Jane Frost CBE, CEO of the Market Research Society (MRS), explores how SMEs can carry out market research on a budget
Year: 2015
Getting to know you: Simone Sajeva
We talk to Simone Sajeva about his inspirations in business, and ask what he would have done differently given the chance
Top Five Tips for Business Start Ups
Last night we all watched in anticipation as Joseph and Vana battled it out to become Lord Sugar’s new business partner. Though polar opposite in business concepts, for me Joseph was a clear winner from the start and I can’t wait to watch ImpraGas develop and grow over the next 12 months.
My Influences: Philip Brennan
Launched in April 2015 Businesscomparison.com has forged relationships with both new lenders and high street banks boasting the most comprehensive list of business financial help products in the UK. Head of Businesscomparison.com, Philip Brennan previously worked at MoneySuperMarket.com and Bank of America.
SMEs must join forces to tackle a rocky start to 2016
1.45 million UK SMEs seeking growth overseas, but two-thirds say a possible UK exit from the EU is affecting long-term growth plans
Toshiba predicts record $4.5bn loss
Troubled Japanese conglomerate Toshiba has said it will report a record 550bn yen ($4.5bn) annual loss and cut 6,800 jobs as it carries out a restructuring.
Oil price hits new 11-year lows amid global supply glut
The price of oil has fallen beyond lows last seen in the aftermath of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the launch of Gordon Brown’s bank bailout in late 2008, hitting 11-year lows in the early hours of this morning.
Christmas shoppers grab last-minute bargains as nervous retailers slash prices
Forest of sale signs light up high streets as warm weather, Black Friday and move to online sales prompt steep high street discounts to attract shoppers
Trains companies face rail refund probe
Consumer watchdog Which? has made a super-complaint to the Office of Rail and Road about passenger compensation for train delays
Job creation is up but skills shortage & rising costs are starting to bite UK business
Skills shortages are continuing to bite with firms identifying this as the top threat to the UK’s attractiveness as a place to do business for the second year running. That’s according to the latest CBI/Accenture Employment Trends Survey.
Pressurised SMEs fight back over tax changes which will add huge administrative burden
Business leaders are calling for the taxman to spend more on helping companies cope with its own red tape and have warned that plans to make small firms use online tax returns could create more bureaucracy, not less.
Bibby Financial Services pledges over £770m in funding for SMEs
The UK’s largest independently owned invoice finance provider, Bibby Financial Services (“BFS”), has committed to increase its total funding for UK SMEs by over £290m.
Poor business planning ‘will lose SMEs £25 billion’ in extra revenue in 2016
Poor business planning could mean that the UKs small businesses will lose out on £25 billion in extra revenue in 2016, according to new research.
Advertising tears don’t translate into sales at Christmas
UK marketers have potentially misspent a large portion of the millions invested on Christmas campaigns as new data from SurveyMonkey reveals that while emotionally-charged ads create brand awareness, that affinity often doesn’t translate into sales.
More public sector bosses will have to return their golden goodbye bonuses
More highly paid public sector workers who leave their job with a generous golden goodbye, only to return to another public organisation soon after, will have to return the payout as the government cracks down on so-called boomerang bosses.