Adults are choosing to get orthodontic treatment to make their teeth straighter because there are a variety of options available to them, depending on the type of braces they want. There are specialist orthodontists like Dr George Campbell in Glasgow who can help give you the smile you’ve always wanted without it being visible that you have braces unless you want it to be.

If you’re located in Glasgow and are looking for an experienced professional, contact Dr George Campbell orthodontist today.

Who is George Campbell?

As a well-respected and active figure in the world of orthodontics he is a master of his profession, and his background alone clearly demonstrates why he is so successful. Dr Campbell was born and schooled in Glasgow before starting his journey into orthodontics by studying Dentistry at Edinburgh University.

He did a brief stint as a Captain in the British Army after his graduation and then went on to fill various posts in oral and maxillofacial surgery whilst completing Royal College of Surgeons fellowship in Glasgow. Following on from his fellowship, he travelled to London and got his MSc as well as spending three years as the Registrar in Orthodontics at the well renowned Guy’s Hospital.

Going between Scotland and London he achieved his MOrth in Orthodontics from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and then worked as a consultant in Orthodontics at a hospital near London for a year. It was after this he opened up his first practice in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1999. The success of this practice resulted in him growing and opening six more in the Scotland area including:

•       Queen’s Park (this was previously Love and Hughes)
•       Hamilton
•       Jordanhill
•       Kilmarnock
•       Greenock
•       Cumbernauld

As he developed his career and knowledge George became interested in teaching and helping other aspiring orthodontists in the field. Up until now he has trained 11 orthodontic therapists, giving them the opportunity to enhance their skills and careers in general. Also, he helps registrars who are training to become orthodontists and holds a series of sessions at Guy’s Hospital in London. This includes new patients who have been referred from the South East and London.

George is actively a part of several societies and organisations such as the World Federation of Orthodontists, the British and European Orthodontic Societies, and he is an international member of the American Orthodontists Society. He goes to this annually for regular professional development and his impressive level of knowledge and experience have secured him a place in the Who’s Who of Dentistry. His passion and commitment to academics has also resulted in him becoming an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

What are his qualifications?

•       BDS- Edinburgh
•       FDS RCPS- Glasgow
•       MOrth RCS- Edinburgh
•       MSc- London
•       Invisalign accredited
•       GDC registered 63331

Organisation memberships

•       World Federation of Orthodontics, British Orthodontic Society
•       European Orthodontic Society
•       American Orthodontic Society
•       Former Honorary Treasurer for Orthodontic Specialist Group, UK

What services does George Campbell offer?

Orthodontic treatments have advanced a lot in recent years, with considerably more flexible options, including ones that are less visible which is often a particularly important requirement to people opting for braces as an adult. There are more styles of braces for you to consider that are generally smaller and more comfortable to wear, whilst being equally as efficient at straightening teeth as traditional braces. The various services you could get through George Campbell include:

Invisible braces

One of the most popular brace options in adults, Invisalign is a treatment plan that has clear plastic aligners that shift your teeth into position. Their popularity is largely due to them being removable and practically invisible to people around you.

Fixed metal braces

Fixed metal braces make use of metal brackets, archwires and ligatures (elastic bands) to straighten teeth. Despite these being the most traditional type of brace, huge steps have been made so they are now much less bulky, and easier to wear.

Ceramic braces

Ceramic braces are much like traditional braces except they are produced from a ceramic material and are designed to match the colour of your teeth, making them less visible.

Self-ligating braces

These types of braces have sliding brackets that let the archwire move in accordance with your teeth, so they work with less friction and don’t need elastic bands.

George Campbell is a highly professional and experienced orthodontist that can help you find the right brace option for you and ensure you’re happy with the results after your treatment is over.

The post George Campbell Orthodontist – Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Real Business.

Imagine a world where your business is just a tap away from reaching your customers anytime, anywhere. In fact, according to recent statistics, 62% of businesses have an app presence already or are in the process of developing one. So, why should your business be left behind?

A mobile app can be revolutionary for a startup aiming to make an impact or an established organisation looking to stay ahead of the curve. It connects you directly with your target audience and unlocks an ocean of possibilities.

In this article, we will discuss the myriad benefits of mobile apps for businesses and the benefits of partnering with a reputable software development agency in london in bringing your app ideas to life.

