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In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, Real Business is presenting an exclusive small business webinar on Managing Cash Flow During Times of Crisis. If your business is facing a cash crunch, please register for this free live event below. Hear from small business experts and entrepreneurs on how to stay cash flow positive. Read the full article

Clothing giant Primark has today revealed the effects COVID-19 has had on its business. The brand's parent company, Associated British Foods (ABF) has stated that it has marked down the value of the chain's stock by £284m to reflect realistic pricing when stores eventually re-open. Primark's 189 British stores have been closed since the 23rd of March in compliance with the UK's national lockdown laws imposed to stop the spread of coronavirus.  The fashion retailer, which usually makes around £650m in sales per month, has since the 23rd of March made nothing. This is a first for the company that in 2018 had a net worth of approximately £841.8m. The 0% profit is likely due to the fact the brand has no online shopping facility; a factor which has been a saving grace for other struggling retailers such as Phillip Green's Topshop.  Speaking to the BBC Primark owner George Weston stated that when his shops reopen, "we must make our stores safe for our staff and our customers, even if that means ensuring there are fewer people shopping at any one time and so accepting lower sales at least until the remaining risk is minimal. In time we can rebuild the profits, but we can't replace the people we lose." Weston's comments come as two members of staff at Associated British Foods (ABF) lost their lives due to coronavirus.   The majority of Primark's 68,000 staff have been put on a government funding furlough scheme until stores re-open.  Read the full article

The low number of business owners meeting the threshold to qualify for these loans paints a worrying picture for SMEs. However, some small businesses and particularly those in the retail sector have managed to stay afloat during the crisis. Speaking to Real Business Lucy Serafi, the owner of home plant provider, The Urban Botanist describes how her online approach has given her some leeway during the pandemic; “Sales have been particularly good for us over the last four weeks. We’re online only and because we don’t do the crazy volumes the big retailers do, so we have continued to be able to fulfil with next day delivery. I think that’s been massively important. Small retailers have a real opportunity in this climate. "People have to be at home more, and if you have to be at home more you may be likelier to spend more time and money on your home environment".  So, it appears that if you are a smaller retailer tapping into the lockdown self-care trend, (and you can fulfil your delivery obligations and plug your products on social media), you can still make decent sales during COVID-19. But this news isn't new, in fact a study by tech firm Emarsys, showed that sales of luxury goods shot up by 57% as consumers sought to treat themselves during lockdown, a retail trend also known as the "lipstick effect" where shoppers are more likely to buy small gifts from themselves during times of crisis Why it's sink or swim for SMEs But what about business owners who do not fall under this bracket? Well, it appears that quick innovation is crucial to keep sales on track, says Charlotte Bailey, co-founder of healthy catering company, Buddha Bowl; “Catering has definitely been one of the hardest-hit sectors as a result of the global pandemic. It really was incredibly difficult as it felt like our business of 11 years was effectively being switched-off.  We quickly realised we could offer deliveries so wanted an easy way for our customers to know this and make orders. "But soon enough we set up our website with order capabilities using Square Online Store, which was simple and quick to do ourselves. Adapting to the ‘new normal’ was difficult but we found that our customers were missing their usual routines and favourite treats." Moving forward  With so many of the UK's favourite chain restaurants, such as McDonald's closed until lockdown laws are lifted, it could be a chance for independent food retailers to reach a wider market. Deliveroo and UberEats (the UK's top takeaway delivery services), are giving their consumers incentives to order through their outlets, (such as free delivery), which could also support struggling restaurants which have been forced to shut their "eat-in" options.  As the Government announces another £1.25bn scheme to help start-ups and those involved in innovation grow during COVID-19, it is difficult for more traditional businesses without funding to remain positive. However, agility and good old-fashion entrepreneurial spirit is what SMEs can and should be relying on now to survive. Read the full article

In a style Green has employed before with his old company, British Home Stores, he has suspended pension payments to the Topshop retirement scheme. Green's wife, as a majority owner of the Arcadia Group, (that also owns retailers including Burton, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins), is being pressured by pension experts to "plug the difference" in the pensions gap before history repeats itself. As the Government's coronavirus funding schemes were largely aimed at the nation's small-to-medium firms, we wanted to hear from SMEs themselves on who they think should be getting the funding... SMEs speak out Ranbir Sahota, founder of technology PR firm, Vitis PR says coronavirus could have been an opportunity for business giants like Branson and Green to 'give back' to their workforce; “As a result of COVID-19, I’m pretty sure we will all face tax increases, so to hear that the likes of Richard Branson and Philip Green want public sector hand outs is appalling. Virgin asked staff to take eight weeks unpaid leave, and Green left a lot of BHS staff no doubt feeling scared and vulnerable about their pensions – but he did cough up in the end with some pressure thankfully.  While most SME owners are trying their best to keep afloat and support their staff, these guys didn’t do the right thing. I can imagine that some SME owners are having to fall back on their own savings to bailout their companies. These two have huge personal fortunes – now is the time for them to use some of them to help their employees at what is the biggest crisis the world has seen for years.” Richard Skellett, founder of social enterprise Digital Anthropology says the Government should prioritise funding SMEs during COVID-19 and that big players like Branson and Green are taking advantage of the system; “The government must be doing more to ensure that SME’s are supported before jumping to the rescue of Richard Branson or Philip Green. Those organisations have taken advantage of furlough and have routes to support that SME’s do not have.  It will be the SME’s that will fuel the growth in our economy and it’s those organisations who operate simple structures. Those SME’s don’t have complex global tax structures to avoid tax. It’s those simple tax structures that will return funds to the government not those moguls who avoid tax.” Read the full article

Tech firms are also adapting to the evolving business landscape.  Among the many sectors that have been hit hard by the pandemic is exhibition and business events. We are, by our very nature, sociable animals and thrive through interactions. From the dawn of time deals and transactions have been agreed by the shake of the hand.  Current social distancing and lockdown prevents this, and I think it might take some time before people are totally confident about going to mass business gatherings. A firm in Middlesbrough have considered this and have come up with a solution. Animmersion UK is involved in tech such as virtual reality and has developed a way to host an exhibition without visitors having to leave the comfort of their home or office. Its Virtual Interactive Events basically create a virtual exhibition stand where, by wearing a VR headset, people can be transported to meet and talk to meet as close to face to face as possible. There will be hundreds more of these stories out there from businesses that are evolving and adapting in this tough and truly challenging time. I hope that we can all continue to galvanise the spirit of our entrepreneurial nation to drive business forward together. Stay safe. Read the full article

Let’s start by keeping in focus the line, attributed to Disraeli “There are lies, damned lies and statistics”. I was reminded of this in a recent FT interview with Professor Anthony Costello, a public health specialist at University College London, who observed “ We’ve been running this epidemic like Robert McNamara, the US Defence Secretary in the Vietnam War, who collected vast quantities of data to assess the war’s progress. We should have been more like the other side, fighting a guerrilla war against the virus”. Sadly, we all know McNamara’s strategy ended in tears and tens of thousands of deaths. Unsurprisingly, it hasn’t taken long for the scientists to fall out, starting with the Oxford University study that disputes the way data is being gathered in the first place. The scientist in all this who has been elevated to godlike status by the politicians, Public Health England, most of the media, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, is of course one Professor Neil Ferguson, head of the Imperial College research team that has produced the computer model , which is guiding the lockdown, and has Prime Minister, Boris Johnson firmly under his spell. He has considerable form. For detail on this see here. In summary, this is the scientist whose modelling led to the culling of 6,000,000 animals in the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic now deemed as a flawed approach. This is also the man who predicted up to 50,000 people would die of mad cow disease (actual death toll 177), and declared in 2005 that up to 200,000,000 could be killed from bird flu (actual death toll 282). So what about his COVID-19 model? Well this one is based on a 13-year-old computer model that was worked up for a possible influenza pandemic.  Is the research water tight? The model is unpublished, hasn’t been peer reviewed and according to reports doesn’t take account that the trajectory of flu viruses is different from coronaviruses, which have different incubation periods.  Being led by modelling gave rise to an apposite letter to the FT from Mr Edmund Booth, a retired engineer. He believes “computer models should inform decision- making," but do not replace the need for qualitative “narratives” on which the best judgements are made. He cites the example of the Millennium footbridge over the Thames, “shortly before it opened and became wobbly”, its chief engineer claimed in a paper that such a slender, elegant bridge would not have been possible to build safely without the huge number-crunching software that had by then become available. But of course that software didn’t include "the narrative of the wobbliness”. The more we continue to be led by the science of Professor Ferguson and others, it would seem the more that deployment of common sense (always a rare commodity) has gone by the board. Doctor John. D. Cook, who has spent much of his career helping companies solve complex problems involving maths, statistics and computing, said in a paper back in September 2014 “ common sense is vitally important in statistics. Attempts to minimise the need for common sense can lead to nonsense. You need common sense to formulate a statistical model and to interpret inferences from that model. Statistics is a layer of exact calculation sandwiched between necessarily subjective formulation and interpretation…common sense is necessary to map probability theory to applications and to evaluate how well that map works”. Fear over facts? I suggest the Cabinet, the media and most of the country are being fed a life-threatening soup made up of disputed science , questionable modelling and dubious statistics. By now common sense surely tells us that: Those under 40 should be allowed back to work and education. Shops, garden centres and places of worship should be allowed using the same social distancing measures as employed by the supermarkets. Parks, including the National Parks should be re-opened again observing the social distancing rules. However, there is evidence that the Government is beginning to recognise this necessity at least. The elderly and the vulnerable should be asked to stay at home but this should now become a matter of choice. In many cases mental and life threatening damage will be done by continuing to lock up this part of our community. I am sure this is not an exhaustive list of common sense actions but it is a start. For example, I haven’t here gone into the Treasury’s obsession with the statistical probability that in providing across the board loans and subsidies to companies and the self-employed, 5% of the claims may be fraudulent so they won’t permit the 95% to be saved. Or indeed the Treasury’s paranoia about offending the EU’s State Aid rules when it is 100% clear France, Italy and Germany are rightly ignoring such when it comes to tackling COVID-19 fallout. All that is for another day. Meanwhile, the time has come for Boris to take back control from his questionable scientists and start deploying some Churchillian common sense. Read the full article

The growth in digital services is expected to create opportunities for traditional businesses, as well as startups, to exploit. SMEs whose founders are willing to adapt to this new environment, and retool their operation to drive greater efficiencies, will prosper. vcita and Mastercard are confident their Business Unusual platform will help small and medium sized businesses realise their potential, through a learning hub that provides actionable advice founders can put into practice. The application features built-in automation tools, enabling businesses to reduce their administrative workload and focus on their core operations. It will be offered for free to small and micro business owners that are part of Mastercard’s European network for the first three months.  SMEs have suffered mixed fortunes during 2020, with the winners being those that have quickly acclimatised to the new paradigm in which they find themselves. Bistro restaurants have begun providing home delivery of gourmet meals, and psychiatrists have taken to providing counselling over video link. Not all businesses are able to go digital, of course, but all companies can find ways to reduce administrative costs and keep outgoings to a minimum until economic conditions pick up. Read the full article

