New research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) suggests 52% of small firms have been stung by unfair contract terms with suppliers, costing nearly £4 billion in the last three years.
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Employees are easily the most important asset to any business. As an HR specialist, your job is to ensure that they are working to the very best of their capabilities. In most cases, that means using better time management to ensure productivity reaches an all-time high.
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One of the things everyone dreads hearing is that their client has gone out of business. It can understandably cause a lot of stress in your business, as you don’t know if or when they will ever be able to pay your invoices or just how much trouble the debtor company is in.
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On Friday morning small business owners woke up to find out that Britain has voted to leave the EU. Businesses have been divided during the referendum and for many it was a campaign full of unanswered questions, but now the results are in small business owners want to know exactly what it means for them.
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Hiring a Web Developer can be hard work for companies of all sizes. For smaller businesses where there isn’t a dedicated recruitment resource it can prove expensive and time consuming, especially sourcing a web developer where demand often outstrips supply.
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As the EU Referendum on 23 June draws closer, many small business owners are still unclear on how leaving or staying in the EU will affect their businesses. The UK200Group has therefore identified ten key events that are intended to provide further clarity ahead of the EU referendum.
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The issue of late payments to SMEs continues to be controversial. The UK government is quick to point out that it led the way in late payment legislation, yet many critics (and business owners) feel that the law is not robust enough to help them.
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Small businesses that have been turned down for finance elsewhere and are desperate for loans are at the mercy of dozens of untrustworthy new lenders charging as much as 5 per cent interest per month, and there are no rules in place to protect them from being swindled.
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We’re forever hearing about the death of the high street and how small business is being beaten by emerging internet giants. In many cases this has proven to be indisputably true; shops have closed; service providers have folded; their online counterparts have flourished. The true beauty of the most recently emerged digital tech however, is that it is genuinely universal.
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In light of new proposals from The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA), small businesses should find it easier to compare bank accounts to find the best service and price.
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Whether its clients “forgetting” to pay, stalling for time before settling their bill – or sometimes just deciding not to pay you at all – having to chase up money that’s rightfully yours is frustrating and time-consuming.
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SMEs are backing the Remain campaign, new data from Close Brothers reveals, but only by a small minority and with many firms still undecided. The research suggests that with just weeks remaining until Britons vote on continued membership of the EU, campaigners for and against Brexit still have much to play for.
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When you supply goods or services to other businesses, you’ll usually extend them some form of credit. Setting the right credit terms is essential if you are to protect your business from the risk of late payment.
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Were you aware that more consumers today use a portable Internet device like a smartphone or tablet to make purchases or locate new businesses to buy from than from a traditional desktop computer or laptop? This alone is ample reason to make your website mobile-friendly.
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Skills shortages have been a major concern for British business for many years now, and recent research by PeoplePerHour (PPH) has revealed that the problem has reached its peak, with almost two thirds of SMEs admitting that in the last three years they’ve abandoned the search for permanent staff members and have instead turned to freelance and remote workers.
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After last year’s event saw £623m spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday, an increase of £119m or 24 per cent on the previous year, the nationwide event to support, inspire and promote small businesses is back for another year.
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According to new research by the CBI and international technology and consulting firm, IBM, a digital divide is opening up across the British Economy. Just over half of “pioneer” firms are adopting digital technologies, while the other half are falling behind.
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Yesterday’s announcement by the Electoral Commission saw ‘Vote Leave’ and ‘Britain Stronger in Europe’ designated as the two official LEAVE and REMAIN EU referendum campaign groups.
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Many SMEs leverage the power of the internet to broaden their horizons and trade with companies overseas. It’s also allowed micro-businesses and freelancers to compete with much larger suppliers, both in the UK and elsewhere, without the costly fees associated with a traditional merchant account.
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Many people see the idea of using ‘big data’ in business as something that is exclusively for large businesses, says co-founder of The Good Till Co., Oliver Rowbory. Surely the ability to analyse and use such information requires not only expensive data, but also numerous staff to maintain, support and work on these platforms, before translating what the data is really saying to the management team, right?
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