Lockdown has been a massive change for almost everyone across the world, both in our personal lives and in our profession.

We are failing to meet our CO2 emission goals, seeing widespread overexploitation, and entering a sixth mass extinction event. This doesn’t bode well for a strong economic future. The science screams for urgent action, yet society seems to be slumped, dragging its feet towards a more sustainable future.

The word 'disruption' has long been a buzzword in startups and small businesses looking to take on larger rivals, often with a reputation for doing things a certain - old fashioned - way. The global energy market has been flooded with 'disruptors' while the multi-billion pound FinTech industry has long revelled in its 'challenger' moniker.

Hitachi Capital Business Finance recognise that the resilience and strength of the small business community lies in its diversity. We all too often read about how the average UK business is performing, how they are reacting to issues or planning for the future. In truth, there is no absolute average - rather the range and diversity of people setting up and running small businesses is what makes the sector so fascinating.

Since the beginning of the year, wellbeing has been a prominent topic of interest among Brits, in fact, searches for the term ‘wellbeing’ have increased by 257% in the past five months. As people continue to spend more time indoors, Rebecca Snowden, Interior Style Advisor at FurnitureChoice.co.uk, explains how to create a calming oasis to maintain wellbeing at home.

A 32% increase in downloads in the last  four  weeks is a tangible  indicator that  planning is back at the  top of the business agenda  according to  Plandisc,  the world’s first digital,  shareable and interactive circular planning tool.  Usage has soared  this  Autumn with 60,000 customers across twenty countries worldwide.  

The majority of small and medium-sized businesses believe there are financial opportunities in the shift to a greener economy and that they personally can benefit from them, according to new Opinium polling commissioned for a new report by The Entrepreneurs Network and the Enterprise Trust. The findings from the report, Green Entrepreneurship, challenge the historic assumption that pursuing sustainability is a hindrance to businesses and the economy.

The international pandemic has forced every founder to re-evaluate their strategy, urgently! I’ve paid close attention to the media and have noticed that the business model pivot topic has certainly been well covered. The article that surprised me the most, was one by Sifted that referenced a Station F survey of VC funded startups in Europe, the USA and Israel. The stat that grabbed me was this one: 80% of the startups involved had gone through some kind of business model pivot in the last few months. That’s a lot of change, especially considering that startups are also dealing with other challenges related to the pandemic.

A third of employees are too busy to take holiday, with another 63% stating 'there’s nowhere to go' when asked why so many had the majority of their holiday left to take.

Traktion, a London based startup that connects businesses to on-demand digital marketing talent, has secured early-stage angel investment from marketing and technology entrepreneurs Nigel Morris (ex Dentsu) Nimrod Priell (ex Facebook).

Like pretty much everything else that has happened so far in 2020, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are going to look a bit different this year. When we think of Black Friday, we imagine bustling crowds swarming into shops and busy customers, battling to bag a bargain. This year, however, 70% of consumers say that they're not planning on returning to physical shops for the foreseeable future. This means retailers need to take an online-first approach to Black Friday. 

Today’s workplace culture has many employees feeling the pressure to turn up to the office at all costs, even when ill; however, the global pandemic COVID-19 has shown it is more critical than ever for businesses to tackle the widespread challenge of 'presenteeism' especially when majority are working from home.

Company culture has a big effect on our overall happiness and wellbeing. A toxic workplace culture can impact someone so dramatically that it affects their performance and can create a ripple effect into their families’ lives. By having a supporting, caring and inspiring working environment, employee health is improved which impacts the business’ bottom line through increased productivity and the creation of positive brand ambassadors for your business.

AgileDisinfect is a new startup founded by graduates from the MBA programme at ESMT Berlin. It aims to tackle COVID-19, by disinfecting indoor spaces by using autonomous robotics and other advanced technologies. Startups Magazine spoke to Mouin EL-Khechen, Co-Founder and COO of AgileDisinfect to find out more.

Ahead of Stress Awareness Day, which takes place on November 4th, Cheryl Lythgoe, Matron at Benenden Health, shares her tips for employers on how to support employees coping with stress as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives.