We started 2020 with optimism and hope that this year was going to be better than the last– but then, COVID-19 happened and brought sudden massive changes worldwide. It has disrupted the way we interact, shop, work, and transact. Businesses of all sizes have been plunged into darkness, with some even having to shut completely Meanwhile, others managed to find dynamic solutions to shelter their businesses from the harsh impacts… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. COVID-19 Boosts Love for Small Businesses According to new research from Small Business Britain, two-thirds (64%) of 1000 small businesses in the UK believe that the pandemic has increased support of their sector. Small businesses have played a key role in supporting communities throughout the crisis. Now,… Read more
More and more people are leaving their office jobs and setting up an online business these days, especially because of COVID-19/ Running an online business offers a way for you to work from home and be your own boss. It may sound like an overwhelming process, but many entrepreneurs find it fulfilling. Here are some tips to increase the chances your small online business will be a success, and you’ll… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. Increase in UK Retail Sales and Business Activity Boost COVID-19 Recovery Hopes The latest data from the Office for National Statistics showed retail sales rose by 13.9% in June compared with May, as demand among consumers returned overall spending close to pre-COVID-19 levels. This improvement was fuelled… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. UK Covid-19 Vaccine Triggers Immune Response Oxford University scientists’ experimental coronavirus vaccine has shown early but promising signs as it produced a dual immune response in people aged 18 to 55 lasting at least two months after they were immunised. Larger trials to evaluate its effectiveness, involving… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. Temporary VAT Cut for Food, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Accommodation, and Attractions The UK Government has announced that from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021, there will be a temporary reduction to the Standard Rate of VAT from 20% to 5% for supplies of food and non-alcoholic drinks… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. UK to Map Out Next Steps in COVID-19 Recovery Plan UK’s finance minister Rishi Sunak will soon announce the next steps in preventing a wave of job cuts from snowballing into an unemployment crisis. The announcement will include a 2 billion-pound fund to create six-month work placement… Read more
The pains caused by a recession can be excruciating, which is why most of us dread the thought of it. A recession can mean massive layoffs, jobs becoming harder to find, and wages frozen, which means consumers hunker down and spend less– often worsening the economic slowdown unknowingly. For most businesses, especially small businesses, recessions can be brutal. Just take for example, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) that struck the… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. Leicester on Lockdown to Curb COVID-19 Outbreak UK’s COVID-19 Alert Level moved to Level 3 last week, which means the virus is now “in general circulation” and there could be a “gradual relaxation of restrictions,” according to the Department of Health. However, the government has imposed a… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. UK moves to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 UK’s COVID-19 Alert Level has been reduced from Level 4 to Level 3, which means the virus is now “in general circulation” and there could be a “gradual relaxation of restrictions,” according to the Department of Health. However, this pandemic… Read more
As small business owners look to operations after COVID-19, there are some important business questions to ask. These questions will help you determine what adaptations you want to keep, whether your business model is working, and if there are additional changes you want to make to keep your company operational through future economic downturns. It’s not always fun to do this sort of examination, but the answers to these questions… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Update. We hope you and your family are safe and doing well. Read on for this week’s update. Non-essential Shops in England Reopen Business secretary Alok Sharma has confirmed that non-essential shops in England are permitted to operate from Monday 15 June, provided they comply with government safety guidelines and carry out a risk assessment. While the government is due to publish guidelines for other… Read more
We’ve heard this before: the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global health and financial crisis that has caught many off guard. While the threats to human life are very real, the damage to the health of businesses is really just starting to show. The seriousness of the disease and the lack of a vaccine (at the time of writing this) have prompted governments around the world to impose strict measures… Read more
If you’re like many small business owners you’re probably astounded by how the world has changed in a very short time. While we can all hope that the pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime scenario, the truth is there is a lot in life and in business that is uncertain, and there is a great deal we can learn from the response to COVID-19 to help plan for the future. Yes, your… Read more
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – this has been an extremely difficult few months for all of us, but there is no better time to think seriously about your business. In this article, we have compiled a few tips to create value in your business. The key to building value in your business is to plan the process in a systematic way, whether you’re aiming to… Read more
Managing cash flow is a vital part of running a successful business. Some business owners think managing cash flow simply means keeping track of how much money enters and leaves their business, but there’s actually more that goes into it. Cash flow forecasting, for example, is an incredibly valuable tool that helps you anticipate cash flow issues, plan for days when your cash flow is limited, and show the bank… Read more
As many business owners look to life after COVID-19, an important question comes up: how do we plan to reopen our business? For most businesses, the easing of restrictions doesn’t mean a return to business as usual. There are rules and regulations in place about how companies can operate, including how many people can be on their premises at one time and how employees must be protected. Customers may not… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. We hope you and your family are doing well. Read on for this week’s update. Cashflow If you’re not having cashflow problems right now, that’s great, you’re one of the lucky ones. Plenty of businesses across the country are struggling with cashflow right now. There are a few ways to relieve the cashflow pressure from finance through to restructuring options. Don’t stick your head… Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven challenging for many small business owners. It’s difficult to run your business remotely, especially if you’re not set up to do so. If you run a business that requires customers or clients to come to you, you might be very concerned about how you can continue to operate without opening your premises. If you have access to technology, are adaptable, and are willing to look… Read more
Welcome back to our weekly update. We hope you and your family are doing well. Read on for this week’s news. Self Employed Income Support Scheme The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme is now open for claims, with more than 110,000 people applying on the first day. For those who have checked their eligibility, you will have been notified when to apply. The claim money should start to flow from 25… Read more