A sustainability skills programme to help small firms realise their growing climate action ambitions is being launched following the COP26 summit.

One of the hardest challenges all leaders face is knowing when to move on from their existing strategy.  This is not only because of the attachment we feel towards a plan we have created, or because of the humility required to accept that what we are doing is not working, but also because the clear thinking required to create a winning strategy is hard work.

The spotlight is being shone on the sustainability behaviours of individuals, companies and countries all over the world. The agendas and policies of our towns and cities are not immune to such scrutiny, especially capital cities whose presence on the international stage draws particular attention.

History has taught us that marketing efforts don’t always go to plan. Desired results are not always achieved - largely due to generic campaigns directed at unsuited audiences. In the past this has been accepted as a part of the process, and rightly so -  we have not had the appropriate resources to facilitate the best outcome possible. However, times have changed, and there is now little excuse for marketing campaigns to miss their mark.

You might be under the impression that the type of management style you choose to run your business with isn’t important. After all, it doesn’t matter how things get done as long as they get done, right? Wrong! Completely wrong.

Gone are the days of simple case studies presented with before and after stats, and just a quote from a client. Digital marketing has improved in leaps and bounds, and so have the ways case studies are created and presented to prospects in order to convert them into customers. 

According to research from GRiD, the industry body for the group risk protection sector, employers feel a greater responsibility for supporting staff across the four key areas of mental, physical, social, and financial wellbeing as a result of COVID-19.

Companies need to allocate greater resources to managing risks from Artificial Intelligence (AI) ahead of the introduction of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, a new report from research and advisory firm, Verdantix, says.

Having decided whether to start your entrepreneurial journey as a sole founder or as a co-founder you will then be able to properly develop your idea and your business.  Whatever your business plans and structure, and whatever your ultimate aims are with regard to scaling your business, there will always be many different tasks to be attended to and the smaller the business and the fewer the resources the harder this can be.

The BBC recently reported that, as of the end of November 2021, more than six million people were waiting for routine operations in the UK.  This was the first time this figure had been hit in the history of the NHS and demonstrated the scale of the backlog in routine operations caused by the COVID-19 health crisis and its knock-on effect on the wellbeing of the nation.

A constant challenge for IT leaders is ensuring they see an appropriate return on investment from their Software Asset Management (SAM) programme. So, what can businesses do to ensure their SAM spend is providing adequate value as a result of improved decision making, cost savings and software licence compliance? Furthermore, when is it best to outsource SAM and licensing tasks, and what tasks should be maintained by automated SAM technology or an in-house team?

Businesses across the world have been and continue to face extreme financial difficulties as a result of COVID-19. Amongst those struggling the most are charities; the very organisations built to help those in need.

GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland will be represented by a host of innovative mobile companies at Mobile World Congress (MWC) and Four Years From Now (4YFN) 2022 next week in Barcelona. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Connectivity Unleashed’ and centres on advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), as well as the implementation of 5G.

Talent is a vital resource for the success of any business. Today, in any successful growth strategy, technology must be at the forefront. However, the reality is, attracting, developing and retaining talent that can support this growth is one the biggest issues facing any business due to the simple fact that technology is always evolving and there will always be a gap between demand for the latest technology and the skills to fulfill it.

All across Britain, the self-starter movement is gathering momentum with people starting side hustles, their own small business or turning their passion project into an income. Research done by OnePoll in collaboration with Mettle last year found that passion (35%), ambition (34%) and hobbies (33%) are the most popular reasons for starting a side hustle. In fact, almost two thirds (64%) say they regret not starting their side hustle sooner.