Over recent years podcasts have become an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs and business professionals. To save you time scrolling through countless options, we’ve pulled together a list of some of the best in the UK for insightful discussions, expert advice and captivating stories. Whether you’re interested in behavioural science made simple, the remarkable stories of influential CEOs, or how creative people built success out of failure, these 10 great listens offer something for every business leader. And while many of them understandably focus on success, there’s a strong helping of pro ..read more

A few months ago we posted about the importance of a great onboarding process to get new employees off on the right foot. As much as new starters are part of company life, leavers are an inevitable feature too. It’s estimated that UK employees will work for six different companies on average during their careers. So offboarding is something that small- and medium-sized businesses will experience many times over. Some experts argue that how you offboard people is equally as important as how you onboard them. Read on to find out how to create a good offboarding experience for staff that will ben ..read more

As we settle into 2024, we’re taking a look at eight key business trends to expect for this year, based on research and analysis in the Forbes article: The 10 Biggest Business Trends for 2024. Over the last few years, the pace of change to the business landscape has been rapid with massive developments in technology as well as widespread change to where and how we work brought on by the Covid pandemic. Last month we focused on technology with a look at the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation. This month we turn our attention to staffing and the workplace. How will t ..read more

If you’ve started hearing the term ‘playbook’ in relation to business, you might be wondering what is a company playbook – and, more importantly, whether your own business needs a playbook.  This blog post takes a closer look at playbooks for businesses and gives you all the information you need to help you decide if a company playbook is right for you. It covers the areas below, giving you all you need to get started on a playbook right away if you want to. What is a playbook? Does your business need a playbook? How to create a playbook Resources for making your own playbooks What is a ..read more

The recent pace of change in the business landscape has been rapid. As we emerged from the Covid pandemic, ‘flexible working’ became part of our daily conversation and has had a massive impact on the way we work and live.  Over the last year, the use of AI and chatbots, including Chat GPT, have become the norm for businesses, and customers who expect to be able to interact 24/7.  With such swift transformation, keeping up with trends is essential for businesses looking to stay ahead in a competitive market.  Over the next two months, we’re highlighting eight key developments sha ..read more

The holiday season, with its increased consumer spending and festive sparkle, often leaves businesses in a singular position come January.  While Christmas can bring a surge in sales, the aftermath can present challenges for many businesses, especially those in the hospitality and retail sectors. As the decorations come down and the New Year begins, now can be the right time to shift focus towards rebuilding your business financially for the coming year. On the day of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn statement, Reuters reported that Britain’s economy was forecast to grow 0.7% in 2024, lowe ..read more

December is the time of year when many people can experience burnout. Socialising with friends and family at the same time as rushing to meet deadlines before Christmas can take a mental and physical toll. As a business owner, how can you keep your team effective when they’re under so many different pressures at the same time? The key is simply knowing when to stop. Writing productivity expert Bec Evans, author of Written: How to Keep Writing and Build a Habit that Lasts has lessons to offer any team, whether you produce widgets or words.  In order to sustain any effective habit – and by ..read more

Delaying retirement can be good for us, The Telegraph says in a recent article called Why Retirement is Bad for Your Health. Is seems that pushing back the age we retire by a few years improves not just our mental health, but our physical health too. We all know the rose-tinted image of retirement: the dream lifestyle we finally achieve at the end of our careers – like that pot of gold just beyond the rainbow. No more bosses or commuting, just endless hours of leisure to spend as we please. Ah, bliss! However, it seems that working in a job we enjoy may be the simple secret to staying happy in ..read more

Every business owner knows how important it is to keep hold of staff, especially high performers and loyal employees who know the business and its customers well. But staff retention has become trickier in recent years, with the Great Resignation used as a label for this post-pandemic employment trend. Forbes Advisor recently published an article for business owners who want to boost their staff retention, called 15 Effective Employee Retention Strategies for 2023. If you’re worried about staff turnover and want to find ways to boost your staff retention, it’s well worth a read.  We were ..read more

November 2023 brings us National Talk Money Week, up to the 10th of November, and it’s a great opportunity to kick-start conversations around personal finance and money. It’s also the perfect time to highlight the support that our staff benefits programme gives with living expenses. Childcare benefits, workplace pensions, health cover, loans and discounts can all ease the strain of the cost of living crisis for your employees. These benefits can help them feel more in control of their finances, and this in turn reduces anxiety and boosts staff wellbeing. This post looks at why now is more impo ..read more