You may have thought that the return to ‘normality’ would be a good thing for business. With most people now off furlough, some back in the office and others working permanently from home, there are mixed feelings from employees who are now having to adapt to the ‘new normal’. In fact, it has been estimated that over 40% of people globally plan to leave their jobs this year! 

The past few decades have been all about the myriad physical benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise. We all know about the improvements in our cardiovascular health, not to mention decreased blood pressure and much lesser risks of developing various diseases. 

With the furlough scheme set to come to an end on 30th September, there are widespread fears that business owners still unable to welcome back their pre-pandemic workforces will be forced to make mass redundancies leaving millions more out of work.

Compliance is becoming a complex issue for organisations. As businesses engage in more remote and digital work practices due to COVID-19, governments globally are implementing a growing number of data privacy regulations for organisations to abide by.

Chronic disease is rising rapidly in America and throughout the developed world. Today, according to the CDC a shocking 71.6% of adults are either overweight or obese. Moreover, over the last few decades, rates of hypertension, diabetes, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s, major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, insomnia, and multiple other chronic diseases are rising over time. Likewise, medical costs are rising over time year after year and today costs the US a staggering $3.8 trillion (or about 18% of GDP) per year.

Working at home and struggling to maintain productivity? For the majority of Brits currently working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for those looking to do more home working in the future, Workthere, has shared 10 tips on how you can create an office space that leads to maximum productivity.

Have you ever thought of setting up your own business? Have you already done so? What made you want to do this? In truth, the answers are very different for each of us but, looking at government statistics and Companies House records, more and more people are choosing this route; especially since the turmoil in the last few years caused by the pandemic.

Some of the most exciting startups today are those that we might regard as future-gazers. But consumer habits have changed and we are increasingly sceptical today of businesses and services that offer solutions by creating a demand that was never actually there.

The pandemic has led to an increase in flexible working and, as restrictions continue to lift and employees return to the office, employers are anticipating an influx of requests around working remotely and flexibly.

Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Automotive, was instrumental in the creation of the 9-5 model in the early 1900’s. Following the passing of the eight-hour workday in Illinois in 1867, Ford was one of the first (or at least most well-known) business people to implement this change within his own company.

Welcoming an apprenticeship is a great move – both for the apprentice and your business. Research shows that 78% of employers find apprentices help to improve workforce productivity.

One of the most documented impacts of the coronavirus pandemic has been the acceleration of e-commerce, with many online businesses enjoying insatiable demand over the last 18 months. However, as pandemic restrictions are lifted, the sector is headed for much more volatile trading conditions.

By Thomas Makey, Investment Director at Gresham House Ventures

While some startups and tech firms were early adopters of remote work, it wasn’t until early 2020 that most of society fully understood the concept. Working from home might have entered the scene out of necessity due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but there’s no doubt that the trend, in one iteration or another, is here to stay.

Welcome to a new series of articles for Startups Magazine. Over the next few months I would like to invite you to accompany me on a journey; a journey that many readers will already have started and many others will be contemplating. For those that have already started the journey then I hope that they will still find some of my words useful, and for those yet to start then I trust that this series will make navigation so much easier.

Perhaps the pandemic made you reassess your working life, or maybe you’ve always planned to start your own business and are ready and raring to go. Either way, if you’ve decided to go it alone, you’ll need to be prepared for the multiple challenges – and rewards – being a business owner will bring.

Freelancing has been a popular source of income for people who like to be their own 'boss' for a long time now. However, when the pandemic came along at the end of 2019, this popularity touched new heights, mainly because full-time workers weren’t able to get to their offices.

At a time when many people around the UK are making career changes and starting new enterprises, aspiring business owners will be looking for the right business loan to get their companies off the ground. Choosing the right loan partner is an important decision, and it’s crucial that people know what to look for before they commit. The important thing to remember is, it’s about much more than just the money.

As a generation of digital natives, Tim Berners-Lee’s creation has become an intrinsic part of our lives today and as such, we tend to take most changes to the internet in our stride. That said, the internet as we know it is evolving at a rapid pace from its earlier inception, Web 2.0, with the latest developments making way for a whole new browsing experience.

The backlash against the recent decision by OnlyFans to ban content depicting 'sexually explicit conduct' from its platform - and its subsequent U-turn in the face of that backlash - can serve as an important lesson for startups in how (and how not) to communicate news around big business decisions that might impact their customer base. 

The modern companies that are looking to get maximum returns on investment have to concentrate on developing human capital difference by using effective training and development programs for their staff to improve their productivity. The workforce of an organisation is a valuable asset for any company.