NatWest has announced the launch of its Carbon Planner, a free to use digital platform designed to help UK businesses manage their future fuel and operational costs, and reduce their carbon footprint to help them go and grow greener. NatWest research* revealed that more than 72% of businesses expect their business will face increased difficulty in light of inflationary challenges citing increased costs of energy (56%), increased costs of materials (56%), and increased interest rates (37%) as the most challenging effects of inflation. Alison Rose, Chief Executive of NatWest Group, said: “Climate change is one of the biggest global challenges we face…
Author: sme-admin
Nominations for KPMG’s Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards (BEA) have opened for 2022. The annual awards support entrepreneurs from Black Heritage backgrounds, with the chance to win a cash prize and gain access to expertise from within KPMG to accelerate growth for up to 10 finalists. Under 1% of venture capital investment in the UK has gone to Black Heritage entrepreneurs over the last 10 years [i] – highlighting the systematic barriers Black-owned businesses face when securing finance. KPMG is determined that no barriers to progression should exist for those with Black Heritage backgrounds and the Black Entrepreneurs’ Awards (BEA), now in its third year, is a celebration of Black…
Emails have held their position as a centrepiece of workplace communications for years — they’re quick, simple and free to use. But recent data suggests that the email is slowly being replaced by real-time communication apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams. So, in a time of instant messaging, is the email still a relevant business tool? Here, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of unified communications specialist Crystaline shares his insight into the future of business communication tools. Emails are a huge part of most people’s day, and from a business perspective, they do have a purpose. Email is excellent for…
Former British wheelchair tennis player Louise Hunt will be returning to the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships this year as a commentator – 26 years after she first competed in the tournament at the age of five. The 31-year-old will be commentating on the event between Wednesday July 13 and Sunday July 17 just a few short days after doing the same job at the iconic Wimbledon championship. This event though is very special because Louise first competed there in Nottingham in 1996. “I was really humbled to be asked to be a part of the British Open Wheelchair Tennis…
With a quarter of workers regularly dividing their time between home and the office, hybrid work is firmly here to stay. And while this blended model is having positive repercussions for staff wellbeing, it has significant security consequences, placing SMEs at a new frontier of risk. The displacement of devices, data and people has provided an opportunity that hackers will waste no time in exploiting. And yet, despite the heightened need for adequate protection, a new survey from Probrand has found that many organisations are still not taking the necessary precautions. Here, Mark Lomas, security analyst at Probrand, reveals some…
Research from employee benefits and rewards provider Sodexo Engage has found that a third (32%) of SME employees plan to leave their role in 2022 leaving companies with a significant skills shortage. In terms of engagement, 39% say they were not engaged in their work or role in 2021. Through experiencing challenges such as isolation, stress and burnout over the past two years, many employees have re-evaluated what matters most to them, what they’ll tolerate and what they expect from their employer. Amid the ‘great resignation’, Sodexo Engage outlines five elements that are critical to engaging and retaining employees. A new era for leadership…
Talkwalker, the leading consumer intelligence platform has announced the launch of Talkwalker Forecasting, a new predictive analytics intelligence hub – an industry first in the consumer intelligence space. Powered by Blue Silk™ Artificial Intelligence, Talkwalker Forecasting will revolutionise businesses and their brands by allowing them to foresee changes in consumer behaviour and identify new trends before they happen. Its AI-powered predictive analytics and consumer intelligence capabilities will enable brands to predict how topics, trends and campaigns will change over 90 days. Organisations can now identify new and emerging trends in real time based on consumer behaviour predictions. According to Talkwalker,…
SMEs are focused on moving from survival to growth according to Aviva’s annual SME Pulse Survey as they emerge from the pandemic years. But whilst 37% of businesses expected to grow, many (41%) expect to stay the same size in the next 12 months, with 13% expecting their business to reduce in size and 2% expecting to close. More than one in five (22%) want to better prepare for the future by including business resilience in their plans. Whether your business is stuck in a rut, facing commercial challenges or simply coasting along, reimagining its future is essential for flourishing in…
Being Menopause savvy is a vital part of HR, diversity, wellbeing, inclusion and belonging in any company. Women are working longer and later into life and in increasingly senior roles. In fact, a study released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows that the average retirement age for women is 64. Therefore, there is no doubt that menopause is a topic that requires careful and quality awareness, training, and support. Seeing as menopause is a natural phenomenon, all women deserve as much information about it as they receive about puberty and pregnancy. Even though not all women end…
How can SMEs stay one step ahead of increasingly intelligent, coordinated, and contemporary criminals? Is to your business at risk and how affordable is it to upgrade to a better solution? Are SMEs behind the curve of protection against savvy criminals? Is there an increasing risk to SMEs from contemporary criminals? It may not be an existential threat, but yes, however, businesses who have not completed a security review may not realise the level of risk to them. SMEs grow at a significant rate, increasing their value of assets whilst never considering the impact this can have on the risk…