Monthly Archives: April 2017

SMEs continue to face a skills shortage in their workforce

Digital skills are increasingly important to the operation of businesses in the UK but companies are facing a shortage in their workforce which is hampering productivity, according to the results the British Chambers of Commerce Digital Economy Survey. The survey of more than 1,400 businesses across the UK finds 84 per cent of firms say digital
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Tradespeople hit with 30 per cent rise in tool thefts in 2016

Tradespeople across Britain have been struck with a rise in tool theft as campaigners battle the rise in van break-ins and ‘peel and steal’ thefts. 2016 saw a 30.5 per cent rise in the number of tool thefts compared to 2015, up on the previous year-on-year increase of 28.5 per cent at the end of
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Britain’s workplaces need to do more to boost happiness

Office Genie surveyed 2,000 UK office workers and asked them about factors affecting their happiness in the workplace. While the average level of workplace happiness for British employees sits at 3.63/5, they find some serious causes for concern. Junior staff are the least happy in the workforce: they rank at 3.40 on the happiness scale –
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Starting with the customer will engage people inside and outside your business

If you ask a business leader what they think is the purpose of their business, they may reply that it is to maximise profit for shareholders. Or they might say that it is to create value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers and local communities, as well as shareholders. In some cases, they might
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The demise of the 9-5: employees feel pressure to work 24/7

Research from Bupa UK for World Health Day reveals that the traditional 9 to 5 is officially no more. The figures show that three-quarters (75 per cent) of Brits feel under pressure to respond to emails outside of work hours which can increase anxiety. More than half of Brits (55 per cent) now access their work emails
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Why a sense of purpose is more valuable than money when it comes to motivation

Many business leaders will agree with the song lyrics ‘money makes the world go around’. After all, in most businesses, revenue is the final measure of success or failure, and also the key incentive used to hire and reward talent. Because at the end of the day money ‘talks’, it’s what motivates people to aspire
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Tax planning tips for small businesses

For many small business owners, tax is one of the most challenging areas of running a business. And with good reason, too – the tax system is complicated. Unfortunately, that can lead to problems. In 2016, it was estimated that UK citizens overpaid not far off £5 billion in tax by not taking advantage of
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Why SMEs still face challenges to access finance from banks

CYBG PLC, owner of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, is making a minimum of £6 billion of lending available from 2017 to 2019 to help fuel the growth of small and medium sized businesses in the UK. The Bank’s long-term commitment to lending includes significant amounts of finance available across the UK economy through 2017 £1
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