New research reveals finance leaders are stepping out of the back office and into the boardroom, driving change across recruitment, sustainability, and digital transformation. The role of the CFO is undergoing the biggest shake-up in decades, as finance professionals evolve from number-crunchers to strategic architects. A new study of 500 UK finance decision-makers by The CFO Centre – which provides part-time CFOs to more than 750 businesses across the UK – found that 60% are now leading cross-functional initiatives well beyond traditional finance. Areas include recruitment, business strategy, sustainability, marketing, and people management. Just 1% said their role had not changed. This…
Author: sme-admin
As the era of regulatory scrutiny continues to intensify and client expectations evolve, UK law firms have been hit with a wake-up call with the recent SRA rebuke of Hett’s Johnson Whiting LLP, offering a cautionary tale and a timely opportunity for reflection. In June, the firm was sanctioned for repeatedly submitting identity documents with inconsistencies, including a passport photo that didn’t match the signature to HM Land Registry. These were red flags any modern compliance system should have caught, but in this case, they were missed. According to Cindy van Niekerk, CEO of Umazi, UK law firms continue to be…
85% of UK businesses now have a business continuity plan and new research from Databarracks also reveals that four in five business continuity plans are up to date. Databarracks’ latest Data Health Check shows that UK organisations are moving beyond simply having continuity plans – they’re putting planning into practice through more frequent testing and exercising of their response and recovery processes. Since the annual survey began in 2008, continuity has steadily climbed the agenda. In 2025, 85% of UK organisations now have a business continuity plan, compared with just 56% in 2015. Organisations with business continuity plans are also backing them…
New research from HiBob, the company behind Bob, the HR platform transforming how organisations operate in the modern world of work, reveals how one resignation at a small or medium sized business (SMB) can destabilise an entire company. One in three (31%) SMB employees have quit their job because a colleague left, and nearly half (48%) would consider doing the same. With over half (52%) of Brits currently working in SMBs considering quitting in the next 12 months, and 10% actively looking for a new job, the turnover repercussions could be huge for SMB employers. Small teams, strong ties, and big…
By Dan Morgan-Williams, Founder of Visualise Training and Consultancy Under UK law, employers have a duty to ensure all employees are safe at work. This includes compliance with the: – Equality Act 2010 (reasonable adjustments) – Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 – Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Generic risk assessments often fail to identify the additional hazards that an employee who is Deaf or has hearing loss may face, particularly in environments or job roles that involve navigation, movement, or visual cues. Risk assessments tailored to hearing loss should consider: Lighting levels and visibility…
Inspired by one of the first international businesswomen, Madame Clicquot, nominations are now open for the 2026 Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot. Now in its 54th year, the prestigious awards are the longest-running international accolades of their kind, continuing a legacy that began over 200 years ago with a woman who dared to defy expectations. In 1805, at just 27 years old, Madame Clicquot took the reins of her husband’s champagne house. At a time where women couldn’t enter most professions, she courageously stepped into the world of business, transforming a little-known champagne house into one of the most iconic producers…
iStock, a leading ecommerce platform providing premium content to SMBs, SMEs, creatives and students everywhere, reveals how SMBs can incorporate visual content in SEO to stay competitive in today’s AI driven landscape. Findings from iStock’s visual research platform, VisualGPS, shows that SEO continues to be one of the top skills small businesses globally want to learn. In addition, 60% of respondents say that they create and source their own content, with many turning to generative AI as a tool to ideate and iterate visual concepts. “AI is reshaping how SMBs should approach SEO,” says Helen Pollitt, Director of SEO at iStock. “Many business…
The EU’s proposed “ChatControl” legislation, if passed, would invade digital living spaces where we talk, share and collaborate just as we do in our physical homes. ChatControl would impact the private digital lives of 450 million+ EU citizens. It is the equivalent of peering into millions of homes across the continent. In this article, Benjamin Schilz, CEO of Wire, argues that this approach treats digital space as inherently corrupt and unworthy of privacy while doing little to stop the criminals it claims to target. In modern business, it has been common to refer to the digital workspace as the new…
After a period of unprecedented global trade disruption, pan-European data from global fintech, SumUp (www.sumup.com), has revealed that European businesses are facing increased costs due to supply chain disruption. SumUp surveyed over 900 independent businesses across the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy to understand how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are adapting to economic challenges. The findings revealed that increased material costs were the biggest supply chain issue faced by SMEs from all the countries surveyed. Merchants from Germany and Italy were the most affected, with nearly 50% of merchants from both countries (48% of German merchants and 49%…
Businesses will benefit from a new corporate criminal offence of ‘failure to prevent fraud’, designed to drive an anti-fraud culture and improve business confidence. Introduced as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCT) 2023, the offence, which came into effect earlier this week (Monday 1 September), will hold large organisations to account if they profit from fraud. It forms part of wider measures introduced by the government to tackle fraud and protect the UK economy, as part of the Plan for Change. As businesses prepare for the change, experts have weighed in on what firms should know and…