Improve Customer Engagement with a Mobile App

Streamline Communication

With a mobile app, businesses can revolutionise customer engagement strategies by offering a direct and efficient communication channel. Customers can easily contact your company to ask questions, leave feedback, or make queries at their convenience.

Gamification and Rewards

Who doesn’t love a bit of fun and excitement? Engage your customers by introducing loyalty programs, virtual badges, or exclusive perks encouraging participation and repeat interactions.

With its intuitive interface and user-friendly functionalities,  mobile application for business simplifies interactions and amplifies customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Increase Your Brand Visibility with a Mobile App

Connect with Customers on the Go

A mobile app allows you to constantly stay in touch with your customers remotely as and when they need assistance. With your app in their pockets, you become a constant companion, building loyalty and increasing brand visibility.

Stand Out in the App Stores

The app market is highly competitive, boasting 1.96 million apps on the Apple App Store and 2.87 million applications on the Google Play Store. You can stand out with a thoughtfully designed mobile app for business. A well-optimised presence in the app stores boosts your app’s discoverability, driving organic traffic and enhancing your brand’s visibility.

Leverage Social Sharing and Virality

The power of social media in extending brand reach is undeniable. When users find value in your app, they become advocates, willingly sharing their positive experiences with friends and followers. This organic word-of-mouth promotion enhances your brand’s visibility and generates new leads and potential customers.

Mobile Apps Provide Greater Personalisation

Customised Recommendations

Mobile apps use advanced algorithms and data analytics to provide personalised content, product recommendations, and special offers for each user, creating a unique experience.

Contextualised User Interface

Its time to bid farewell to the age of uniform interfaces! Thanks to mobile applications businesses are able to craft user interfaces that are intuitive and contextual taking into account individual preferences and requirements.

Interactive and Real-Time Engagement

As businesses seek to establish a stronger connection with their customer base, mobile apps have become an increasingly popular choice. One of the key benefits is the streamlined communication they provide – in-app messaging features allow users to connect with support teams in real-time, providing swift assistance that builds trust and confidence in the brand.

Mobile Apps Can Be a Revenue Stream

Drive Sales and Conversions with In-App Purchases

Incorporating in-app purchases is an effective way to showcase and sell your products or services directly to your target audience. With this feature, customers can make purchases without having to navigate through multiple platforms, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience.

Monetise Through Advertisements and Sponsorships

By strategically placing targeted advertisements within your app, you can expand your audience and establish partnerships that align with your brand’s values. As your app gains popularity, it becomes increasingly appealing to potential sponsors, creating new opportunities for monetisation.

Offer Premium Features and Subscription Models

By providing additional value and personalised experiences to your loyal customers, you can incentivise them to opt for premium subscriptions, unlocking a steady income stream.

A Mobile App Can Help You Collect Valuable Data

Seamless Customer Feedback

Whether rating a product, leaving a review, or answering a quick poll, you can gather real-time feedback invaluable for enhancing customer satisfaction and making data-driven improvements.

Powerful Analytics and Insights

From tracking app usage patterns to monitoring user engagement, the benefits of mobile apps are undeniable to understand your target audience better.

Location-based Intelligence

Location-based data is a goldmine for businesses aiming to personalise their offerings. By harnessing the power of GPS technology, you can unlock a wealth of valuable data insights that can aid you in identifying untapped markets, optimising your marketing campaigns, and creating targeted promotions. These strategies will not only enhance customer engagement but also increase revenue, making it an essential tool for every business.

In conclusion

Nowadays, having a mobile application for your business is an undeniable necessity. With a mobile app, you can reap numerous benefits such as increased customer engagement, better brand visibility, and personalised user experiences. Moreover, a mobile app can unlock new revenue streams and provide valuable data insights to shape strategic decision-making – making it an indispensable tool for modern businesses.

So, why wait? Investing in a mobile app today can take your business to the next level. Connect with your customers to offer personalized experiences, strengthen your brand presence, and unlock the potential for growth and success.

Is your business ready to welcome the power of a mobile app?

The post Why Your Business Needs a Mobile App? appeared first on Real Business.

With Pride just around the corner, rainbows are rammed down our throats left, right, and centre, but what’s the real purpose of Pride in the working world, and why is it important all year round?