Instead what we discovered was that by utilising conferencing software, our efficiency increased and our stress levels diminished. We stopped our routine morning rush to the station where we endured the daily fight for a seat on the delayed train. Reversing the process at the end of the day arriving home with time to kiss the kids goodnight. What we hadn’t realised is that Boris’ instruction had temporarily taken away our freedom of movement but given us something greater. As we flirt with mortality, it's clearer than ever that time is precious. Crisis forced ‘home-working’ has given the greatest gift of life; more time. And not just any ‘time’, but time to be shared with our dearest. Today, I arose gently from my slumber, showered and adequately dressed my top half for a string of video conferences. In between meetings, I spoke with my wife, and realised I quite like her; enjoyed the kids playing ‘tag’ in the garden. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, exactly how I wanted it. I completed all my work tasks, and hey presto; at the end of my working day, I was home. Totally stress free. Technology has enabled us to be in the room together, though we’re apart. We’ve become creative and gone beyond simply working from home. Birthday, and dinner parties have taken place virtually.  Like many forced to resort to finding ways to operate in the midst of the crisis, court hearings held remotely will result in savings to the public purse.  Happier, less stressed and more productive  Employers renting expensive real estate can pass savings to their employees or invest in growing their businesses. The workplace, as we know it is likely to change and the availability of office space can be directed to much needed housing.  On an individual level, we will save hugely on travel and incidental costs such as pricey lunches. We may choose to live beyond commuter territory, taking advantage of lower house prices and upping our standard of living. Less travel, means less pollution. However viewed, that equates to a win for everybody. If we change how we live, house design needs to follow suit. We’re realising that our homes were built to live in, and not to be used for any meaningful working. Purpose built live / workspace cannot be the preserve for young professionals, but also families too. Homes with one study have to give way to space for two offices. We need to think of carving out workspace under stairs and within cupboards, and configure living space away from study areas. Through adversity we may inadvertently become more efficient, save money, protect the environment and improve our quality of life. As we fight COVID-19 and accrue mammoth debt in the process, we will have to pull together as we emerge to meaningfully strengthen the economy. We need all hands to the pump in this national effort.  Read the full article

As such, the industry has made a significant push for greater diversity and inclusion. A broader range of race, gender, sexualities, nationalities, and religions among decision-makers much improves the odds that someone will catch a flaw before a campaign goes live. People want to see campaigns that represent them, especially in times of uncertainty when we have nothing else to rely on but the good of humanity. Sales have a similarly direct feedback loop from the public. Aspiration is an essential part of selling to consumers, with customers imagining themselves as the owners of the products in question. And, like marketing, sales teams also benefit from the fresh input of people from different backgrounds when it comes to avoiding mistakes and creating novel strategies. How recruiters can continue to push for progress Recruiters have already been significant drivers in the push for greater workplace diversity, and the data reaffirms the importance of continuing these efforts. One way that recruiters can begin to change clients’ minds is by sharing news and research about the impact of diversity with them. They can also share their personal experience – 27% of recruiters in our survey reported personally experiencing discrimination in their career. Recruiters must also work to source diverse candidates. This may mean reaching out on new platforms or considering candidates who have historically faced discrimination, such as new mothers and recent immigrants. Technology also has a critical role to play here. The right recruitment technology can automate CV parsing to identify candidates that have the qualifications, experience or skills needed, without considering their background. This means it can put candidates forward who might otherwise not make the cut. Read the full article

Today British Business Investments, a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, has announced a new 15m commitment to evergreen fund, Par Equity as the latest partner in its Regional Angels Programme. The programme aims to give funding to areas that have been historically neglected by the Government, such as the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and provide them with funds to scale up their businesses. The news comes at an increasingly difficult time for business owners across the country who have been forced into closure due to government lockdown laws imposed since the 23rd of March. The social distancing policies, which was implemented to help fight the spread of coronavirus, was initially meant to last three weeks. However, it was announced yesterday by Foreign Sectary Dominic Rabb,  who was speaking on behalf of recovering virus victim Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, that the self-isolation regime will be extended for a further 21 days. While life indoors may be necessary in order to cease the spread of the virus, many business owners are fearful they will not be able to survive almost three weeks out of trade.  While the British Business Bank launched the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), in an effort to provide those worst effected with financial aid; this week a report was released that showcased only 2% of applications actually managed to access the funding successfully.  For businesses operating in rural areas, the lack of recognition and support from government groups can make it extremely hard for them to survive.  Angel investment schemes such as the one launched by Par Equity can help small businesses in these areas keep trading, even in these unprecedented times.  “Angel investors play a vital role in the economy, bringing patient capital, business experience and skills to support the growth of smaller businesses. Our Regional Angels Programme is designed to address regional imbalances in the availability of angel finance by increasing the capital available to smaller, high growth potential, businesses through angel networks,” comments Catherine Lewis La Torre, CEO of British Business Investments,  Read the full article

