Feedback enables individuals to grow and develop in their careers, but at times, cultural barriers prevent leaders from truly understanding their employees and how best to present feedback. As businesses become more global, with 75% still adopting a hybrid working model1, leaders who are unable to recognise these differences risk their message being misunderstood. With this in mind, the experts at Country Navigator have shared their tips on communication styles, fostering relationships, and navigating the delivery of feedback to an international team. Chris Crosby, CEO and co-founder at Country Navigator, comments: “Giving feedback to teams is integral for growth and progression in the workplace,…
Author: sme-admin
A Property Expert shares everything landlords need to know. From 6th April, self-employed businesses in the UK with an income of over £50,000 will need to follow new rules for recording and submitting tax. Only 50,000 self-employed workers and landlords, who make over £50,000, have signed up so far, according to HMRC sources. This is just over 5% of the estimated 864,000 taxpayers who need to register for the scheme this year. Many landlords across the UK may not know that the new rules apply to them. Karl McArdle, Co-Founder of The Property Buying Company, has shared what the new rules mean…
Small businesses are owed an average of £12,357 in late payments every year, according to new research by Hiscox. There are 5.7 million small businesses in the UK, which means that outstanding payments across the country could total £70.4 billion. Hiscox surveyed 1,000 small business owners and sole traders via Censuswide. The findings are part of the specialist insurers’ inaugural Late Payments Report, which explores the scale and impact of late payments for small businesses in the UK The report comes as the government’s Fair Payment Code, introduced last year to tackle late payments, continues to gain traction. Small businesses spend nearly a year waiting for late payments On average, it takes three weeks from the due date for a late payment to…
Rupert Lyle, FPC Regional’s Investment Director and Fund Principal of West Midlands Co-Investment Fund (WMCO), looks at the SME funding landscape and urges preparedness over pace to give businesses – and their founders – the best chance at success. Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 99.9% of all UK businesses and around 60% of private sector employment. They are the backbone of the UK economy, yet the UK continues to struggle with scale-up performance. Fewer than 1% of SMEs achieve high-growth status in any given year. Many stall during the transition from early traction to structured expansion. Access to capital…
The creator economy is now valued at over $200 billion globally and is expected to exceed $500 billion in the next few years, making it one of the fastest growing sectors of the digital economy. Despite millions of people launching channels and building audiences, turning content into reliable income remains a major challenge. According to experts at Hopp by Wix, the problem is not usually talent or reach, instead many creators make the same early mistakes that limit their earning potential before their business has a chance to grow. Amir Gabay, Co-CEO of Hopp by Wix comments; “Today anyone can become a creator, but building a sustainable…
New research released today by Citrus Connect, a specialist direct sales recruitment consultancy, reveals that the UK has become a hugely ‘overqualified nation’, with millions of highly educated workers trapped in roles that neither require nor reward their academic achievement. As a result, it is predicted that 40-45% of UK workers could be in roles below their qualifications by 2035 if current trends continue. Drawing on 2025/26 data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), OECD and The Sutton Trust, the Overqualified Nation Study shows a labour market defined not by a lack of education – but by too much of it in the…
For many UK SMEs, the price of goods rarely reflects just the cost of manufacturing. Increasingly, it also reflects the cost of navigating an unpredictable global supply chain. With geopolitical tensions rising again in key energy-producing regions, logistics experts are warning that businesses may soon face another wave of higher transport costs. According to Geoff Yates, Commercial Director at international freight forwarder, Espace Global Freight, renewed pressure on global energy markets and shipping corridors could quickly translate into higher delivered prices for UK companies. “Transport costs are closely tied to energy markets,” says Yates. “When geopolitical tensions affect oil supply or…
By Nafeesa Hussain, Corporate Solicitor at WSP Solicitors Recent reports reveal that 37% of family business owners are now considering relocating their companies overseas, and other SMEs are following suit. According to Rathbones one in eight small and medium size business owners are actively planning a move, while the wealth manager and investment firm also says the number having exited the UK already has hit 6,000 over the last two years alone. The current tax burden is cited as a key driver behind this shift, with Ireland emerging as the most popular destination (26%), followed by Dubai (21%) and the…
New research from leading independent consultancy Barnett Waddingham (BW), part of Howden, reveals a widening retirement confidence crisis across the UK workforce, as a third (32%) of workers do not feel confident that they will retire with a comfortable income. Concerningly, this lack of certainty is most prominent among those closest to retirement. Almost half (48%) of workers aged 45-54 and 40% of those aged 55+ report a significant lack of confidence in their financial future. A similar study from Barnett Waddingham in 20242 found that 42% of those aged 45-54, and 37% of those aged 55+ were not confident that…
With the first wave of the new Employment Rights Act coming in to force next month, and many SME leaders grappling with conflicting advice and expensive solutions, people management expert Charlotte Dean, founder and managing director of P3 People Management, offers advice for SME leaders. “One of the most common concerns I hear from small business leaders is that preparing for the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA) will be expensive and disruptive. In most cases, it doesn’t need to be either and there is a genuine opportunity here to turn ERA compliance into building a stronger, more profitable business. “Every people management…