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How well do you know your technology right now? The 60-second tech test gives you a quick burst of tech questions against the clock. You only have one minute, so time is not on your side. It is designed to be a bit of fun, but there is a useful point to it too. By the end, you will get a better sense of what you know, what feels familiar, and where you might need to brush up. It is quick, simple, and a good way to check your current tech confidence. Ready to test yourself? .

Many more UK businesses are now using ERP (enterprise resource planning) software to streamline their operations, reduce their costs and grow more efficiently. Whether managing your cash flow, people, stock, orders or customer relationships, ERP software allows you to conveniently integrate your core business functions, make best use of your resources and maximise the efficiency of your systems. Ultimately, ERP software can make your business more profitable. ERP softwar

To take your business to the next level of success, you must sell more, whether to existing customers, new customers or both. You may have to launch new products or services, target new types of customers or sell in new locations. Selling overseas can be transformative, with technology now making this quicker, easier and cheaper. But people will not buy from you if they do not know you exist, or what you offer and why they should buy it from you. Marketing makes this possi

Whatever type of business you run, your ability to effectively manage your customer relationships is vital to your plans to succeed and grow. How small businesses store customer information varies massively. In many cases, it is stored only in the heads of the business owner and their staff, with business cards kept in a basic index box or contact names and numbers stored in a mobile phone or scribbled into a little black book (both can easily get lost or damaged). Other b

More than 21m people in the UK are now estimated to regularly use tools and apps powered by artificial intelligence (AI), including many small-business owners. From saving time and cutting costs, to improving efficiency, productivity and turnover, AI is helping many UK SMEs to be more successful. AI describes the ability of machines or software to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, which includes answering questions, learning from data, recognising patte

Many UK businesses use enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. It can help you to streamline your operations, reduce your costs, boost your productivity and grow your business more effectively. Whether you are managing stock, orders, customer relationships, cash flow or people, ERP software brings together your core business functions in one place, allowing you to make the most of your resources, maximise your efficiency and profits. By offering real-time access to

If you’re not already doing it, selling online could be a game-changer for your business, such are the commercial opportunities it offers. Worth £127bn in 2024 (source: The Federation of Small Businesses), online now makes up more than 25% of UK retail sales, when that figure was only 3.3% in 2007 (source: ONS). About 52m people in the UK (77% of the population) were expected to make a purchase online in 2025, confirming the UK’s place as one of Europe’s most digitally activ

If you want to grow your business, you need to sell more, it really is that simple. And the greater your ambitions, the more sales you need to make, whether to existing customers, new customers or likely both. Marketing is critical to business growth and digital marketing has become the main focus for many UK SMEs. Although offline marketing still has a place, in many cases, digital marketing dominates, now powering the growth of many UK SMEs. It involves using online channe

Tech Adoption for Growth: Workshops The first Tech Adoption for Growth workshops in Bristol brought business owners together to step away from the day-to-day and focus on something often missed – how technology supports real growth. Most businesses feel the pressure: AI, CRMs, websites, SEO. Too many choices, not enough clarity. What stood out was the shift. Enjoy the video. Teams left with a clearer direction Ideas turned into practical plans Conversations carried back into

Small businesses store customer information in different ways. In some cases, valuable knowledge about who customers are, what they want and how they buy exists only in the heads of the business owner and their team. Contact details are usually stored in a mobile phone, address book or basic card index system. Others use computer spreadsheets to record customer details, which makes the information easier to access, share and store securely online. Although better, spreadshee

Accounting software is one of the most widely used digital business tools. About 80% of UK SME employers that use digital tech use accounting software (source: GOV.UK), although the smaller the business, the less likely that is. Only a third of the UK’s solo self-employed use accounting software. Some don’t realise the benefits accounting software can bring or they mistakenly believe it to be expensive and difficult to use. Other business owners won’t be shifted away from ma

Whether you are managing stock, orders, customer relationships, cash flow or people, ERP software conveniently brings together your core business functions in one place, helping you make the most of your resources, improve efficiency and increase profitability. 12 ERP software FAQs 1 What is ERP software? 2 How can ERP software benefit my business? 3 What if my business does not use ERP software? 4 How can regulatory compliance be harder without ERP software? 5 How can u

Fuelled by continued growth in recent years, the UK has hundreds of thousands of ecommerce-only businesses, but online sales also provide a crucial additional source of income for many UK businesses that also sell offline. Some are “bricks-and-mortar” retailers, but many other businesses of all sizes, types and sectors also now sell online. 11 Ecommerce FAQs 1 What is ecommerce? 2 What are the key benefits of ecommerce? 3 What are the main ecommerce channels? 4 How do I ch

If you want to grow your business you need to sell more, whether to existing customers, new customers or both. Getting the sales you need to really transform your business could mean having to sell new products or services, or target new types of customers, or sell in new countries. Selling overseas can really take your business to new heights and technology makes this quicker, easier and cheaper than ever. 12 Digital marketing FAQs 1 What is digital marketing? 2 Why do bu

Businesses store valuable customer information in many ways. For some, this knowledge lives only in the minds of the owner, with contacts stored in a mobile phone, little black book or a basic card index box. 13 CRM FAQs 1 What is CRM software? 2 What information can I store in CRM software? 3 How much does CRM software cost? 4 How can CRM software enable me to sell more to my customers? 5 How can CRM software save my business time and money? 6 How can CRM software make

The evidence is clear – using digital technology to its full potential can make your business much more productive and profitable. The Digital Adoption: Rapid Evidence Review (2024), which was commissioned by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), found that using cloud computing, CRM (customer relationship management) systems and ERP (enterprise resource planning) software can boost an SME’s productivity by 7%-18% per technology. That’s an incredible increase, one

There are more than 180,000 management consulting firms in the UK and they employ a huge number of consultants who provide HR, legal, tax, management, marketing, IT and other consultancy services to businesses in all sectors. The UK consulting industry is worth £20.4bn a year and according to the Management Consultancies Association: “Digital and technology consulting, along with business transformation services, remain most in demand. As industries embrace AI and advanced a

In recent years, use of artificial intelligence (or AI as it is more usually called) has become much more common for people all over the UK – including many small-business owners. 15 AI for business FAQs 1 What is AI? 2 Are businesses like mine using AI? 3 What is the difference between generative and traditional AI? 4 How are businesses using AI? 5 How does the affordability of AI enable businesses to compete and grow? 6 Can you give some sector-specific examples of A

About 80% of UK SMEs with employees that use digital technologies use accounting software (source: GOV.UK), making it one of the most widely used digital business tools. However, the smaller the business, the less likely it is to use accounting software. Only a third of the UK’s solo self-employed uses accounting software. 10 accounting software FAQs 1 What is accounting software? 2 Why do some businesses not use accounting software? 3 What are the limitations of manual bo

With the value of online retail in the UK reportedly worth £127bn in 2024 and global retail online sales projected to reach £4.8 trillion in 2025 (source: The Federation of Small Businesses), it is no wonder that the already large number of UK businesses selling online continues to grow significantly. The UK has hundreds of thousands of registered ecommerce-only businesses, while a huge number of UK “bricks-and-mortar” retailers and other SMEs also sell online to generate mu