A striking characteristic of this crisis has been how local businesses  have stepped up to provide critical services to their customers. Many local shops have had to rapidly upgrade their online presence and add additional services such as delivery to their repertoire to help their customers.   This is particularly noticeable in the food sector where businesses such as local butchers, bakers, fishmongers or zero waste stores are stepping in and helping vulnerable customers when they are unable to get delivery slots from the national chains. On top of that, the fact that people cannot travel to larger shopping destinations has meant that customers have had to rely solely on their local shops. It's a stark reminder of why local businesses need to be protected and supported at all times not just during a crisis. Near St, a tech platform that connects inventory in brick and mortar businesses with people searching for products on Google saw a 235% increase in people looking for local businesses to buy from in March.  It is my hope that the relationships that have been built during this time will continue to support local businesses in the future. Tastes will diverge For my final prediction I wanted to look and a little bit more depth at what people will be buying once this is all over. I believe we will see two competing trends. On the one hand people will still be craving security and comfort which will manifest in people purchasing soft fabrics, comfortable clothing and items to make their home continue to feel like a warm cocoon.  Times of economic uncertainty often encourage people to look for items that make them feel safe and secure. On the other hand, some people will embrace more of a maximalism trend - a reaction against the time spent indoors with no socialising possible other than endless video calls.    Expect to see some customers craving excitement and frivolity as a reaction.   Which one you decide to go for as a business will require you to understand your customer and where they are right now. As we emerge from the current crisis, one thing is for certain, so many things will have changed.  I am cautiously optimistic that for independent purpose-led businesses, some of them will have changed in their favour. Read the full article

"Whilst the Job Retention Scheme is a helpful fall-back option for employers, it has its limitations. The underlying goal of the scheme is to avoid mass, immediate unemployment by supporting business in paying reduced wages to workers who might otherwise have been laid off without pay or made redundant," comments Alex Watson, Director and employment lawyer at Fieldfisher. Below he explores what options employers have at this difficult time... "One of the most fundamental difficulties arises for businesses that have seen a reduction in work, but not a complete shutdown - workers are still needed, but often on reduced hours or shorter working patterns. "These situations are harder for businesses to manage under the Job Retention Scheme, which is only available for workers who provide no work for their employer for a minimum of three consecutive weeks. Instead, some employers (for a variety of reasons) may ask their workers to reduce their hours, and therefore their pay, during the coronavirus lockdown and are not eligible to claim any of these wages under the scheme. "Over the past four weeks, we have seen many different pay and working hour schemes operated by employers, including rotating furlough between groups of workers, varied "scales" of pay reduction, some elements of pay to deferred and repaid as a bonus in 6 months' time, voluntary reduction schemes etc, and the basis behind each policy is often unique to each business. "However, one heartening theme that we have seen throughout this difficult time for both employers and workers is a general underlying intention to seek to be fair and minimise the financial impact on workers, particularly those on the lowest wages and with least security. "For this reason, we have seen several businesses choose to implement smaller temporary pay reductions across the entire workforce in order to avoid more dramatic wage reductions through furlough or redundancies."  Read the full article

Vivek Dodd, Founder of e-learning training firm, Skillcast, is pivoting his firm's services to suit the climate of home working... “We’ve built e-learning courses to support our client’s employees whilst working from home. Our compliance assessment ensures health and safety regulations are met. It was so popular, we’ve made access free for everyone." Holly Pither, MD and Founder of Tribe PR has also pivoted her client services to help them better communicate with their own clients... “I tend to focus on earned media, but over these past few weeks, I have found myself pivoting my business model to help clients push out more client communications, draft more owned media and changed the way the communicate with clients on shared channels too." Jamie Stanford, MD of Liberty Games has finessed his health and safety measures to ensure customers buy his products... "We have initiated contact-free delivery procedures among all delivery crews, as well as regular hygiene and cleaning checks. These measures were essential to operating safely and have enabled us to capitalise on our product offerings, namely supplying customers with boredom-beating games equipment during lockdown." Susan Hallam, CEO and Founder of digital marketing agency Hallam has prioritised staff retention... "The most valuable lesson I've learned since the lockdown is the importance of a strong team and good morale. A high-performing team is absolutely critical at times like this. The team supported us 100% when we had to make the difficult ask for us all to share a small reduction in pay in order to not make any redundancies." Jon Constantine-Smith, head of instantprint an online printing company says expanding services to feed new demands is essential... "As a business that offers standardised print to SMEs, we’ve diversified by offering new services – direct mail, bespoke sizes and have quickly launched floor stickers to help shops with social distancing. It's all about realising where the new opportunities and demand lie, and adapting your business to suit that need." Sam Rowe, CEO of the Istoria Group, (a collective of creative agencies based in Bristol and abroad), says cutting expenditure helped save his staff... "Our first priority was to safeguard our staff by securing cash flow by ensuring access to capital and arranging overdrafts with our bank. We balanced this with cutting all unessential spending whilst still investing for business continuity. Our senior team all volunteered to take a pay cut and some staff members have agreed to reduce 1 day of their working week. We did all this to avoid redundancies and secure the long term future of our business." Read the full article

