Most business owners start out as operators. But growing a business means learning to wear a different hat entirely, and knowing when to switch
SPONSORED FEATURE

What leadership hat should you be wearing?

Sponsored Feature
Jun 10 '26
Most business owners start out as operators. But growing a business means learning to wear a different hat entirely, and knowing when to switch
Small and micro businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, creating jobs, strengthening communities and driving innovation in ways the country depends on every day.

Small and micro businesses: the force for good the uk depends on

Liz Barclay
Jul 16 '26
Small and micro businesses are the backbone of the UK economy, creating jobs, strengthening communities and driving innovation in ways the country depends on every day
Discover the hidden customer journey touchpoints costing your business sales, loyalty and growth, and learn to improve trust and retention.

The hidden cost of overlooking key customer touchpoints

Julie Firth
Jul 15 '26
Your customer journey has invisible gaps costing you sales, retention and momentum. Julie Firth of Story22 explains the touchpoints businesses consistently miss
Learn about the effects of business rate increases on Scottish businesses and their rising prices and survival concerns.

Rising business rates add to cost pressures as Scottish price expectations hit three-year high

Andy Swales
Jul 15 '26
Seven in ten Scottish businesses have faced rate increases in the past year, with over half raising prices in response. A new survey reveals deepening survival concerns and falling confidence in government
Unlock the power of employee engagement strategies to make your team feel valued and improve workplace culture.

The importance of true connections and how to get the most out of people

Louise Doyle
Jul 14 '26
In a world of constant distraction, real human connection has never been harder to build or more valuable. Louise Doyle of needi on why the quality of your relationships defines the quality of your business
Pavlo Phitidis explains why successful entrepreneurs don’t rely on courage alone. By building knowledge and experience, business leaders can better understand risk and make confident growth decisions.

Courage follows knowledge

Pavlo Phitidis
Jul 13 '26
Pavlo Phitidis explains why successful entrepreneurs don’t rely on courage alone. By building knowledge and experience, business leaders can better understand risk and make confident growth decisions
UK small business sales growth slowed to 2.9% in Q1 2026. Kate Hayward of Xero explains why caution is understandable, and what resilience looks like.

The rise of the ‘wait and see’ small business economy

Kate Hayward
Jul 9 '26
UK small business sales growth slowed to 2.9% in Q1 2026. Kate Hayward of Xero explains why caution is understandable, and what resilience looks like
Scaling rarely begins when everything feels ready. Andreas Adamides explains why founders who take action, test demand and embrace uncertainty are often the ones who discover what growth really requires

As a founder, how do you know if you are ready to scale?

Andreas Adamides
Jul 8 '26
Scaling rarely begins when everything feels ready. Andreas Adamides explains why founders who take action, test demand and embrace uncertainty are often the ones who discover what growth really requires
Innovation isn't always about creating something from scratch. The smartest businesses often achieve better results by adapting proven ideas, reducing risk and focusing on execution rather than novelty.

Borrow brilliantly: Why smart businesses don’t reinvent everything

Kerrie Dorman
Jul 8 '26
Innovation isn’t always about creating something from scratch. The smartest businesses often achieve better results by adapting proven ideas, reducing risk and focusing on execution rather than novelty
CEOs can sabotage their company's growth by being too hands-on, creating dependency and slowing the very scale they are working towards

Why some CEOs secretly sabotage scale by being too hands-on

Andreas Adamides
Jul 7 '26
CEOs can sabotage their company’s growth by being too hands-on, creating dependency and slowing the very scale they are working towards
Founders are told to expand their reach or be left behind, but most businesses do not have a growth problem - they have a focus problem

Why ‘more channels’ is killing your focus

Amy Knight
Jul 7 '26
Founders are told to expand their reach or be left behind, but most businesses do not have a growth problem – they have a focus problem
Is university worth it? Examine the declining confidence in degrees and the latest statistics on student debt and outcomes in the UK.

University? The maths still doesn’t add up

Charlie Mullins
Jul 6 '26
A third of people now think university isn’t worth the time or money. Charlie Mullins OBE argues the real surprise is that two-thirds still do – and that Britain has been steering young people down the wrong path for decades