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Is your business maximising digital technology?
UK SMEs are held back by digital immaturity according to research conducted by BuzzBoard forJohnston Press has found that 71% of SMEs in the UK are not meeting the needs of mobile shoppers and 44% still don’t have a website — despite the fact that 75% of British consumers shop online and 30% of online […]
What makes people buy?
October 27, 2014 by Richard Edwards,of Quatreus There are a wide variety of things that influence a purchase decision – budget, timing and personal psychology to name a few; but there is one fundamental factor that brings all these influences together – value. Value is a subjective perception created through a blend of need, price and […]
SMEs have reasons to be cheerful in 2015
The manufacturing and services sectors are growing; the number of firms that are recruiting is at an all-time high; and businesses are well-placed to grow in 2015. These are the findings of the British Chambers of Commerce Q4 Quarterly Economic Survey, which polled almost 7,000 UK businesses. Director general John Longworth said: “With employment and […]
Protecting your business from the unexpected
Have you ever thought about how your business would fare if disaster struck? What would happen if you had to unexpectedly take time off, if a major supplier stopped trading, or you were hit by a power failure? If you haven’t thought about business continuity before now then you should. If your family rely on […]
When to use “Garden Leave”
One of the most frequent questions we are asked on our advice line is “How do I handle resignations?” Well, you have three options when an employee resigns (or is dismissed). The first is to make them work their notice. Often, if the move is amicable, this works well. They part on good terms and […]
Statutory Pay Rates. Do you know the facts?
STATUTORY PAY (next review April 2015) Maternity/Adoption pay – SMP/SAP is paid for 39 weeks. Pay rate for first 6 weeks of SMP: 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings. SMP remaining weeks/SAP: £138.18 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is less. Sick pay (SSP) – £87.55 per week provided employees meet criteria. REDUNDANCY […]
Shared parental leave – what you need to know
The idea was conceived, gestated in Parliament and will be born on 1 December. Shared parental leave will shake up parental rights, so you need to get your head around it. Let’s get you started. What is shared parental leave? It’s the right of parents, but not the obligation, to split 52 weeks of parental leave between themselves – […]
Looking to grow your business? Some tips for safe business expansion
As your start-up business develops, your thoughts may turn to expansion. This can be a scary prospect. It will mean your business enlarging, spreading its wings further afield, and venturing into new markets. It will almost certainly mean you can’t do everything all on your own, and you will need to get familiar with more […]
Want to be a Mumpreneur? What you need to know
Mumpreneur, Mum in Business, or just plain old Business Woman. Whatever you want to be known as, if you’re a woman (or man) who runs their own business and happens to be a mother (or a father) too, then you’re not alone. Thousands of parents in our local Hertfordshire area alone have turned to self-employment […]
Feeling jaded by your business? How to get your spark back
In the beginning, setting up and running your own business is exciting, overwhelming, and like starting out on an adventure. When you have seemingly endless enthusiasm for your pet project, it can be tough when you eventually hit the wall. You will hit a wall sooner or later. Running your own business can be hard, […]