Adzuna's report highlights the global drop in available jobs this week. The UK jobs market has been hit the worst compared to other countries. Despite America's growing concerns over the pandemic, they are currently only facing a 38% reduction in advertised vacancies.  Andrew Hunter, Co-Founder of Adzuna, comments "We are continuing to see vacancies in the hospitality industry decline and it’s no surprise, with the lockdown measures set to still be in place for the foreseeable future, that this figure will continue to decrease. "Interestingly the UK reduction in hospitality vacancies is significantly higher than we are seeing in neighbouring countries, however, this is reflective of the different phases of the pandemic each country is in at this time and we anticipate other countries will see a similar impact "Although the vacancy figures are on a steady decline, we are confident that the UK job market will bounce back from this once we have passed the peak of the pandemic, but we can expect to see this downward trend continue over the next few weeks". Read the full article

Once your staff are happy, it is essential to not only keep in touch with clients, but even ramp up the usual contact with them. They are feeling this too and the earlier you act, be proactive and look for ways to collaborate, the stronger your relationship will be for it. Google hangouts, Teams or Zoom are also a lifeline with clients. Turn attentions to the here and now. How can you better adapt your time, and fees towards something that will benefit your clients – from crisis communications to getting their brand fundamentals right. This is the time to reflect on what is most important and shows them how adaptable you can be as a business. 3. Set some boundaries and routines While your business life has to carry on, there is no escape from ‘mum duties’. As you have set a routine and open communication with your team and your clients, you also need to apply this to daily life. Your child has suddenly lost a very rigid timetable, a group of friends and a focus so it is your job to try and re-create something similar in your home. Your home is now your office but try not to make your office your home. Design a rota for the wall so everyone can see what the new ‘normal’ will be. We have all been forced into this lockdown but try and see this as an amazing time to spend time with your family. Stop for mealtimes together, create work zones, separate the weekend from the week - remember to have fun together too! 4. Remember, we are NOT teachers You are now responsible for your child’s education, so career woman, mum and wife is now also a teacher! But remember, stressed adults can’t teach stressed children. It’s a scientific fact. Don’t beat yourself up about not completing all the school assignments and concentrate on constructive time between the work calls and to do list. If we do 2 things each day, then we are doing well. Create a folder, collate all the work they have to do and encourage them to dip in and out. Give your child the option (age dependent!) to choose what they want to focus on and let them enjoy a little bit of autonomy. Introduce a rewards chart and the more self-initiated work they get through the more stars. It’s a win win. 5. Get technical Tech has really come into its own and now is the time to maximise how we use it. From a 'house party' with friends to video work meetings and even exercise or cooking – it seems anything is still possible. Celebrities are offering fantastic options and support for kids online; English with David Williams, cooking with Jamie Oliver, PE with Jo Wix, the list is endless. Make the most of these free resources while they are on offer. We set up a WhatsApp group for our kids' class and have a golden hour from 5-6pm as well as a Zoom session every couple of days so they can all chat about schoolwork (or not). It helps them to stay connected and maintain their friendships. 6. Look at virtual babysitting If you know you have an important work meeting and you really need your child to be occupied, don’t overlook that grandparents, relatives and childminders around the land will be at a loose end. Get them set up on a compatible platform and get them involved in sharing some of the schoolwork load as well as staying connected. It will benefit children and relatives alike. 7. Don't be a fridge raider Whilst we may be turning to drink, the kids are raiding the goody jar, fridge and the cupboards. To reduce this endless grazing, create a ’tuck shop’ poster listing all the naughty snacks such as sweets, cake, juice... and Wine (for Mum). Give everything a value and allocate a £1 a day spending limit. This makes us a little more conscious of what we are consuming and is educational too! Of course fruit, nuts and water are FREE. 8. Take time out Make sure you take time to do things together – time away from the schoolwork and the business. Build exercise into your daily routine – cycle, run, make an assault course in the garden (or your living room) and if you can exercise together, all the better. We may never get this kind of opportunity again so make time to chat, do puzzles, watch a film, bake, even to clear out those cupboards which have been groaning for years. 9. Don’t feel guilty As a mum, juggling your work and your family is always tricky never more so than now, but try not to feel guilty about the times you have to work. If you have balanced your activities and spread your time out, then give yourself a pat on the back instead. Your children will learn important life lessons having to understand that Mum is working.  Your business is a big part of the home you live in and the life you have and if children see you working hard and being passionate about something, this will inspire a work ethic in them too. 10. Keep calm and design on That’s our company motto through this. Timelines are still as they were before and it’s important to keep the momentum for general morale. It’s better to be busy than worrying about things beyond your control.  You have new responsibilities in your home and family life and it’s important to strike the right balance. Manage your workload expectations within the boundaries that this new situation has dictated and remember, we are all in the same boat. We must keep rowing together, so we have the best chance of making it to the other side. Read the full article

