Technologgie

How E-Commerce Can Revitalise Your Bricks and Mortar Retail Business

By Dan Whytock

It has been a long and difficult few years for the UK high street. We’ve seen many shops closing and the loss of many big-name brands, and there may be more to come.

Struggling retailers, including Marks and Spencer and Debenhams, have reported disappointing sales figures over the 2018 Christmas period.

The Internet is often seen as the ‘problem’ – particularly as more customers order goods from the comfort of their own homes and the all important footfall decreases. But, this is due to a lack of understanding of how digital works in the retail environment.

Instead, we should be asking if the Internet can be used to breathe new life into high streets and save established brands, as well as champion smaller, independent retailers. This mix is the life-blood of the high street and every UK shopping street needs to contain both.

The failure of a previous government high street initiative spearheaded by Mary Portas was mainly down to the fact that it did not have a clear and significant digital plan. Understanding the reasons why customers have, and will continue, to choose to shop online, and how bricks and mortar still play a role in the shopping experience, is the key to creating a strategy that gives customers the best of all worlds.

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Filed Under: Guest Post
Tagged as: Business, Dan Whytock, eCommerce, Guest Post

6 Actions to Help Ensure Your Hotel Avoids Compromising Guest Data

By Mike Ianiri, Equinox

When you consider how much personal data is provided by guests and held by the hotel it is no surprise that the industry attracts cyber criminals – as was discovered in November 2018 when it was reported that “500 million customers of the hotel group Marriott International have been compromised by an unauthorised party.”

Hotel hold information before a guest arrives.  When they have checked in they have to submit more personal information when they connect to the hotel WiFi.

With GDPR in force now, the hospitality sector must be sure to have this at the forefront of their minds. A boutique hotel potentially would not survive a fine should a breach occur.

So, what can hotels, big and small, do to protect their guests and themselves from the unpleasant attentions of hackers and cybercriminals?

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Tagged as: Guest Post, Hotel, Marriott, Mike Ianiri, WiFi

Returning Unwanted or Faulty Products Post-Christmas. What Rights Does Your Customer Have?

By Amanda Hamilton, CEO of NALP

Well, Christmas may be behind us, but there is still a potential hangover if you offer goods or services to consumers that make a great Christmas gift. Although you should have done well in recent months, once the gifts have been given, there is always a chance that there is someone who doesn’t like it, or something turns out to be faulty?

So what rights do your customers have when it comes to returning items and getting a refund?

Without a receipt there is not a lot they can do but, if they’re not shy about asking for said receipt, or if the giver of your product has said they can change the item if so desired, then that’s different.

And what are your customers’ rights in relation to items that have been bought online? With many people choosing that route now, it’s not just a question of taking something back to the shop with a receipt.

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Tagged as: Amanda Hamilton, Consumer Rights, Guest Post, Legal

2019: The Year to Crowdfund Your Business

By John Auckland, Tribe First

After the fun of celebrating the start of another brand new year, we feel just enough optimism to make ambitious New Year’s resolutions. Experience tells us that, although we mean well, these are often abandoned by early February. I won’t tell you to give up your Netflix subscription and swap to a gym membership or to exchange your weekend drinks for the latest fashionable smoothies. What I will do is to share the key reasons why 2019 is the year you should crowdfund your business.

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Tagged as: Crowdfunding, Guest Post, John Auckland

How Automated Invoicing & Credit Scores Can Help Freelancers Avoid Late Payments

by Inna Kaushan, co-founder of Solna

Freelancers are significant to the UK economy, and in 2017 contributed £271 billion. In the last 12 months, almost three million people have been engaged as freelancers or under self-employed status. Why are more people seeking this type of work? Perhaps because freelancing has many benefits: you work for yourself, select projects which excite you, and in many instances earn more than you did when you were a permanent employee.

That said one of the major challenges freelancers face is fighting to get paid. Recent research reveals that only 19% of freelancers are paid on time, with related invoices being paid on average 18 days after their due date.

Being a freelancer also creates additional administration, requiring individuals to raise their own invoices and manage their own cash flow. This in itself can be quite stressful, creating uncertainty about not getting paid, alongside anxiety for some about having to manage and maintain their own admin and cash flow. This is an increasing problem, with recent data showing that 52% of SME owners blame poor cash flow for impacting their mental health negatively.

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Tagged as: Credit Scores, Guest Post, Inna Kaushan, Invoicing, Late Payments, Payments

Why Technology Is Key for the Nightclub Industry

By Marco Scotti, Figaroo

The nightclub industry is big: currently valued at $25bn around the world. However, particularly in Western nations the number of people going to nightclubs has been in decline since 2008.

Negative press, tighter noise restrictions, changing social attitudes new alcohol licensing laws etc. have all contributed to falling attendance rates and the closure of famous institutions such as London’s Turnmills and Fabric.

So, is it the end for nightclubs or can they evolve? I believe they will evolve and create a new golden age.

In this article, I aim to assess the deep roots of the nightclub business model, the technological solutions that have made – and are making – their way into the industry, and how they could bring clubs into a new golden age.

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Tagged as: CrowdCube, Figaroo, Guest Post, Marco Scotti, Nightclub

How to Avoid Losing Business Over the Christmas Period

By Mike Ianiri, Equinox

In many countries businesses will work on Christmas Eve but then close down until Wednesday, 2^nd January. However, not everyone stops working during this time, so how can you make sure you avoid losing out on business over the Christmas period?

Here are a few tips:

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Tagged as: Business, Christmas, Guest Post, Mike Ianiri

Top Apps for Your Business This Christmas

By Anthony Main, The Distance

The high streets are flooding with people, the markets are springing up in town and city centers across the country and the festivities are in full swing.

While it is a time of great celebration and merriment, Christmas can also be incredibly stressful; not only are there gifts to buy, there is work to complete before the New Year, plus there is a substantial amount of preparation that needs to be undertaken before the calendar makes its way to the 25th of December. But the festive season need not be a time of panic and pressure.

Below is a shortlist of a few great apps that will help you manage the less than exciting parts of the Yuletide season, and add an agreeable boost of festive cheer to the most wonderful time of the year.

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Tagged as: Android, Anthony Main, App Store, Christmas, Guest Post, iOS

How Businesses Can Take Advantage of New Features on iOS 12 and Android Pie

by Anthony Main, The Distance

With updates to mobile operating systems landing yearly, businesses can be forgiven for not keeping up with the full roster of features available. For many, the announcement of a new OS is generally met with indifference, and the release is greeted by the irritation of a 15-minute download.

Android Pie was initially released on the 6th of August, and has since been making the rounds of all major Android mobile manufacturers. iOS 12 is a newer addition, having a launch date of the 17th September. But what do these releases mean for businesses, and why should anyone care?

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Tagged as: Android, Android Pie, Guest Post, iOS, iOS 12

Get Started With Invoicing Today With This Freelancer Crib Sheet

By Inna Kaushan, Co-Founder of Solna

If you are a freelancer then money is the lifeblood of your work and career.

Good invoicing is an essential part of this. Sending out clear, concise, well-designed invoices is important to get you paid – and making it easy for your clients to pay you is necessary to get you paid on time. After all, the last thing you want is a chase.

New to it all? Not to worry, it isn’t rocket science and good invoicing is achievable overnight. Here is the crib sheet you need to get your invoicing working well:

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Filed Under: Guest Post
Tagged as: Accounting, Billing, Freelancing, Guest Post, Inna Kaushan, Invoicing