When you’re caught up in the day-to-day pressure of running a business it can be hard to focus on your longer-term retirement planning. By investing a little time to review the fees being charged on retirement and investment plans many business owners could retire earlier. Hannah Goldsmith from Goldsmith Financial Solutions explains how this is possible.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
The digital age is upon us. HMRC is planning a total digital switchover which is set to be rolled out from April 2019. For some, this isn’t anything new – Making Tax Digital (MTD) has been in the public domain for a good while now.
Inventory management ensures the stock and supplies your staff have access to are monitored continually, to ensure nothing runs out and that invoices and purchase orders are generated correctly.
The power of social media is undeniable, the importance it serves for small businesses cannot be ignored. From building relationships with existing customers and clients to connecting with prospective customers, social media is a force to be reckoned with, especially in terms of reach. Small businesses must invest time in creating, building and growing social media profiles on multiple different platforms, as it is a vital part of success.
If you are the owner of an SME or are responsible for the cyber security of one, you might never have heard of Managed Detection and Response services (MDR). However, that is something that needs to change quickly. MDR services can be extremely valuable to SMEs and overlooking them will likely not only cost you money but will also make you more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
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So, what’s the deal with mobile card readers? Technology really is coming on in leaps and bounds these days. Everyday there’s something new on the market to make our lives that little bit easier. This one is something special though. Anyone who has a business that takes payments will know how integral a seamless transaction is and now it can be – Says Joanna Beinko from Mobile Terminals.
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In a study carried out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) it was found that a staggering £7 billion is being wasted by small and medium-sized businesses which have been overpaying on their gas and electricity bills. And yet, this massive overspend could easily be avoided – says Nolan Braterman from Frontier Utility.
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Business Analysts are often perceived as being part of a bigger corporate structure. However it is more common now for smaller businesses to utilise a Business Analyst skillset, whether that be permanent or contract – according to Matt Smith from BusinessAnalystjobs.co.uk.
A record number of people set up on their own in 2015, and with the economy continuing to grow strongly, next year could be an even better year for start-ups. Here are 10 tips from the Company Bug team if you’re thinking of starting your own business in 2016.
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