Sage has announced new updates to its Small Business Accounting Solution. Designed to support small businesses in the construction industry, the updates enable customers to manage their day-to-day accounting in the cloud, as well as comply with sector specific UK Government requirements for the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).

Secure business operations on digital platforms bring a unique set of challenges to compliance for managers. Startups now have to seek SOC 2 compliance just like other traditional businesses.

Millennials are the first generation to be truly comfortable with digital technologies: most own a smartphone and use it for a host of activities ranging from social networking, playing games, watching TV and mobile banking.

While WFH or Working From Home has become one of the new buzz phrases from lockdown, this is not always the preferred option, reality or choice for a large number of companies or indeed employees. 

Breed Reply, European investor in early-stage Internet of Things (IoT) businesses, has increased its investment in Dutch AgriTech company, Connecterra.  As part of its Series B funding round, Connecterra has secured €7.8m from existing investors, Breed Reply and Sistema, alongside new investors including AgTech specialists ADM Capital, French food safety enterprise, Kersia Group and Dutch impact investor, Pymwymic.

At a time when many professional growth strategies have been put on hold as businesses navigate the huge impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, one of the country’s career coaches is working to support and empower ambitious employees as they continue on their own pathways to success.

After a successful round of funding, an innovative new app called SplitBill, which allows users to effortlessly divide a bill or expense in a seamless and cashless way, has launched today.

The re-opening of shops provided a much-needed relief for retailers in the last two weeks, as the number of companies with a negative assessment of trading conditions plummeted from more than half (54%) to 37%, according to the latest Opinium-Cebr Business Distress Tracker.

Global small business platform, Xero has announced its new analysis has revealed the extent of COVID-19’s impact on UK small business employment and revenue between March and May 2020, showing a 28% drop in revenue and a six percent decline in employment. Late payments to UK small businesses increased by 7.8 days between February and May 2020.

Chocolate and technology, arguably two of the greatest two things in the entire world, and Sergio Figueredo, Founder of the startup Choco4Peace, is therefore arguably one of the greatest men in the world, as he managed to combine the two. Not only that he has also this year been chosen as the first Hustle Awards Winner in the category Social Impact Hero!

With a large and growing range of smart devices and intelligent products, Imou serves global IoT users through a ‘three in one’ business system encompassing Imou Cloud, the smart devices and the intelligent technology – and the latest and arguably most exciting one is the Ranger IQ.

SETsquared Bristol has been awarded ‘Hottest Accelerator’ in Europe at The Europas Awards. The University of Bristol led incubator, based at Engine Shed, supports the growth of technology-based businesses, helping them move from initial ideas into commercial viability. 

With COVID-19 set to spark the worst economic recession since the Great Depression, new research by the World Federation of Advertisers says 89% of large international companies have put their marketing and advertising campaigns on hold. Global marketing and advertising spend is plummeting at the fastest rate since the 2007-2008 financial crisis, leading to uncertainty and trepidation within the sector.

Secto Design has made a significant investment in startup company Paptic. “Until recently, Secto Design has purely invested in developing its own production. However, Paptic has such a meaningful goal and it fits perfectly to our own philosophy, that we had to jump along,” said Tuula Jusélius, the Founder of Secto Design.

French software provider, Saagie has announced a $28m fundraising round with Crédit Mutuel Innovation, alongside NewAlpha Asset Management, Seventure Partners and AG2R LA MONDIALE. Historic investors Cap Horn, BNPP Développement and C.Entrepreneurs (managed by Cathay Innovation) also participated.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way the world works, and with some UK workers beginning to return to the office, some anticipating a phased return in the coming weeks and others working at home for the foreseeable future, it can be difficult to connect the workforce together.

The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards has launched the Pivot for Purpose Award, a new trophy celebrating the fantastic achievements of UK organisations to support communities and key workers during the lockdown.

The pioneering supplier discovery platform connecting retailers with verified and sustainable suppliers, Sourcing Playground has announced that it has been awarded funding by Innovate UK to deliver an AI platform that will overhaul retail supply chains.

From a young age Olivia Higgs, always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur. Although initially it was more of a dream to own a boutique hotel, rather than being the Co-founder of NAVA, an app that enables users to explore cities in a personalised way whilst supporting local independent business owners, but it was through her interest in artificial intelligence that she found herself here.

With non-essential shops beginning to open in the UK, the latest Opinium-Cebr Business Distress Tracker shows things are already looking up for retailers, as less than a fifth (18%) now see themselves at risk of insolvency. This has fallen from 40% since the last Tracker two weeks ago.