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One in six SME e-retailers are planning to build a physical store presence in 2014 as online competition increases, according to a recent Royal Mail survey. Of the 400 UK SME online retailers that were surveyed, it was found that 16 per cent expected to open their own store or seek space in an existing…
read moreBritish SMEs are said to be losing out on up to £3.7bn every year through forgotten invoices, according to a new study of 450 businesses. Around 20 per cent of those surveyed said that they have forgotten to invoice for goods or services at least once. 12 per cent of these said that the job…
read moreSmall business lending is showing sign of recovery as they have reached a two year high, according to the latest Bank of England figures. The figures show that lending to small businesses rose by £238m between May and June of this year, the biggest rise since 2011. Since 2009 lending to both small and large…
read moreYorkshire-based SMEs will soon be able to accept more efficient payments as a new technology, GoCardless, is launched this week. The new online tool will enable SMEs to collect Direct Debits quickly and cost effectively, helping businesses to process payments a lot easier than they currently do. GoCardless is a technology start-up by three graduates,…
read moreSMEs have been promised more financial support as pressure builds on Royal Bank of Scotland to offer more credit. The taxpayer-owned bank is now writing to 100,000 small and medium-sized businesses across the UK to offer more funding. The move comes after Chancellor George Osborne demanded RBS did more to support the economy last week.…
read moreSmall business owners are being reminded of the importance of friendly customer service to ensure customer loyalty and business growth, as a new report has found that many SMEs are overlooking this. The report, published by Barclays, found that a smile and a friendly hello is the most common reason why consumers feel loyal to…
read moreIn today’s day and age, a lot of UK SMEs are finding it difficult to be able to fund marketing and advertising campaigns so need to find new, cheap and standout ways to raise brand awareness. One way to do this is by creating a charity affiliation, sponsoring a charity of your choice and, as a result,…
read moreConsumers will have no excuse to be not spending at small businesses anymore after PayPal has introduced its new chip and pin device. This is great news for smaller businesses, as it means that even at the most basic level of trading, businesses owners will be able to offer Paypal as a payment method. This…
read moreThere’s been some good news released for small businesses today with a survey revealing that 89% of SMEs are now maximising the use of technology within the workplace. In a study by Hiscox, conducted in November and December last year, businesses are proven to be using technology to its full potential, which ultimately means that…
read moreDavid and Goliath. The FA Cup third round. There are plenty of examples of small triumphing over big, but in business, it is generally accepted that larger is better. Bigger budgets, more resources, greater power and higher profile brands are all the things that most small business owners have traditionally coveted. But this situation may…
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