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This can be done up to four weeks before an employment contract comes into effect (i.e., four weeks before your employee’s first day at work). You’ll also need to get employers’ liability insurance as soon as you become an employer to cover any workplace incidents (though we’ll keep our fingers crossed that you have none). Auto-enrolment for pension is fairly clear-cut: you must enrol and make employer’s contributions for all staff who are aged over 22 and under the State Pension age, earn more than £10,000 per year and work in the UK. Once your new starter is in the door, get them up to speed with all the important policies, including sick leave, annual leave, core hours, health and safety information, and anything else that you can think of which is important or applies to their day-to-day role.

These changes have come at a time when changes to the tax system have also introduced new requirements on small businesses to begin Read on to find out what they are and how they may affect your business, and scroll down for the Brighter Business Guide to Business Rates. The news comes against the backdrop of rising council tax and utility bills, as well as increased obligatory costs like auto-enrolment pension contributions and changes to the tax system. While this cut to business rates isn’t a cure-all for the issues facing small businesses today, it’s a small step in the right direction when it comes to creating a friendlier environment for SMEs to operate in. Additionally, some businesses may be eligible for rates relief; check with your local council to see if you’re eligible and whether you need to apply or if it is automatically applied.

If you’re a football fan, you’ll be familiar with the managerial cliché that everyone requires a different method of motivation: some players need an arm around the shoulder and others need a boot up the backside. The Chartered Management Institute has published advice on the matter of managerial style; “the general consensus has moved away from ‘command and control’ styles of management and leadership towards more consultative and participative approaches. There will be times when you will need to direct employees, or times when you can loosen the reins and let them find the best way to complete a task. Your people skills and your nous when it comes to effective motivation will be key; think about the sort of environment that you want to create and how you can encourage your staff to perform to their best.

The aim for larger businesses is to understand how these technologies may be implemented, while also giving small business the ability to work with new partners, developing their products and propositions while also having the opportunity to network. With businesses all over the world relying on data to reach new customers and retain existing ones, it’s important that data is “healthy”: accurate, complete, reviewed frequently (and purged, where appropriate, in-line with your own cleansing procedures and with a view to remaining compliant with GDPR). We expect 2019 to see more nuanced and capable versions of chatbots being deployed by businesses to help answer customer questions and generally engage with customers in near-real-time, providing depth to the customer experience. A research department of the US Air Force has been experimenting with ways to improve concentration overlong periods – and they’ve found that stimulating the brain with electrical current has helped to overcome the natural dip in productivity which comes after a period of concentration.