Uncategorized

The Sam Altman/OpenAI rollercoaster: Lessons from leadership turmoil

The CEO of one of the world’s most talked about tech companies has been sacked, employed elsewhere, and returned to OpenAI in less than a week. While the precise details remain unclear surrounding the dismissal of Sam Altman, who steered the $90bn (£71.7bn) company behind ChatGPT, what can businesses learn from the rollercoaster that is...

21 November, 2023

Patricia Cullen

Figurines of a man, woman, child and shopping trolley on a tablet

Meet Ovuvu: The latest e-commerce store tackling high prices

In the minefield of being bombarded with ads and things to buy on Instagram and TikTok, one start-up has set out to change the perception of e-commerce and transparency in online shopping. Ovuvu, a start-up that launched last year and runs out of its warehouse in North London, offers a range of exciting products for...

17 November, 2023

Autumn Statement 2023: What to expect

With the Autumn Statement taking place tomorrow, Jeremy Hunt will set out the government’s latest plans for tax and public spending. Ahead of tomorrow’s address, the chancellor has said, “I will focus on how we boost business investment and get people back into work to deliver the growth our country needs.” We’ve collated everything that’s...

16 November, 2023

The decline of Marvel Studios? What your business can learn

Marvel Studios is a household name around the globe. With 32 blockbuster movies released since 2008 and nine TV programmes coming out on Disney+ since 2021, Marvel Studios has become a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse. However, Marvel’s latest movie The Marvels is set to bomb at the box office on its opening weekend, the latest in a...

11 November, 2023

Has Booths signalled the beginning of the end for self-service checkouts?

Booths, the supermarket chain described as the “northern Waitrose”, has axed nearly all its self-service, becoming the first in the UK to return to fully staffed checkouts. The firm said that of its 28 stores, just two (Keswick and Windermere in Cumbria) will see staff return to checkouts. Booths said they took the decision because...

10 November, 2023

$Girl math$

Girl math: Economic genius or generational fad?

Do you ever find yourself justifying a coffee purchase at lunch or spending a bit extra on your online order to get free delivery? If you have, you may be guilty of partaking in the social media trend of “girl math.” Spearheaded by female creators and originally from New Zealand, girl math is a set...

9 November, 2023

Jake Humphrey sitting with his hands together

Redefining high performance in life and business

High performance. The buzz term du jour on LinkedIn and in the business community. The man who literally has a podcast on the topic has his doubts about whether people actually know its true meaning. Jake Humphrey is a former BBC and BT Sport presenter and the Founder of the Whisper Group, a multi-award-winning company...

8 November, 2023

Who are the UK’s top manufacturing stars to watch out for?

The manufacturing industry is vast and whilst we often praise the industry’s makers, the suppliers do not tend to be as well celebrated. But who are the companies behind the brands, what are they up to, and are they really as successful as they claim to be? For our latest Top 32 list, we looked...

6 November, 2023

Concerns grow about apprenticeship levy

The number of apprentices starting in small businesses has plummeted 49% since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. That stark figure from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development was included in a new report that also revealed a fall in employer investment in training and apprenticeships, despite labour shortages in many UK...

3 November, 2023

Is space a viable industry for UK businesses to pursue?

Space – a fantasy for many children and cause for existentialism for many adults. But it is also now an opportunity for exploration and advancement. The UK space industry income grew 5.1% to £17.5bn in 2021, according to research. A seemingly niche industry is getting bigger and spacetech looks an increasingly exciting and accessible...

2 November, 2023

Unlocking the potential of the silver workforce

More than half of the UK workforce will be 50 years old or above by 2035. That compares to just over a third in 2019. This demographic shift poses significant challenges for the labour market and businesses. Currently 1.3 million workers between 50 and 64 years old cannot work because of chronic illness according to...

2 November, 2023

Patricia Cullen

South Africa's team celebrates from a bus with supporters during the Springboks Champions trophy tour in Cape Town on November 3, 2023

What leaders can learn from the 2023 Rugby World Cup champions

South Africa was crowned Rugby World Cup champions for the fourth time in October 2023. The Springboks followed up their World Cup triumph in 2019 with a narrow 12-11 win over New Zealand, making them only the second team to win back-to-back titles. Full disclosure – as someone who grew up in Southern Africa and...