It’s June 1^st and suddenly every company’s logo is a rainbow, and they’re all posting about the importance of Pride. Companies suddenly care about the LGBTQ+ community but, don’t worry, just for June…

Rainbow washing is when rainbow imagery is used, particularly by a company and during Pride Month, “to indicate progressive support for LGBTQ equality (and earn consumer credit), but with a minimum of effort or pragmatic result.” In other words, it’s when a company shows itself as supporting the LGBTQ+ community by doing something insignificant like slapping a rainbow on something for its own monetary gain rather than to raise awareness and advocate for the cause.

As June creeps round the corner, out come the rainbows, but by July they’re all back in the closet and the LGBTQ+ community is no better off. So, why does rainbow washing matter, and what can companies do instead to make a difference?

Rainbow washing matters because it trivialises the serious issue of LGBTQ+ rights, making Pride performative rather than about really making a difference. The company thrives, while the LGBTQ+ community continues to suffer.

LGBTQ+ people continue to feel unsafe and the statistics show why. In 2021, LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop found that “64% of respondents had experienced anti-LGBT+ violence or abuse.” This abuse continues in the world of work. A report by Stonewall in 2018 found that “35% of LGBT+ staff have hidden that they are LGBT+ at work for fear of discrimination.” Additionally, 18% have received a negative response from colleagues for being LGBTQ+. As a result of this abuse, fear of discrimination, and an overall lack of safety, LGBTQ+ people are more likely to suffer from mental health problems.

More must be done to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ people in society, and particularly in the workplace. We spoke to three LGBTQ+-focused business owners, who explained the personal and professional importance of Pride to them and what companies can do to paint the town with Pride all year round.

Speaking on the issue of safety, Gina Battye, global psychological safety consultant and trainer, recognises that we all wear masks, but stresses that the LGBTQ+ community has “more masks, baggage and layers” due to the struggles it faces on a daily basis. She explains this through the concept of psychological safety, an area that she specialises in. “Psychological safety creates a work environment where individuals and teams can thrive and achieve their full potential.” Battye created The 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety to model this: Self, Social, Collaboration, Curiosity, and Creativity. “When you have a psychologically safe environment and people feel safe to bring their whole self to work, people communicate and collaborate effectively and a culture of curiosity and creativity is cultivated,” she explains. In short, when people feel safe, they thrive, so not feeling safe is one of the main reasons LGBTQ+ people often struggle in the workplace.

Alex J. Lynam, founder of Beyond the Binary, which helps schools, companies, families, and individuals around inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community, adds to this concept of psychological safety through the process of dynamic risk assessing.  They explain that as individuals we’re always doing this subconsciously, but for the LGBTQ+ community, it is “ramped up even further, and it’s fuelled with adrenaline [and] anxiety, making sure the spaces that they’re taking up are safe.” Lynam describes this process as exhausting, offering some examples of questions that LGBTQ+ people might be faced with: “Am I safe?” “Where’s the nearest exit?” “Who am I sitting with?” “Can I tell them I’m in a same gender relationship?” “Can I tell them I’m non-binary?” and so on.

Lynam says that this constant cycle and potential lack of safety for LGBTQ+ people often causes them to hide part of themselves. “One of the things that queer people will do is avoid personal conversations [such as] coming out to a group of people because they are scared that they might be judged [and] coming up against that discrimination.” They explain that as a result of this, queer people are “losing productivity and creativity,” as being in this constant state of anxiety means they often don’t feel safe and therefore less likely to thrive in the workplace.

But, don’t worry, to create a rainbow we need some sun too, so that’s where the solutions come in. Companies, in particular, have work to do to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ staff, increasing productivity and creativity, and consequently maximising the overall success of the company. There is a rainbow of ways this can be done – and yes, probably a pot of gold at the end too.

Firstly, bringing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (or EDI) to the forefront of businesses is a must. It not only helps create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, but benefits the businesses too by enabling them to thrive and thus be more productive and creative at work. But now we know why it’s so important to paint the town with Pride all year round, the question is how can companies do so?

“Businesses should actively work on communication,” says Battye. She highlights the importance of providing employees with “the tools they need to deal with different scenarios they face at work,” including awareness of inclusive language, conveying a clear message, and active listening. She also says that staff should be trained on “managing conflict, dealing with microaggressions [and] having difficult conversations.” Regarding having difficult conversations, she stresses the importance of establishing “safe spaces to have conversations that matter.” Lynam reaffirms this, emphasising that businesses can help create safe spaces by “having open conversations [and] asking how [they] can be more inclusive.”

