Monthly Archives: March 2021

Hot Business News Today

Why embracing scarcity is attractive for investment

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Originally written by Matthew Cushen on Small Business
My favourite definition of entrepreneurialism is from Professor Howard Stevenson of Harvard Business School — “the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources controlled”.
It captures the noble struggle of an entrepreneur to create something big from little, to use their innovation, cunning and agility to overcome the inherent advantages of scale, expertise and trust that large businesses have.
Conventional theory about economies of scale would suggest that big companies are unassailable. But over the last couple of decades, we have increasingly seen this is not the case, with numerous examples of scale creating paralysis and new businesses being the drivers of innovation and new business models.
I’ve an unusual perspective on the business world, having worked within large corporates, then (and still) as an innovation consultant to the leaders of large businesses (such as IKEA & AB InBev) and years of investing in & helping start-ups. My belief is that an entrepreneur’s greatest advantage is born from scarcity. Entrepreneurs have…
From these constraints are born the necessity and freedom to rapidly and cheaply experiment, learn and iterate — with the main effort focused on the customer. Large businesses get fixated on the risk — of spending too much,

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How do I manage an employee with Long Covid?

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
One of the many consequences of Covid-19 is its persistent relative, Long Covid.
Though a relatively new condition, it’s affecting a number of people who are suffering the aftermath of having the virus.
Figures from the ONS last year reveal that one in five people diagnosed with Covid-19 were experiencing symptoms that last for five weeks or longer. One in ten had symptoms that lasted 12 weeks or longer.
In September, Public Health England also published guidance around the long-term health effects of Covid-19. It highlighted that around ten per cent of those with mild coronavirus who weren’t admitted to hospital have reported symptoms lasting more than four weeks. A number of hospitalised cases reported continuing symptoms for eight weeks or more after discharge.
With Long Covid patients reporting that they can’t do what they used to – and many of them being of working age – this could pose challenges for employers.
We’re going to take a look at the effects of Long Covid and how you as an employer can better manage employees who have the condition.
What is Long Covid?
Long Covid (also known as post Covid-19 Syndrome) follows on from having Covid-19. It can bring wide-ranging

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How to minimise gaps in your supply chain post Brexit

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Originally written by Daniel Baker on Small Business
Since the final Brexit deadline on December 31, businesses across the UK have had to quickly become familiar with the new trade deal and adapt their supply chain accordingly.
Unsurprisingly, this has not been without disruption.
With a shortage of trucks and hauliers available to transport goods across the border and gaps in understanding of the new legislation across the supply chain, the first two months following Brexit have proven incredibly challenging for many British businesses.
>See also: Half of small business exporters struggling with new rules post Brexit
At Origin, we import some of the parts used to manufacture our aluminium doors and windows from the EU, so access to these materials was our primary concern following the announcement of the deal. Like many businesses, we had plans in place for a host of possible scenarios in anticipation of this, many of which have proven invaluable in the months following the deadline.
However, as Covid-19 taught us in 2020, it’s impossible to prepare for all eventualities, and we have found ourselves having to quickly pivot operations in some areas of the business in order to adapt to the impacts of Brexit that we hadn’t anticipated.
‘The first two

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