Buoyant SME sector fuels expansion of Stephens Scown’s corporate legal team
A growth in activity by South West SMEs as the economy has improved has led to deals work more than doubling at one of the region’s leading law firms.
Stephens Scown LLP has seen its corporate practice grow headcount by 25% over the last year to cope with demand for its services as the number of deals it has advised on has shot up from 41 to 102 – an increase of some 148%.
The firm’s corporate practice is now one of the largest in the South West. According to UK legal guide Chambers and...
Small and medium sized businesses in the South West believe future success relies on their ability to recruit so-called millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000 – but recognise that they need to do more to attract them, according to new research by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
More than three quarters (79 per cent) of SMEs across the region said that the growth of their business relies on their ability to recruit millennial talent. In fact more than a third (35 per cent) said they want a millennial to take over their business one day.
SouthWestfd, a team of consultant finance directors, are helping to nurture financial growth in Cornwall. Two companies that have experienced that growth are Mackerel Sky Events and Radix Communications.
Claire Eason Bassett, Managing Director of Mackerel Sky, a Creative Events Agency, heads a team of 12 with 3 offices spread across the south of England. Mackerel Sky started out with a traditional management structure and a small team of 5.
Back then Claire felt isolated as a director, she felt there was no one she could delegate to or turn to for advice. She added ‘I was...
BCR Associates have been named winner of the Best Small to Medium Sized Business Award at the 2015 Best Business Awards.
BCR Associates was recognised for its innovative approach to business cost reduction. BCR Associates’ business model differs from most other cost reduction companies in that they do not charge their clients for their services but obtain commissions directly from suppliers, passing on the full 100% of savings to its customers.
The BBAs have a large panel of over 20 independent expert judges who select winners according to strict criteria for each category...
Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are growing at their fastest rate since the economic crisis in 2008 as private sector firms added over 600,000 net new jobs across the UK in 2014, new research shows. The Growth Dashboard 2015 - a new study by the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC), which brings together academics from five of the country’s leading university business schools, and in partnership with the Business Growth Service - sheds new light on patterns of growth around the UK. The surprising findings show that while London has the highest start-up rate in the country, it is...
UK SMEs1 are collectively planning to increase investment in their digital capabilities by £53 billion over the next two years, prioritising their websites over mobile technologies, according to new research2 from Santander Corporate & Commercial.
The survey of UK SMEs reveals the average firm has committed £33,212 to digital investment in the past year, and intends to increase this by £28,224 in the next two years. However, many firms are looking to invest significantly more: 8% of the companies surveyed estimated they had spent more than £100,000 on digital capabilities in...
According to the latest UK Business Digital Index, over a million (23%) small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) still lack basic digital skills. The Index from Lloyds Bank, in association with Accenture and digital skills charity Go ON UK, measures and tracks the level of digital ability among SMEs and charities.
An overall rise in the UK Index score suggests a slow but positive shift towards small to medium sized enterprises becoming more digitally active. However there are still over a million SMEs (23%) that lack basic digital skills. This is even more significant in the charity...
The South West private sector economy registered a pick-up in growth in November from October’s recent low, according to PMI survey data.
The rates of expansion in total activity and new business both accelerated for the first time since June, but remained weaker than the respective UK averages. Job creation continued at a solid pace and outstanding business increased further, while inflationary pressures remained historically muted.
The seasonally adjusted Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking South West Business Activity Index signalled growth of private sector output in...
Leading proposal and tender writing company, Winning Tenders, is launching its unique Successful Tendering seminar series, with the first event being held in Exeter on Monday 19 May , 4pm – 7pm at Sandy Park Conference & Banqueting Centre.
Aimed at business owners and representatives of small and medium size companies who are interested in business growth, seminar attendees will gain an understanding of the tendering process and insight into the exciting opportunities that tendering can offer.
Leading local procurement professionals and tender specialists will demystify...
Are you an Exeter-based business looking to win more work?
If the answer is ‘yes’ this seminar is for you.
When: 19 May 2014 at 3.30 for 4pm – 7pm
Where: Sandy Park Conference Centre, Exeter
Aimed at small and medium size firms, you will learn about the essentials of tendering and the exciting opportunities it can offer.
Hear from procurement professionals and tender experts, and gain the confidence to identify, bid for and win new business contracts in the public and private sectors.
