News
We all deserve some positive news – don’t you think?
Since the onset of recent global events, we’ve observed a growing influx of emails from businesses either promoting low-interest credit or valuing your enterprise. While these might be interpreted as negative signs, they could also indicate that companies still perceive opportunities for profit somewhere. The prevailing sentiment we gather is that, during times that are,…
Read MoreIn times of uncertainty, hold your nerve and keep Doing the Marketing.
Originally written and published in May 2019 but still relevant today! During the current climate of uncertainty about the current and future economy, it is very easy to ‘batten down the hatches’ and hold out for an improvement later. The risk of this strategy is missing out on current opportunities and worse, allowing a competitor…
Read MoreIs a culture of late payments undermining UK SMEs?
The latest Small Business Strategy from the Business and Trade Committee has urged the Government to address the late payment crisis that disproportionately affects smaller UK SMEs. According to this survey, businesses are currently owed an average of £66,770 in unpaid invoices, representing a 10 percent increase from the previous year. While the survey does…
Read MoreAre Small Businesses under attack?…or is that just how it feels?
Recently, a number of changes, such as increases to National Insurance for employees, Identity Verification for Persons of Significant Control and Directors, increases in the numbers of online attacks, scammers and finally, and probably most significantly, the fluctuations in energy prices, fuel costs and vehicle excise duty, have increased the pressure on small business owners.…
Read MoreUncertain Times for Business
From a recent publication from the House of Commons Library entitled – Economic Update: Uncertain Times for Business, we have deduced the following key information. The picture for economic growth for businesses over the coming months of 2025 is one of little or no growth. Put against a background of virtually no increase in the…
Read MoreMy business is slowing down, is it me or the economy?
Most experts agree that a definitive recession is unlikely in 2025 but the economic forecast and data do suggest that growth will be extremely sluggish, potentially even zero. With high interest rates, increasing costs and market uncertainties all conspiring to give your business quiet periods throughout the coming year. When you are in one of…
Read MoreSMEs Losing Confidence
With the new government’s ‘honeymoon’ period coming to an end, although some felt this ended some time ago, small business owners are now hoping that the current political upheaval is now over. For those in power, they should be worried about the latest research from Virgin StartUp as part of its ‘Founder Barometer’ report, which…
Read MoreHave you heard of the Small Business Council?
Not a fatuous question but one of overall communications from Governments and Councils. In fact it was not until a networking meeting attended last week that this ‘new’ council was even mentioned. “SME Council membership revealed ahead of first meeting New Small Business Council meets for the first time to discuss access to finance and…
Read MoreIs the Internet Crumbling around us?
Depending on how much time you spend reading articles and listening to Podcasts online, you may, or may not, have heard the term ‘Dead Internet’ mentioned. In short, the reasoning behind this comes from studies showing that a great percentage of what you see and read online is now written by AI or ‘bots’. These…
Read MoreThe Economic See-Saw
While politicians and economists do their best to persuade, mainly themselves, that the UK economy is doing well, in reality we have already fallen into a technical recession once this year and the remainder of the year looks set for more instability. A recent economist’s report in The Times has warned that insolvencies this year…
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