Features

Why workplace inclusivity matters

As many companies across the UK finally start returning to office life with cautious optimism, workplace inclusivity should remain one of the most important goals for any organisation.

Enhance your customer engagement through clean data

As a provider of data cleaning services to businesses large and small, REaD Group is always keen to find out what the needs of our clients are. As such we conducted a survey into SMEs to look at what they knew about GDPR, how they hold and manage their customer data and what they do to keep it clean and up to date.

Why startups need to be internationally-focused from the outset

We’re currently in the midst of what many are calling a ‘startup boom’. More than 4.4 million new businesses have been created in the US since last March, according to the Census Bureau – the highest amount ever seen since records began in 2004.

Building a business during a pandemic isn’t easy, but the lessons you learn can make it worth it

The last 18 months have been tough for everyone. We have witnessed limitations on all aspects of our everyday lives and experienced things that we never imagined could be possible. But for entrepreneurs, the unprecedented challenges that unfolded following the start of the pandemic have resulted in the unfortunate failure of many businesses and irreversible damage to industries worldwide.

Startups and communications: Pride and Prejudice

You’ve got the idea, the business plan, the tech and – some of – the funding. You’re working on your product, iterating features, fine tuning the customer service, revolutionising a sector’s status quo. And you’re moving fast, because of your ecosystem’s need for speed. For most tech startups, those are the pillars they build a business on. But what’s the value of these if no one is paying attention? And if what your offer is so complex and new that people don’t understand it?

Six top tips to navigate a successful hybrid working model

At last, Freedom Day is here. We’ve long waited for government restrictions to ease, yet what this will look like within an office environment is still all very new. Companies everywhere are having to make new decisions that will impact the daily lives of their employees.

Why chatbots and conversational AI agents are poles apart

Chances are, you have probably had some sort of engagement with a chatbot in the past. These technologies are used by an array of organisations, usually in an attempt to create a much more efficient customer experience, and in many circumstances, cut costs along the way. However, these solutions are not always up to the task.

Environmental policies: the key to startups and SME’s survival?

Environmental policies and working towards sustainable practices has been a hot topic among businesses across sectors and, crucially, across scales. While larger established enterprises are naturally responsible for a larger share of the productive overhauls required to attain Britain’s environmental targets, startups and SMEs are also increasingly outlining their commitment to sustainability.

How To Wind Down Before You Burnout

As a business owner, burnout can seem a distant reality or something out of a fairy tale. I have once thought: “How can my life, which I have chosen and is filled with me living and breathing my passion, ever cause me anything but harm?”

The link between mental health and financial wellbeing

The pandemic has provided a clear illustration that the link between money and our mental health is just as strong as we think. 

Taking a tech product to market for non-tech startup founders

Have you got a game-changing idea that could change the way people work and live? Would you like to launch a website or app that would help a greater number of people access your services? You are aware of the possibilities of developing a digital product, but how do you get started?

Business as unusual in a post-COVID-19 world

The impact of COVID-19 has brought many changes to the world of business and innovation. In this continually evolving process, the current paradigm is being challenged in almost all areas across the board, from hybrid work practices to a focus on up-skilling and bringing wellbeing centre stage.

Questions you should be asking when hiring for remote-based jobs

Remote work has transformed all aspects of our professional lives, and this includes interviewing and recruitment. Video conferencing has enabled businesses and applicants to carry out an interview process in a fairly similar way to in-person interviews, but there is much that businesses need to consider and look out for when recruiting and interviewing for remote positions – the typical interview questions no longer cut it.

Why self-employed startups need to make tax digital sooner rather than later

2020 saw an uptick of newly registered businesses, with almost half a million (468,371) being registered in the UK, with the most popular startup being in the retail sector. In 2020, there were six million private sector businesses in the UK, up by 112,700 compared to 2019.

Implementing the ‘big four’ to post-pandemic event success

As society reopens and businesses adapt to post-pandemic life, now is the ideal time for growing businesses to consider not only how their audiences may have changed but also the best ways to engage with them. Some of the most exciting changes have occurred in the way events are delivered, and we believe there are four key steps that businesses should take to establish and host impactful post-pandemic event programmes. By following these steps, your events will deliver and exceed their objectives, and help achieve wider business objectives too.

UK Tech Going for Gold in the Race to Net Zero

With less than three months to go till COP26, the UK, in particular, has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a global hub for sustainability, a world leader in green technology and investment, and a place where all tech businesses join forces to tackle one of the greatest issues of our time.

Why startups should use influencers

When restrictions on travel and working together took hold on the world, it forced events and campaigns (which are essential to marketing) to frantically be reshuffled and moved online where possible. Sales strategies and marketing plans had to be reorganised to adapt to the new normal of the marketing world.

Why more companies are hiring interim CFOs

The pandemic triggered a serious economic shock, giving rise to great uncertainty. CEOs, CFOs, investors and shareholders have had to restructure their financial plan to get to the next stage of growth and recover sales. Moreover, in every company there comes a time when a change is required. This is where we welcome the interim CFO, or in other terms, the prototype of a modern day CFO.

What Startups Need to Know About the American Rescue Plan

On 11th March, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) to provide much-needed economic relief to the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the bill focuses on the revitalisation of businesses as a whole, as the health crisis had many negative impacts on the economy and typical operations.

Why many ambitious, entrepreneurial women feel held back by themselves

Much of my work is focused around helping women to achieve their highest vision for themselves both personally and professionally. So many women, including those conceiving, founding and running their own businesses, have a strong sense of ambition and a vision but when it comes to actioning change or ‘up levelling’ they become overwhelmed and frozen in knowing where to start.