now receive not dozens, but hundreds or even thousands of resumes.” He explains that this shift has changed how employers prioritise their time. “With such numbers, providing each applicant with…
England and Scotland’s progress at the 2026 FIFA World Cup could help drive £2.4bn in at-home food and drink spending, as fans increasingly swap pubs for sofas, according to new research from Novuna Personal Finance. With just one month to go until the tournament begins, fans are already planning how to balance late-night kick-offs with everyday routines – and their spending reflects a clear shift towards home-based viewing. Home win for matchday spend While major tournaments typically boost pubs and bars, this summer is set to favour supermarkets, takeaways and convenience retailers. More than half (54%) of UK adults plan to watch matches at home, spending an average of £80 per person on food and drink – equivalent to £2.4bn in total. By comparison, those planning to watch in pubs or…
Workers across the UK could be missing out on valuable pension tax savings because they do not fully understand how their workplace pension is set up. According to workplace pension provider Penfold, confusion around salary sacrifice, pension tax relief, and contribution structures means many employees may be paying more tax and National Insurance than necessary. For higher earners, failing to claim additional pension tax relief through self-assessment could mean missing out on hundreds of pounds each year. Chris Eastwood, CEO of Penfold, said: “Most people assume their workplace pension is set up in the best possible way. Often, it isn’t. Small pension…
As customers, we’ve all wasted time communicating with a chatbot when a human could have solved the problem much more quickly, we’ve all witnessed a growing queue because a self-service checkout wasn’t recognising an item’s barcode, and we’ve all frequently had to download apps that require multi-stage authentication and which we might only use for one event or transaction. Yet all of these scenarios have originated because the business we were trying to interact with has aimed to improve customer experience, and has equated implementing more technology with increased efficiency and effectiveness. And that’s why all company decision-makers need to…
Around 10–20% of recognised pregnancies end in miscarriage, and with IVF also becoming more common, fertility treatment and pregnancy loss are increasingly part of everyday life and workplace conversations. Against this backdrop, a fertility doctor is warning that some of the language still used at work, such as “at least you can try again”, can fail to reflect just how emotionally and physically complex these experiences really are. Dr Abhijit Kulkarni, Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at Create Fertility, explains why IVF, miscarriage and menopause are fundamentally different from typical health conditions, and what needs to change in how they are discussed. How…
New research from Malt, Europe’s leading freelance management platform, has revealed a strong skill shift in favor of AI-related skills as well as low and no-code tools. The demand for traditional software languages like Java (-32%), C++ (-25%) and PHP (-33%) has declined significantly, as companies have shifted their tech strategies in 2025. In contrast, the past year has seen a +1390% increase in n8n projects, a workflow automation tool that requires minimal coding. This is according to the Malt Tech Trends 2026 report which draws insights from Europe’s largest independent tech community, analysing keyword searches and project briefs from more than…