Small businesses are heralding accountants’ increasingly critical role in keeping them running since COVID-19 arrived, considering them to be among the ‘key workers’ of the post-pandemic economic recovery according to new research.

Israeli blockchain cyber startup, GK8 has announced a partnership with Chainalysis, the blockchain analysis company, to help financial institutions identify high risk activity including terrorism financing, money laundering, scamming, and more.

For too long successful lobbying has been the exclusive realm of companies and organisations with deep pockets. That is about to change with the launch of PolicyMogul, which provides free access to political updates, parliamentary proceedings and the wider policy-making environment via a feed, powerful search tools and email alerts.

New data suggests a surge in UK business growth in territories such as Africa and Eastern Europe, with business materials being translated into languages such as Zulu, Afrikaans, Serbian and Macedonian at least 2,000% more than three years ago.

Small businesses across the UK are being offered a major new package of support and mentoring, as Small Business Saturday UK launches the UK’s first online roadshow for towns and cities affected by the pandemic.

With the government furlough scheme ending on 31st October, many people will no doubt be worried about job security. One study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex suggested more than 6.5 million jobs could be at risk.

The marketing industry may have the biggest responsibility when it comes to the advancement of equality - of the sexes, of the races, of sexualities, of mental & health conditions, and more.

Intellectual Property firm, Mathys & Squire has announced the launch of its Scaleup Quarter, a one-stop microsite resource focused on smaller and growing businesses, including startups, scaleups and SMEs, to harness their passion and energy for innovation and provide crucial IP services that are dynamic and energetic, adding value and supporting businesses as they grow.

The National Australia Bank (NAB) is partnering with Pollinate to transform their merchant acquiring offering for Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) across Australia.

What qualities make an entrepreneur? What character traits are typically seen in entrepreneurs? Are these qualities and character traits something that they are born with or do they change over time? Can they be learned? Is it nature or nurture? Whatever the answers, it is certainly true that some people take to being an entrepreneur naturally whilst others would be so far out of their comfort zone that they would never even consider the idea.

On-demand wellness app, Urban has raised £5.9m on investment platform Seedrs, tripling an initial target of £2m. This is Seedrs’ third largest raise this year, and with over 800 investors, ranks in their top 20 in terms of investor numbers.

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank, shows that a high level of engagement and interaction with external institutions and resources, is central to SMEs’ prospects of success.

As part of our 'Women in Tech' focus we got the chance to speak to Lisa Krapinger, CMO at breathe ilo, who started working in marketing at Red Bull, leading the sampling and promotion team in order to combine her passion for sports with her career. Krapinger then moved to Heineken in brand management, where she was responsible for promoting the cider brands in Austria through sponsorships and events. Krapinger said: "What I realised from these two roles was that I loved working to build new brands and products up from scratch - hence why Carbomed Medical Solutions GmbH was the perfect next step in my career path."

Whether it’s a natural disaster, global health pandemic or economic downturn, businesses are inevitably going to encounter some unexpected circumstances that are out of their control. It’s not always straightforward for companies to keep operations running smoothly during these unprecedented times, but the highest priority should be to nurture employees and support the company culture. But how do organisations invest in the business culture, while still taking care of the company’s changing needs?

Ethics and business aren’t always easy bedfellows in a crisis. Now, more than ever, in order to survive, most businesses need to be risk averse and fret primarily about the bottom line.

LinkedIn has announced a new visual redesign to help people connect with their network and community, and to make their LinkedIn experience as easy, enjoyable, safe, and inclusive as possible. Every element of the visual refresh has been designed with LinkedIn members in mind.

Women in Electronics (WE) has announced they are going global, with chapter expansions into Europe beginning this month. This will be the first international chapter for the three-year-old professional association with a focus on women in the electronics industry.

Tech startup, Clear Review has announced the launch of its new Performance Management Academy, an innovative online learning platform that will make the practice a critical part of all businesses. Providing the latest courses, exciting events, and a supportive community, the Academy will deliver help, guidance, and networking opportunities to anyone involved in performance management.

Following the Government’s introduction of a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants, Bolt, European mobility platform, has announced it is ditching its surcharge between 9:30pm - 10:30pm in a bid to reduce overcrowding on the streets at closing time.