08Direct
Last month, the Forum of Private Business published research that stated that business costs last year increased at a rate of ‘3.5% ahead of inflation’. According to the research, 94% of businesses reported an overall increase in the cost of running their business, with 87% of those surveyed saying rising energy costs were their biggest…
read moreOne 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 moreAs the New Year gets underway, it’s important that businesses wanting to grow are keeping their marketing methods up to date! We’ve put together our top 5 tips for marketing successfully in 2014: Social networking If you’re not already using social media for your business, then you NEED to start and take it seriously. Using…
read moreIf you’re an 08Direct customer, you’ll already know about our work with our affiliated charity, Dreams & Wishes. We’ve worked closely with them for a number of years now, providing financial and marketing support, as well of course as providing their current telephone number and call management services. Working with Dreams & Wishes, and with…
read moreThe future of the British high street has been given new hope of survival as more and more shoppers prefer small retailers. New data from the Office of National Statistics released today showed that sales for retailers employing more than 100 people have grown by 2.9 per cent with the growth for smaller stores being…
read moreChancellor George Osborne has today delivered the Autumn Statement in which he has outlined promising changes for the small business world. As predicted earlier this week, Osborne confirmed that there will be a two per cent cap on business rate rises as the Government acknowledges that the current rates are placing a huge burden upon…
read moreHave you started yours yet? Save yourself a trip out in to the cold busy streets and join the other 56 per cent of shoppers who are planning to do their Christmas shopping online this year. Over £10bn of spending is expected to be up for grabs by online retailers as over half of consumers…
read moreDevelopments in technology have been stated as the key to a better work-life balance according to a survey of over 2500 UK employees, carried out by market researcher Opinion Matters. Just under half of those (45%) of those asked say that technology has changed their job role or career in the past year, with…
read moreNew research has predicted that 20 million shoppers will be using their mobile phones to pay for goods and services by the end of the decade. By 2020, mobile payments are expected to represent 1.4 per cent of total consumer spending, with the value of spending tripling to as much as £14.2 billion. The report…
read moreDespite improvements in the state of the UK economy, small businesses are still struggling to recover as they face rising costs. Energy bills are the costs that have seen the biggest rise, with 87 per cent of businesses telling the Forum of Private Business that they are higher than ever. From the survey of the…
read more