Business owners, for the first time in over a year, can enjoy the sense of knowing what’s to come. The government’s announcement of a roadmap out of lockdown gives entrepreneurs a timeline for when they’ll be able to open up again, and when business will return to “normal”. But for many it’s not that simple. While the majority of small businesses and sole traders now have an idea of when they’ll be back up and running, they now face another challenge: after more than 12 months of limited, or no, activity, how do they get started again?
There is still a certain sense that things may never been fully the same as before the world went into lockdown. With social behaviours and etiquette sharply changing, how can businesses built upon years and years of the ‘old’ normal embrace the new world that will emerge after the pandemic is brought under control?
There has been a boom in the consumption of audio-visual content since the beginning of the pandemic. This could change the future of the TV and entertainment industry forever, and we still don’t know if people will go back to their old habits after restrictions are over. We can expect the sector to keep growing, which presents a prime opportunity for EU businesses that want to get in the field. The only issue is that they have a very tough regulatory landscape to navigate, especially if they intend to broadcast their content outside the EU’s borders. Here’s what all EU businesses should know about launching their TV channels internationally.
Getting the right professional support for your company is one of the most important things that you can do for success as a business owner. It’s not uncommon to end up taking on many different roles within the business when you run your own company, and there are tons of apps and other resources now available to help you DIY areas that you might not be extremely skilled in. However, when it comes to business money and tax, it’s always worth investing in professional help and support. The right accountant can make a huge difference to your business. Here’s how to find the right one for you.
As restrictions continue to lift and organisations prepare to bring employees back to the workplace, a new report from hackajob has revealed that 86% of technology professionals in the UK and Europe don't want to return to the office full-time at all. Only 14% of the 1,700 tech professionals surveyed want to go back to a company office full-time. Around one in four (26%) would like to work remote permanently, while 60% are happy to work from the office occasionally and spend the rest of the week working from home.
Brexit - a word that we are sure most, if not all of those reading this, are familiar with. While many people have switched off and tuned out the word entirely, there are companies across the country who are still needing to factor this element into their business decisions. None more so than when wanting to ship construction goods and products to mainland Europe.
Now that the world has placed a greater focus on the effects we have on the environment, finding more environmentally friendly ways to source our energy is vital. The world has already found some innovative ways to sustainably produce energy without the reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas. However, there is still more to be done. Other than the changes we as individuals make, businesses need to adapt their operations to use greener sources of energy – such as wind power.
The fashion industry has taken a substantial hit during the pandemic. The closure of non-essential stores and limitations on social interaction has created an impassive relationship between consumers, the retail sector, and the fashion industry. The Office for National Statistics reported that retail sales of clothing fell by 27 per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year. The impact of lockdown remains sharp. Even in January 2021, clothing retail sales were 84 per cent below the same month in 2020.
For small and medium-sized businesses focused on trading in both the UK and Europe, it is important to have the right package of intellectual property (IP) protection in place to smooth the way to market and reduce the risk of their innovations being copied by competitors. While Brexit has affected some areas of IP protection – most notably trade marks and registered designs - the process for securing pan-European patents has not changed. However, it still makes sense for businesses to prepare for EU market entry carefully and consider all IP rights as they do so. For SMEs the benefits of IP protection can be considerable. A study conducted by the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2019 found that SMEs that own at least one intellectual property (IP) right are 21 percent more likely to experience a growth spurt. They are also 10 percent more likely to become a high-growth firm.
Emerging out of lockdown, small businesses must, and want, to play a key role in the UK’s journey to net zero, but don't know where to turn when it comes to cutting carbon emissions, finds a report from a coalition of top business groups, energy networks and expert bodies released today.
Employee engagement in the UK and has suffered a marked decline over the past year, according to new research* carried out by Achievers into the state of wellbeing in the ‘new normal’.
The face of online shopping has changed drastically in the past year, and so have our spending habits. Working from home, an influencer influx, and increased savings are just of few of the factors that have altered our shopping preferences – but what impact has this really had? Interested in this, Uswitch.com conducted a survey among 4,380 frequent online shoppers to discover the reality of online shopping in 2021.