The commercial fallout for the business community as a result of the virus is significant; with the British Chambers of Commerce revealing that one in three British businesses have furloughed at least 75% of their staff. Despite his initially positive sentiments about the resilience of British business during COVID-19, just yesterday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said Britain " is in tough times". The chancellor continued by saying that he couldn't "protect every business and every household" from the economic effects of the pandemic. However, for businesses in the food and drink industries, (and similar to those in other sectors), having an online presence could mean the difference between a steady sales pipeline or permanent closure. "Those restaurants, pubs, hotels and cafés that created an online presence during the coronavirus crisis are now facing surging demand as Brits stay at home to protect themselves and the NHS. With lockdown due to continue, there is still time to transform and keep serving customers by ordering takeaway food, the public is helping to keep independent restaurants alive. Everyone who can should support their local establishments. Otherwise, when we emerge from lockdown, the UK’s food scene will be unrecognisable,” said Conor McCarthy, CEO of Flipdish. Read the full article

The biggest concern climate researchers currently have is an overwhelming surge in pollutive activity once social distancing measures are lifted. What we could see as the COVID-19 curve flattens, is a steep rise in emissions that compromises any progress made during this isolation period, as industry looks to make up for lost time production time. We therefore must have practical solutions in place that alleviate this possibility. Taking control of emissions is difficult at the best of times and doing so will be among the last things businesses consider when they resume operations once the crisis is over. How to manage emissions post-lockdown There needs to be a way to deliver business growth and ensure a return to social normality while continuing to achieve crucial environmental targets whilst maintaining global health. Technology is one answer as it can be used to help companies track their emissions levels and their sources, enabling them to take action on air quality. However, this is not a fight we can lead alone. The Government has called on manufacturers to turn their attention to producing ventilators and other equipment for frontline health workers – I would call on technology SMEs to help come up with additional environmental improvement solutions, so that we can flatten the inevitable emissions curve that will rise a few months down the line. This will both benefit the expected damage that will be caused by a spike in emissions once the lockdown is lifted, and will also provide tech-enabled SMEs, whose operations may be reduced over the next few months, with a new revenue stream. It may not seem the priority right now, but this pandemic does not change the fact that we are in an ongoing climate crisis, with just 10 years to keep the world from complete disaster. The legacy of COVID-19 This has to be the lasting legacy of COVID-19: not a short-term improvement in air quality, but a long-term attitude shift in how we go about our lives once normality is restored. There needs to be a rebalancing where economic growth can occur, but in a way that helps the health of our environment and our respiratory systems. We have been forced to act in a more environmentally responsible way for now – we need to choose to do this moving forward, and it is SMEs with technologically-driven solutions that can help us to do so. Read the full article