30 October, 2023

Unlocking the power of DE&I: A guide for SMEs

In this guest article, Amanda Cusdin, chief people officer at Sage, provides actionable steps on how SMEs can drive DE&I initiatives. The past three years have been a whirlwind for DE&I work: we’ve seen lots of big businesses sharing their DE&I plans in response to everything from George Floyd’s murder and the Covid-19 pandemic to...

27 October, 2023

Creating a buzz: Leading the push for diversity in financial services

In this guest article, Romi Savova, CEO at PensionBee, discusses the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It’s no secret that the financial services industry has a history of inadequate diversity. To this day, it remains dominated by men, with minority groups only in a small fraction of top positions. While the setting...

20 October, 2023

Tablet showing internet connection on screen

Navigating corporate transformation in a rapidly changing world

In this guest article, Jean-Philippe Grosmaitre, partner at L.E.K. Consulting, discusses how businesses can implement better digital innovation strategies. There is no escaping the fact that we have entered a new, more volatile, business environment in recent years. In times of uncertainty, businesses want to be as adaptable as they can be, and so conversations...

16 October, 2023

Time over money? The ultimate guide to managing your most valuable asset

In a world where time is often undervalued and underutilised, businesses face a critical challenge: maximising the potential of their most invaluable asset, prompting a profound re-evaluation of traditional approaches and a quest for innovative strategies to harness the essence of time in the pursuit of productivity and success. “Some things money can’t buy, for...

13 October, 2023

Patricia Cullen

HVM Catapult’s Manufacturing Energy Toolkit: Empowering UK SMEs for energy efficiency

The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult has launched its pilot Manufacturing Energy Toolkit nationwide to support UK manufacturing SMEs with their energy costs. As the winter sets in, the cost of energy will be a key concern for businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK. With the Manufacturing Energy Toolkit, the HVM Catapult is...

6 October, 2023

CSR: The role of businesses in the wider community

In this guest article, Lewis Allett, chief executive at Cavell, discusses the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and businesses’ support of charities in 2023. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – what is it? Since the phrase was first coined in the 1950s by American economist Howard Bowen, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ has meant different things at...

29 September, 2023

Business confidence in the South West falls more than half

Business confidence in the South West fell 25 points during September to 21%, the lowest level in six months, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in the South West reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 23 points at 26%. When taken alongside their optimism in...

29 September, 2023

Aerial panorama of Leeds railway station and surrounding area

North West economy set for £242m boost thanks to Made Smarter-backed firms

A pioneering programme helping North West manufacturers invest in industrial digital technology is forecast to create more than 1,550 new jobs and boost the region’s economy by £242m, new figures reveal. It comes as businesses across the region mark National Manufacturing Day on Thursday, September 28. The Made Smarter adoption programme was launched in Liverpool...

28 September, 2023

‘I wish I knew that it would genuinely be attitude, not aptitude, which would ultimately define my altitude’

Building a company is a difficult task. Whether starting their own or growing an established business, these leaders have made a name for themselves as some of the best of the best. So, what makes business leaders tick and what are they aiming to achieve when all is said and done? We spoke to Paul...

22 September, 2023

Sidetrade strengthens leadership with new non-executive Directors

Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, announces the appointment of two new non executive directors, Gilles Rigal and Jean-Luc Robert, to the company’s Board of Directors. Gilles Rigal and Jean-Luc Robert’s career paths are marked by leadership roles in leading international software companies. Effective immediately, these appointments will bring a collective 85 years...

21 September, 2023

Financial backing is the biggest obstacle to the UK’s aspiring entrepreneurs

With almost 20,000 Brits searching ‘how to start a business’ each month, it’s clear we’re a nation full of budding entrepreneurs. However, if so many are considering flying solo, what barriers are potentially stopping their excursion? Online printing company, Solopress, has analysed the reasons currently stopping Brits from taking the leap into starting their dream business,...

14 September, 2023