Forty two per cent of UK consumers shop local, showing loyalty to three or more small businesses in their local area rather than spending online or with large corporates, according to new research from digital lender Everline. Northern Irish consumers are
Consumer delivery specialist Hermes is set to launch a new service for SMEs as part of its commitment to providing tailored solutions designed to provide competitive advantage for its customers. The myHermes Business Account, which will be launched in full later this spring, is
A leading small business network and advice hub has cautioned against taking too seriously new research that the UK’s economic recovery is now so fully entrenched that British SMEs are set to invest more than £80bn of their turnover into
More than half of small business owners in retail say they are not ready to give their staff pay rises, despite an upturn in the economy, according to office supplies firm Viking. According to the quarterly Viking Small Business Barometer,
Royal Mail is launching an International Tracked and Signed delivery service for businesses and individuals posting to 43 destinations worldwide. The new combined end to end tracking and signature capture on delivery service is said to be part of Royal
Leading small business advice hub Ingenious Britain has urged small business owners to give greater consideration to the potential of the online export market after new research suggested it offered untapped potential. The survey of 1,000 SME owners, conducted by YouGov on
One of the UK’s leading small business advice organisations has welcomed a new report that reveals that only 30% of SMEs in the UK invest in advertising as a way of stimulating competition, innovation and expansion. The report – Advertising
The British Bankers Association (BBA) is calling for higher confidence in bank lending from SMEs in the retail sector and launching a campaign to let businesses know they are a lot more likely to get bank finance than they think. The BBA’s
Amid mixed Christmas sales figures from the British high street, a new analysis suggests their smaller online counterparts enjoyed a bumper festive season – earning millions from buyers in Europe and across the world thanks to their use of e-commerce
Small businesses are being offered the chance to work with some of the country’s biggest brands, including Argos and Procter & Gamble, through a new digital innovation competition run by IC tomorrow, part of the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy
One of the UK’s leading small business advice hubs says Britain’s entrepreneurial culture has developed faster than ever this year meaning there has never been a better time to start your own business. Ingenious Britain says recent research, which has shown
Geraldine Wilson, managing director of WorldPay Zinc, explains how the new WorldPay Zinc mobile card acceptance service is helping small businesses and sole traders to boost income, and the opportunity this emerging product area presents to a wide variety of
A new shipping company claims it is on track to have a positive impact on small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the UK. As more and more people come to rely on an income made online, and a growing number of
Online retailers that don’t get the basics of site navigation and providing full product information right risk losing customers, according to research from SellerDeck (www.sellerdeck.co.uk), a leading UK provider of ecommerce solutions to SMEs. Easy navigation and detailed product information
A growing UK internet economy has boosted the membership of the supply chain standards and solutions organisation, GS1 UK to over 25,000. GS1 UK said its members include retailers of all sizes, from small start-ups to the likes of Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Rakuten’s
Late payment of trade invoices is threatening the profits, growth and even survival prospects of small firms but few use formal procedures to tackle the problem, according to findings of a research report by the commercial credit referencing agency Graydon UK,
Streamline, part of the WorldPay group, and the largest provider of card payment processing in the UK and Europe, has given small and medium sized businesses in the UK improved access to the spending power of the large number of
Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement announcement of £45m for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will help get UK firms exporting, according to its chief executive Nick Baird. Some £10m of these funds will be used to target an extra 500
Small businesses are carrying a spare tyre of costs as they struggle to find time to control overheads, according to research from business saving advisor, Make It Cheaper. While some 63% of businesses owners describe their cost base as lean,
Tracy Ewen, managing director at independent commercial finance provider, IGF, argues small businesses need advice on accessing the government’s £20m relief fund set up to help businesses get up and running again after the recent riots in the UK “Isn’t
Confidence levels among small retail businesses remains strong, despite two years of global economic uncertainty, according to a survey by foreign currency specialist HiFX. It found many businesses are feeling optimistic about the prospects for the year ahead. However, despite
Bill Farmer, CEO of Mako Networks, the network security specialist, says retailers can increase consumer loyalty and sales by protecting their customers’ data In this tough economic situation, everyone is fighting to win consumer interest. Competition is high between retailers,
Half of all small retail businesses were negatively affected by foreign currency moves in 2010, according to a new report by foreign currency specialists HiFX. And, nearly two thirds (64%) of all retail SMEs cite the strength of sterling as
New online research from YouGov’s SME Omnibus survey reveals 98% of senior decision makers in small to medium business enterprises (SMEs) believe face-to-face to be one of the most acceptable ways to inform an employee they are losing their job.
British retailers may still be living in the short term, focusing on sales rather than strategy, according to new research. The FileMaker Insight Awareness Report, published today, shows UK retailers are more interested in gaining insight that aids customer service
