Monthly Archives: September 2019

Hot Business News Today

The essential guide to starting a business in Oxford

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
Oxford is becoming an increasingly desirable location for starting a business.
It’s within easy reach of other business hubs like London and Bristol, has a rich history coupled with grand architecture and is a real treat for literature fans.
Before we talk to the local small business owners, let’s look over some of the city’s key characteristics.
Population
ONS mid-2018 population estimates had the population of Oxford at 687,500. Said population is ageing, with the number of people aged 85+ expected to increase as much as 63pc by 2032, according to the Oxfordshire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. However, planned housing growth is expected to create a significant increase in the working age and younger populations. What’s more, the university means there’s a high rate of people aged 20-24 living in Oxford city.
Crime rate
The crime rate in Oxford is about the same as it is in similar areas. In the year ending December 2018, it was 105.22 per 1,000 population – around the same level as Northampton (105.79) and Reading (102.71).
As you might imagine, bike theft is more common than in other UK cities. Thames Valley Police says that 1,816 bikes were stolen last year. That’s around five

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Hot Business News Today

GDPR one year on: make sure your small business is compliant

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Originally written by Chris Cook on Small Business
Despite the EU implementing strict rules around data protection last year, some SMEs haven’t made changes to be compliant, putting themselves at huge risk. GDPR one year on and some small businesses are still exposed. Overlooking it could have costly repercussions by way of hefty fines and reputational damage.
On May 25 2018, the EU introduced its biggest transformation of data protection legislation with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Although most businesses were making sure they were compliant in the months leading up to its enforcement, many businesses (including SMEs) weren’t GDPR-ready.
See also: What does GDPR mean to me and my business?
Small businesses may consider compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (“DPA”, which incorporates the GDPR in the UK) to be another administrative burden and, due to their business’s size, by keeping fingers crossed and ignoring it, it might disappear. This isn’t the case; all businesses that process personal data are subject to the DPA.
Organisations found in breach of the DPA face administrative fines of up to 4pc of their annual global turnover or €20 million (whichever is greater).
GDPR one year on
Since the GDPR came into force, fines have been

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