A large portion of my time is spent talking to chief information officers (CIO), chief digital officers (CDO), and other technology leaders, listening to their challenges, and assisting them with solutions that improve business and operational performance. A challenge I often hear is: How do we balance the need for IT cost containment with the […]
In 2001 the average life of a British business was 10.7 years. By last year that number had dropped to 8.6 years. In just over two decades the lifespan of British businesses has dropped by 20%. Part of that drop is down to business failure. Last year the UK fell into recession and with it […]
Nearly two in three self-employed people do not believe any of the main political parties represent their best interests. As the end of this government’s parliamentary term approaches, the major political parties are preparing for a general election, due no later than January 2025. But while politicians get on the war footing, the independent workforce […]
Having seen the estimates from the ONS that the UK’s GDP fell by 0.2% in the three months to November 2023, combined with the news that the IMF has downgraded the UK’s growth forecast from 2% to 1.6% for the coming year, businesses may be wondering how to finally break the run of negligible growth […]
PLCs have to answer to shareholders – and to the wider business community – on both stock performance and sustainability, and more and more often the two are inextricably intertwined. On the one hand, being a publicly-listed company can impact the sustainability journey. Shareholders demand short-term returns and that can negatively impact long-term investment – […]
Technology continues to redefine SMEs and their capabilities. As the great equaliser, it has made it much easier for small businesses to compete with bigger companies and global corporations. One area that has seen huge growth since the financial crash in 2008 is the explosion of fintech solutions. As one of the most fintech friendly […]
An EdTech entrepreneur has called for more effort to be made ensuring fewer people are excluded from education. James Tweed’s comments were made in connection with International Day of Education which is this Wednesday, 24 January and has the 2024 theme ‘learning for lasting peace’. Tweed is CEO of King’s Award-winning digital learning company Coracle, […]
Today is Small Business Saturday. A day to celebrate the thousands of businesses and entrepreneurs across the country who are the backbone of our economy. We use small businesses all the time. Whether it’s your local coffee shop, hairdresser, or family bakery, they are the beating heart of our high streets and a huge part […]
Digital transformation, often hailed as the panacea for business growth and innovation, is continuing to prove to be a highly damaging leaky bucket for businesses both in the UK and world-wide. Global investment in digital transformation is expected to almost double between 2022 and 2025 (according to Statista1), but given that many major business consultancies […]
Recently, the BBC presented a segment within their BBC Breakfast broadcast, discussing self-employment statistics. Pulling reference from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the BBC shed light on the fall in those registered as self-employed. Discussing self-employment in more detail, BBC reporter Ben Bland says “Being self-employed can be the dream for many, but not […]