As the country enters into a national state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic, households and non-essential businesses have been ordered into lockdown following the enforcement of a stay-at-home order relayed by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. As businesses are ordered to temporarily close shop and workers are instructed to work from home where reasonably possible, the economy is experiencing a downward spiral in trade, raising the red light for many smaller enterprises with less in cash reserves.

There are 7.6 million people, according to the UK Office of National Statistics, that have some form of disability — and nearly half of them are unemployed. But disabled people are just as skilled and as talented as everyone else. Finally, new research is emerging and shining a light on how making a conscious effort to hire disabled workers can boost company morale, productivity, and job satisfaction. 

The coronavirus has started to take its toll on the UK economy, the general public and small businesses. There is a lot of panic and anxiety with constant news of new cases and deaths due to the virus. This is an especially difficult time for small businesses, who will struggle to keep afloat with the lack of consumer demand. Whether you run a restaurant or a clothing shop on the high street, the effects of this pandemic are being felt.

The UK has an old Health & Safety Act (1974) which states that employer must “provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision is necessary to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of your workplace employees.”

Anyone in a secure and longstanding career might feel that the prospect of volunteering is one that will have no benefits to their professional life, and they will quickly dismiss the idea. This is far from an accurate view on the matter, however. In addition to being a rewarding way of ‘giving back’ to the world around us, volunteering brings with it many other advantages that prove useful in a person’s professional and personal life. From a business perspective, volunteering schemes also have numerous benefits, from improving company image to enhancing employees’ workplace experience.

Inefficiencies can creep into any business. If they are allowed to continue they can seriously impact profits and growth potential. Customers don’t feel they are getting good value, the company struggles to make a profit, and frustrated employees jump ship.

The highly anticipated Budget 2020 has been revealed by the new Chancellor of Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. There was some welcoming news for the small business community as the Chancellor announced the suspension of business rates for SME’s, a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme coming into effect and that the Government will be covering the Statutory Sick Pay for SME’s.

For small businesses running payroll can be a headache and fear of making mistakes means it can be very stressful. Unfortunately, Payroll is difficult, and errors can be expensive. This is why there is a professional body for payroll professionals (CIPP) which has exams which are tough to pass.

Working from home is an ideal situation for many, however, in some cases, it is simply not possible, for example, if you are a heart surgeon you can of course only really work at the hospital! Whether you are a home-based small business owner full time, or you balance your time between working from home and at the office, you will know there are many pros and cons of both.

In a recent study by Purbeck Insurance Services, it was found that just under half of women (46%) entrepreneurs found it difficult to switch off from work compared to the 38% of men entrepreneurs. With the International Women’s Day falling on Sunday the 8^th of March this year, it is recommended female entrepreneurs take the day to celebrate and take time off to switch off.

It costs more money for businesses to gain new customers, in comparison to retaining loyal clients. When developing a customer retention plan, you should use some of the following tips. These strategies could keep your clients engaged and coming back for more products and services.

When you have formed a limited company, one of your first tasks will be to choose the best bank account for your new business.

In October of last year, the University of Bristol released a report that revealed some rather sobering statistics. From a sample size of over 3,500 new parents, fewer than 30 per cent of women were still working self-employed or full-time — even three years after childbirth. At the same time, nearly 90 per cent of men of new fathers carried on with business as normal. 

During the last decade, we have become increasingly aware of the need to protect the world around us, which has led to more businesses concentrating on their sustainability efforts. 

If you are thinking of starting a business and don’t have huge investment funds then there are still plenty of startup business ideas for you to consider. There are certain elements that come into play when starting a small business that could reduce the costs of starting up significantly. From working at home to needing minimal equipment, it doesn’t have to cost large sums of money to get started.

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If you love baking and are good at it then you really could turn your hobby into a profitable small business. The key ingredients for a successful baking business, aside from the essential baking skills, are passion and love for what you do. Throw in some business skills too and you have an entrepreneur baker and business owner in the making. Are people asking you about recipes or requesting for you to make cakes for their special occasions? If the answer is yes, then you are already well on your way to making a business out of your hobby.
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Making sure your business is safe and secure is vital for all business owners. Having good security systems is essential but it can also be costly. It is now possible to rent a complete, permanent security system designed for your specific needs, without having to buy a system and then replace them when they get outdated. In this guide, we cover how you can get the latest security system without buying any equipment for your small business.

For your business to do well you need motivated, engaged employees. Research by Gallup shows that businesses with engaged employees outperform others by 202%. In addition, the study showed that businesses in the highest quartile of employee engagement ratings outperform those in the bottom quartile in customer ratings, productivity, and profitability.

Over the past decade, we’ve heard a lot about corporate social responsibility (CSR). Take Starbucks for example. Their initiative to donate unsold food to those in need aims to combat hunger and food waste. Toms one-for-one campaign is another example of social responsibility in action — for every pair of shoes you buy, a pair is donated to a child in a developing country.