<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Greggs has revealed its sales have gone up by more than a fifth in a quarter and said cost inflation had eased across the business.The bakery chain, which opened its first shop in Newcastle in 1951, said it had gained 82 new shops so far in 2023. It said that took it to having a total of 2,410 ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Over 10,000 SME owners, self-employed and budding entrepreneurs have applied for a single £25,000 Business Boost grant from insurer Simply Business, as the current economic climate takes a toll on small businesses.This milestone comes as the UK is facing the biggest rise in small business vacancies in at least eight years, with a loss of 1,915 bricks and ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Ada Ventures, the VC firm which backs breakthrough ideas, is set to become the first investor in Europe to directly support founders in their portfolio with the cost of childcare.The decision was sparked by a Treasury-led review into female entrepreneurship led by Dame Alison Rose. It found that primary care responsibilities remained the biggest barrier for female founders, ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Businesses have been warned about excessively snooping into their workers’ activities and to make sure that any surveillance is legal, transparent and fair.New guidance issued to companies by the data watchdog states that while some monitoring of staff is allowed, it should not be so heavy-handed that it invades their privacy. The Information Commissioner’s Office found that a ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Cook, Apple’s chief executive, replied to a question about AI ans jobs in the UK by the PA news agency: “We’re hiring in that area, yes, and so I do expect [investment] to increase.” Big Tech has cut thousands of jobs since 2022, with layoffs continuing throughout 2023. Epic Games, the creator of hit videogame Fortnite, announced on ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>ISACA, the global professional association helping individuals and organisations in their pursuit of digital trust, has published new research looking at the state of cybersecurity.The research finds that of the cybersecurity professionals who said they were experiencing an increase or decrease in cybersecurity attacks as compared to a year ago, over half say they are experiencing more cyberattacks. ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Over sixty per cent of UK marketers believe consumer segmentation – the categorisation of customers based on shared traits – is an outdated method of marketing, with 63% considering it totally unfit for purpose.That’s according to new research from enterprise customer data platform, Treasure Data. This is despite almost all (96%) marketers in the UK still using segmentation ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Successful execution of a big project such as implementing new technology platforms or a new growth strategy is fundamental in ensuring a business survives.Yet, according to Forbes, fifty percent of Fortune 500 companies that existed 20 years ago have disappeared and the outlook for new enterprises is even less encouraging with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicating ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Contrary to the TV stereotype in Absolutely Fabulous and other cultural spoofs, a PR is far more than the character Edina guzzling bottles of champagne or an obsequious person in a marketing meeting who is thin on good advice and ideas.The reality is quite different and hopefully you’ve met the right ones. Done well, PR is an art, ...
<?xml encoding="utf-8" ?????????>Factories are suffering one of their sharpest declines in activity in a decade and a half as higher interest rates and a downturn in global demand squeeze output.The final purchasing managers’ index for the manufacturing sector, published by S&P Global and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, edged up to 44.3 in September, from 43 in August. ...