A massive 50% of small businesses say hiring new employees is their top challenge. According to Wasp Barcode’s annual State of Small Business Report it is the number one challenge for businesses with fewer than 499 employees, even more challenging than the traditionally-mentioned issues, such as increasing profits and cash flow. So, Yuliana Topazly from BuddyWith explains how flexible working can help.
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The number of people deploying professional apps to help run their business has exploded in recent years. With the rise of iPad POS systems, mobile accounting applications, and integrated ecommerce platforms, SMEs have capitalised and prospered, even despite the fact that not too long ago the only reason one would use an app would be to send angry birds flying into buildings.
Small business owners struggle with insurance policies that are in place, claiming that they use too much jargon and can be difficult to understand. With the rising threats of cyber-attacks, terrorism and severe weather conditions, small businesses need to have a good insurance policy in place more than ever.
Essentially equity crowdfunding is the process through which a large number of people provide money to a business in return for shares in the company. It might not be the easiest way to raise funds, but if done right, it can bring you a lot more than just cash.
The vast majority of employees in a business will have different aspects of introversion and extroversion, which is often to the benefit of the company. But every organisation will also have individuals who are highly extroverted – the life and soul of every party and the loudest person in the room at any given time. But extroverts are more than just loud people who like to engage with others, they also work very differently to other members of the team.
Digital marketing never stays static. As a small business owner, what do you need to know to stay ahead of your competition? Here Tim Butler, the founder Innovation Visual gives you the latest on digital marketing.
We’re often told that to be a successful leader we need to be able to establish a clear vision, share that vision with others in a clear and compelling way, provide others with the resources to realise that vision, and co-ordinate the sometimes conflicting interests of all stakeholders. But there is one more trait that every leader needs; flexibility. For example a business with its back against the wall requires a different style to one which is enjoying a profitable, steady state. Flexible leadership skills make a more effective business leader.
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New research has shown that 46% of UK businesses identified at least one cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. May is fast approaching and with it the implementation date for the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), so it’s time to start thinking about whether you are up to date with your data management.
Pinterest is the hub of inspiration for multiple different things varying from interior décor to cake recipes, and it inspires millions of users on a monthly basis, 175 million active monthly users to be exact. Although Pinterest’s visitor figures may not be as impressive as social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it still has loyal users, the number of which is continuously increasing. The versatility of ideas and creativity of the social platform is what attracts its millions of users. Whether you need a Pinterest profile as part of your social media strategy will depend on your business, however the potential of the huge reach can really be a game changer for businesses.
Publicity is great for small businesses to expand their reach and a press release is a great publicity tool to use. Many businesses won’t consider writing and sending a press release but it can really help you reach new audiences. You need to know how to make your press release attractive to journalists and bloggers to really get the most out of this publicity tool. You need to write a press release for your small business and this article will highlight the main benefits.
The problem with the lack of diversity in the life sciences industry is more severe than people perhaps imagined according to new research conducted by the Epsen Fuller Group earlier this year. Only 12.7% and 8.3% of directorships of small to micro pharma, medical devices and bio tech companies are women. The research also shows that there’s been little progress since 2000 in decreasing racial disparities for interest and aptitude in STEM subjects.
Getting free publicity for your small business is great. It means exposure for your small business and that can really help you expand your reach. There are multiple ways in which you can get free publicity for your business, which will ultimately help you get noticed. When running a small business, it may be difficult on focusing on exposure when your main concern is running the business itself. However, once you are in a comfortable state, it’s time to invest time in expanding and getting noticed.
There are many different ways to increase customer loyalty in the logistics industry, with one of the most important methods being through your shipping strategies. Loyalty is essential in every sector to guarantee returning customers and revenue, so you need to do everything in your power to ensure this happens. Poor domestic and international deliveries can lead to all sorts of problems, but having a strong shipping strategy will lead to happy and loyal customers. This can be achieved in three easy ways.
Outsourcing for your small business can be a great way to save money, whether you require an individual with specific skills or just somebody to help with the extra workload. Before committing to any business decision, research needs to be carried out to find the best possible option. Outsourcing in its basic terms is the product or service from outside the business, and it’s becoming increasingly popular because it increases productivity and is cost effective.
The late payment culture in the UK has been plaguing the livelihood of small businesses and causing severe financial strains. The federation of small business (FSB) is urging for more effective policies from the Prompt Payment Code (PPC) which has failed small businesses in the past. The demise of Carillion has effected thousands of people and many businesses that it owed money to.
Since the referendum, Brexit has impacted small businesses in more negative ways than positive, it has left millions of small businesses with lack of confidence and uncertainty about the future. In a survey conducted by Insolvency Practitioners MGJL to check up on the health of businesses, the results were far from positive, especially regarding the Tech industry.
Virtual teams and telecommuting are now accepted features of corporate life and continue to be on the rise. The benefits are many: flexible working, cost reduction, increased employee motivation, productivity gains, reduced stress and sickness levels. Aided by technology you can connect with team members almost anytime, anywhere. You can join a meeting from your small businesses premises as easily as you can conduct an appraisal conversation from your kitchen table. As remote working is getting increasingly popular, you will need to know how to manage remote workers.
In a recent survey conducted by the BCC (British Chamber of Commerce), it was found that one of the biggest issues that small businesses are facing is employing workers with the right skills. The small business workforce seems to lack certain skills which can hinder their chances of business growth. One of the factors that affected the confidence of small businesses during the early Brexit negotiations was the worries over the lack of skilled workers. Therefore, business owners together with the government need to create initiatives to upskill the British workforce.
Husband and wife left the retired life behind to give themselves a challenge again, so they set up a business. Scrumpies of Mayfair, was a project that breathed life into their retirement for the couple, who had left an international law firm behind. Here, Vicki gives the story behind her and her husbands journey or retirement and entrepreneurship.
What started as a way for startups and entrepreneurs to gain access to capital has transformed into a industry worth over $34 billion (£23.9 billion). Most people think of crowdfunding as simply a way of raising funds for projects, but it’s actually much, much more. It’s also a great promotional tool and an effective way to build a community of supporters, so to use crowdfunding as a marketing platform only makes seems natural.
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