UK's leading SME business magazine

‘Get Britain moving’ plea after Heathrow loses travel crown to Paris

Business leaders have urged the government to end the stagnation in British air travel after Heathrow lost its crown to its Parisian rival as the airport that handles the greatest number of passengers in Europe.

Over 500,000 UK firms are in ‘Significant distress’

More than half a million businesses are in “significant distress” because of the pandemic, according to research.

Covid has devastated UK pub industry, says Camra

Coronavirus has had a “devastating” impact on the UK’s pubs and will exacerbate the decline in the number of independent breweries – for the first time in nearly two decades – an influential consumer guide has warned.

Furloughed ethnic minorities and young hit hardest by job losses

One in five ethnic minority workers and a similar number of young people who were furloughed during the first coronavirus lockdown have since lost their jobs, according to a report.

Economists call for extension of UK’s furlough scheme to save businesses

Economists have urged the chancellor to extend the furlough scheme and ramp up support for businesses and workers amid rising concern that rapidly growing infection rates from Covid-19 will force the government to impose a national lockdown, triggering a double dip recession.

Factors to consider when selecting a scrap yard operator

Do you have an old van that has served you for a long but is currently worn out? If yes, then you should consider selling it for scrap.

How to keep employees engaged during turbulent times

Employee engagement is always important for your business success, but when economic times are tough, it becomes truly non-negotiable.

‘Get Britain moving’ plea after Heathrow loses travel crown to Paris
Over 500,000 UK firms are in ‘Significant distress’
Covid has devastated UK pub industry, says Camra
Furloughed ethnic minorities and young hit hardest by job losses
Economists call for extension of UK’s furlough scheme to save businesses
Factors to consider when selecting a scrap yard operator
How to keep employees engaged during turbulent times

Latest News…

‘Get Britain moving’ plea after Heathrow loses travel crown to Paris

Over 500,000 UK firms are in ‘Significant distress’

More than half a million businesses are in “significant distress” because of the pandemic, according to research.

Furloughed ethnic minorities and young hit hardest by job losses

One in five ethnic minority workers and a similar number of young people who were furloughed during the first coronavirus lockdown have since lost their jobs, according to a report.

Economists call for extension of UK’s furlough scheme to save businesses

Mercedes takes 20% stake in Aston Martin as part of new technical partnership

Mercedes-Benz will take a major stake in Aston Martin as part of a “truly game-changing” strategic technology agreement that will underpin a plan for the British brand to double its sales by 2025.

High street sales slump at fastest pace on record as restrictions tighten

Retail sales fell at their fastest pace in four months in October as households reined in their spending in the face of fresh coronavirus restrictions.

Easyjet raises over £300M selling aircraft to cover running costs

Easyjet has raised a further £305 million selling and leasing back aircraft to help it through the winter.

Mobile phone networks banned from selling locked devices

The UK’s mobile networks are to be forbidden from selling phones locked to their services from December 2021.

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Business

Covid has devastated UK pub industry, says Camra

How to protect your small business from hackers
Why SMEs/scale ups must get a handle on data to drive investment
Gain competitive advantage through collaborative relationships
7 Factors to consider when choosing a hosting provider
How lanyards benefit your business
A beginner’s guide to employee stock ownership

Profiled…

Getting To Know You: Jonathan Richards, CEO & Founder, Breathe

Jonathan Richards, CEO & Founder of Breathe HR tells Business Matters why he chose to focus his attention on helping SMEs with their HR needs.

Getting To Know You: Ciaran Bollard, CEO, Kooomo

Ciaran Bollard is the CEO of Kooomo – the cloud-based eCommerce platform that is truly redefining digital commerce.

Marketing & Social Media

Best practices for organic SEO in 2021

How well is your website converting visitors to customers?

