Tag: SME

#1 – Innovate but not as you know it When most businesses hear the word innovation they tend to think about technology, or how they create their next product or process. But innovation isn’t all about ideation, technology and widgets. Actually, it means ways to create value from ideas. In many cases this starts with […]

A survey from City Lit in London has revealed that Britain is a nation of wannabe Sir Alan Sugars and Jamal Edwards’, with a staggering 53% of Brits admitting that they wish they could start their own business. The research, however, went on to show how apprehension gets in the way of this entrepreneurialism with […]

UK microbusinesses spent almost 10 weeks working on financial admin last year, according to a new report. In Make Business Simple, Starling Bank surveyed 1,000 UK microbusinesses. The average firm clocked up 79 hours of labour a week, 15 of which go on finance admin tasks – a considerable 19% chunk of the total time. Smaller companies are […]

There are huge benefits to be gained by both sides of the mentoring relationship from both the mentee and the mentor, we’ve taken a look at just a few below. For the Mentee: Provides impartial advice and encouragement Develops a supportive relationship Assists with problem solving Improves self-confidence Offers professional development Encourages reflection on practice […]

So, you’ve created a great product and you’re ready to scale. Whether you’re looking to land distribution with retailers or ambassadors, there’s one common need: to make sure who you’re selling to understands the incredible business opportunity that rests in working with you. To achieve this, they must believe they can easily sell your product […]

Funding can be key to the success of a business but securing the deal can be daunting. As a new entrepreneur, drawing up a meticulous business plan is often just the beginning – it’s the investment that brings an idea to life. Achieving investment bridges the gap between having a great idea and building a […]

The North West has overtaken the South East to become the UK’s most entrepreneurial region outside of London, new figures suggest. Data from Start Up Loans – part of the British Business Bank – shows that the Government-backed programme has delivered 8,366 loans, providing over £65 million in funding to start ups in the North […]

You’ve finally found your passion and launched that dream business only to find it challenging to get funding. You’re scratching your head because you have a solid business plan, yet the pounds aren’t rolling in. The truth is that potential investors look at you, the entrepreneur, as the investment. Not the business idea. In other […]

The New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme has helped launch 203 businesses by unemployed benefit claimants on average each week in the UK, since 2017. Older claimants and people in the North West in particular have shown entrepreneurial skills. Helping unemployed people become their own boss as a route from claiming benefits, the NEA scheme offers claimants a […]

We are diving into the mentoring relationship between Anastasia Georgiou of Lloyds Bank and mentee Louise Nelson. Mentee Louise runs Yorkshire Paws a professional dog sitting, walking and transportation service based in Leeds, UK. Anastasia has over 24 years experience in the wealth management & financial services domain working at renowned banks as well as […]

UK businesses are watching events in parliament with growing frustration and alarm, judging by this statement from Dr Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce: “Businesses feel like Westminster is playing an endless game of political chess, while their futures and the health of the UK economy hang in the balance. “Every move in this game […]

Supporting employees’ mental wellbeing is a critical business issue for organisations, but it’s hard to know where to start. The Institute of Leadership & Management’s latest thought leadership research report: Mind Culture reveals alarming new statistics on how mental health is handled by managers; but more importantly, gives practical solutions on how workplaces can move forward and […]

4,197 companies became insolvent between January and March this year, while 484,000 UK businesses are in significant financial distress, often a prewarning of insolvency. The Insolvency Service has reported that construction, administration and retail were the worst affected financially from the impacts of higher wages and pension auto-enrolment costs. Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation […]