BUSINESS INSIGHT

The news that the Financial Conduct Authority has been inundated with applications from peer-to-peer lenders throws a spotlight on how such platforms are regulated.

As the budget airline reveals that the strength of the pound against the euro has left it trading ahead of target, Matt James, of international currency experts World First, looks at the FX lessons for SMEs.

Like it or not, machine-to-machine technology is changing the way we do business. We take a look at the shape of things to come.

Getting to grips with failure is a must if you want to lead your team out of its comfort zone and into new growth areas.

Smart SMEs should scrutinise the cost of their currency trades, after banks were fined $4.2 billion for rigging foreign exchange benchmarks and failing to control business practices. Farah Khalique talks peer-to-peer FX and the options available when it comes to currency transactions.

For many of you the title of this article will come as something of an unwelcome surprise. With the rollout of 4G still ringing in your ears, and the dilemma of whether to upgrade your handset still swirling around in your head, the mere suggestion of yet another more advanced generation of wireless connectivity is enough to make you wince... not again surely? Eoin O'Hara talks us through what it means for you and your business.

It’s no exaggeration to say that crowdfunding is one of the great online success stories of recent years. Few could have predicted the incredible success of the process and much less the revolutionising effect it would have on the way in which people seek funding for a whole range of things - from new businesses to startup music festivals. It’s not surprising either that the growth of crowdfunding has paved the way for many innovative new businesses, specifically tailored to cater for the industry, to spring up and flourish. Crowdreacher is a London-based startup production company that creates video and promotional content exclusively for crowdfunding campaigns. We were really eager to get an idea of what it’s like to work in such a new and thriving industry so we decided to have a chat with Crowdreacher founder Chris Colton.

Politics aren’t just for election time, and while they might not be at the front of your mind when you’re working on a venture, matters of business and policy often have close ties. Coadec (the Coaltion for a Digital Economy) aims to give a voice to startups on political issues, and Vicki Turk spoke to new executive director Guy Levin about their campaigns to support the digital economy.

Whether outsourced, or in-house, a solid sales force can put a company on the map. By working together to increase brand awareness and drive sales forward, the sales team can exponentially grow revenue and play a crucial role in ensuring a business’ success.

Once again late payments are making the headlines. As politicians and journalists come forward to identify small and growing businesses as an integral factor in rebuilding the UK’s economy, it is unsurprising that the issues of late payments and cash flow have been brought to the fore.

We all know that if you keep doing the same things you generally get the same results. Similarly, if you keep doing the same thing in an ever-changing sector, you will probably suffer worse results. So there comes a time when you need to invest in something new to move your business forward. Any investment is a big decision. If it’s an investment in new technology, the stakes are even higher because the playing field moves so quickly.

Becoming self-employed is a big step to take, but it can provide many benefits such as freedom, intellectual fulfilment and flexibility. There are also financial benefits as some self-employed people earn more than they would as an employee. However, there are also higher risks and disadvantages if you are not prepared…

Studying for a Master of Business and Administration (MBA) in the UK remains incredibly expensive, those looking to pursue this option can expect to pay in the region of £15,000 for their course. However, a recent survey from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) revealed that job offers to executive MBA graduates were at an all-time high, with 76 percent of participants having received an offer of employment at the time of the survey (February 15 - March 18, 2012). With that in mind, can the advantages of holding an MBA really justify such a substantial investment in both time and money especially given the uncertain economic climate?

Until 1st October 2011, most businesses adopted the default National Retirement Age (NRA) of 65 for their staff. Under the then law, employers had the right to retire employees at 65, provided they followed the statutory retirement procedures. If such procedures were followed, such a dismissal would be neither unfair nor amount to age discrimination.

The absence of women from many top jobs might suggest that the concept of a glass ceiling is still very much a reality.There has however, been an encouraging upturn of female entrepreneurs, bucking gender trends even in traditionally male-dominated industries. 10 of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs from a diverse range of backgrounds talk to inspiresme about overcoming the challenges they have faced.

Understanding what is going on outside your business is an important part of strategic planning. There are some useful analytical tools that help to understand important factors in the business environment and competitive drivers in your industry as an initial step in undertaking competitor analysis. In addition to this, many businesses try to understand, in some detail, what its competitors are doing.