Four tips to enable you to be fully client-fit for 2021

Newswire

EU stimulus package announced offers new confidence for investors

Business Matters

Struggling TSB set to close 100 branches and axe staff
FTSE 100 outperforms European counterparts as oil and tobacco stocks gain
Pound sinks ahead of second Brexit parliamentary vote
Ocado shares rise on reports of Marks & Spencer deal

Get Funded

HUUB launches crowdfunding campaign amidst endurance sport boom

Derby based HUUB, leaders in the £60 million UK triathlon apparel and accessories market, today announced the launch of their Crowdcube crowdfunding campaign as they look to raise a minimum of £250,000 to accelerate growth into new territories, and through category expansion and extension.

Ecommerce platform Clearbanc injects £500m into British startups

Ecommerce investor Clearbanc has announced its plans to invest £500m into British SMEs over the next year as part of its UK launch.

Crowdcube & Seedrs to merge to create one of the world’s largest private equity marketplaces

Crowdcube and Seedrs today announced that they have agreed terms for a merger, in a move that will accelerate their plans to create the world’s largest private equity marketplace and further democratise investment.

Under-5s toy retailer Kidly raises £4.2m

An online toy retailer set up by one of the first employees at Asos has raised £4.2 million from investors after a rise in sales driven by parents looking to entertain their children during lockdown.

Zilch raises $10m to scale its unique BNPL Anywhere offering

Zilch has announced $10m in new funding to continue scaling its unique over-the-top Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) business.

Electric vehicle charge network ChargePoint bags $127 million from investors

ChargePoint, one of the world’s oldest and largest electric vehicle charging networks, has closed on a $127 million funding round, much of it from existing investors, the company said on Wednesday.

Clampdown on EIS tax break knocks £200 million off amount raised in 2018/19

Tax-efficient Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) companies raised almost £200 million less in 2019/20 due to stricter rules on venture capital investing.

Employee app Blink raises £8.2m funding to connect key workers during Covid-19

Blink, a new smart employee app, officially launches today, after raising substantial funding from several key backers.

Online marketplace crowned UK’s fastest-growing company raises £3m in 11 days

An online marketplace has been crowned the fastest-growing company in the UK by an independent report.

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Legal

“Secure your workforce now”, warn legal experts 12 weeks before Brexit

With the UK set to leave the EU in a matter of months, leading lawyers are issuing a call to businesses across sectors to make 11th hour preparations to secure their workforces before Brexit.

Working from home leaves business owners exposed to data breach claims

Last week the UK Government u-turned on its recommendation for employees to return to the office and the official position is now that employee’s should work from home ‘if they can’.

Businesses risk prosecution as staff admit working during furlough

Thousands of businesses could be at risk of prosecution for furlough fraud as staff admit contacting colleagues and completing work during leave.

Algorithms and fairness: lessons from the class of 2020

In this most strange of years, the problems with A-Level and GCSE results may seem like just another short-term political crisis.

Are the retailers pivoting to online sales adhering to consumers’ rights?

I recently placed an online order for a perishable product with a large, well-known company (who shall remain nameless). The wrong product was delivered and said company offered me the choice of credit, or a different item.

The end of the privacy shield: what next for international data transfers?

Earlier this month, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment that will have major implications for all businesses which transfer personal data internationally.

HMRC to clampdown on businesses that have abused the Furlough scheme

Furlough has undoubtedly been a huge success. According to the British Chamber of Commerce, since March the scheme has been used by two thirds of British businesses supporting approximately 9.4 million jobs.

Contact tracing revisited: Whatever happened to the UK’s smartphone app?

In my column on 4 May, I reported that the UK government was trialling a contact tracing app, which was due to be rolled out nationwide later that month.

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Made in Britain

Made in Britain: Twisted Automotive

From purchasing some of the remaining Land Rover Defenders off the production line in 2016, the business now turns over £10 million Twisted Automotive provides customised versions to UK and global fans of the vehicle.

Great British Brands: London Morgan

London Morgan Founder Nigel Smith tells us about why passion is a crucial ingredient within their company.

The British brands cutting through traditional industries

British brands aren’t afraid to be innovative. Throughout history, they have established themselves as industry leaders within a number of sectors internationally, from fashion to food and drink.

Made in Britain: Manasamitra

Manasamitra is a South Asian arts organisation delivering cultural experiences in traditional and innovative ways.

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