Moreover, Battye discusses the significance of inclusion and intersectionality in the workplace. Companies often find it difficult to navigate such big topics and bring them into the workplace, but Battye gives us some advice. She highlights how “a change of language can create a shift,” explaining that when she changed the name of her trainings to ‘Authentic Self training’ or ‘Bring Your Whole Self to Work,’ therefore dropping the ‘LGBTQ+’ “significantly more people attended.” This makes it accessible and perhaps less intimidating for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. Also, people are often afraid of getting things wrong, so a more generic training might feel less daunting. Lynam stresses the importance of allowing people to get things wrong, saying they “give people full permission to get things wrong, so they can get it right – so that we can move forward.” As a result, LGBTQ+ issues can be discussed with a much wider audience who might not have otherwise attended, thus having a greater impact and creating a bigger difference in society.

In terms of intersectionality, Battye says to “think of people as individuals, and focus on how you can create a psychologically safe environment for everyone.” Dani Wallace, award winning public speaking coach and leader of the I Am The Queen Bee Movement, addresses the importance of intersectionality by saying, “Businesses need to actively seek out training from the right people…and then actively make changes – not rainbow wash and host a one-off training as a tick box exercise.” She gives her business as an example of how this can be done: “[we] actively seek out queer and marginalised communities so that other members of the queer community can see themselves on stage.”

She also explains how they have “actively invested in training and experts, so we make sure that we pay people to help us with sharing this information,” and they then use this information effectively to make changes, including ensuring they have gender neutral toilets and declaring on their website that they are an inclusive, queer-friendly, and trans-friendly space, so that “when people are looking for events, they can see they are welcome in the first instance.” Dani finally addresses the unfortunately inevitable difficulties faced in this sphere related to ignorance and bigotry. She says that if people are inappropriate, they encourage them to invest in their education and “if it is not for them, then they are not for us! It’s important that we make sure that everyone who works with us [is] aligned.”

As we can see, feeling unsafe in the workplace is a serious issue for the LGBTQ+ community and rainbow washing reduces its seriousness by trivialising it. Ensuring the safety of the LGBTQ+ community enables them to thrive at work by being more productive and creative. Companies must focus on communication, training, inclusion, and intersectionality to help create a safe space for everyone and, more importantly, paint the town with Pride all year round!

The post ‘Pride Year’: Kill Corporate Rainbow Washing And Paint The Town With Pride All Year Round! appeared first on Real Business.

When it comes to winning over B2B clients, your style is very much a key form of communication. With this in mind, it’s essential that you get your wardrobe right before meeting prospective clients or attending trade shows. The chances are that your attire can be a tool for making a strong first impression. 

Furthermore, your clothes can do a lot of talking on your behalf at events like trade shows. When you’re competing with like-minded businesses, perfecting your appearance could pay dividends. 

There should be a number of factors that go into your style when taking opportunities to win new B2B clients–and matters like your industry and approachability should all be taken into account. 

So, how can you dress to impress and win over those all-important clients? Let’s take a look at some of the most important considerations you should take when styling yourself to win over new clients: 

Make Your Appearance Approachable

Yes, looking as cool as possible can be a good way of making you appear more suave and sophisticated in front of clients, but oftentimes it pays to appear more approachable and willing to talk. 

Many clients simply want to feel comfortable talking about your business and what you can bring to the table for them. Wearing a black suit with black shades can help you to strike a strong and stylish impression, but sometimes clients simply want to find someone with a personable demeanour to talk to. 

Color can go a long way in appearing more approachable, and even the subtle addition of coloured eyewear can be a great way to make yourself appear more personable and ready to talk to clients. For outdoor events, it’s even possible to use coloured tinting on your sunglasses to generate a more approachable look. Revo sunglasses are particularly good at creating classy frames complemented by warm-coloured tints that can create a link between cool looks and a friendly appearance. 

Keep Your Industry in Mind

When planning your style for a B2B networking event or meeting, take a moment to think about the overall feel of the industry that you’re working in. 

The prospect of overdressing for a casual industry, or going overly casual in a more formal industry could undermine the message you want to send to prospective clients. 

While it’s great to be able to stand out from the crowd, you want to send a winning impression to your clients, and to avoid making them believe that your company isn’t the right culture fit to work with. 

Matters like jeans could be great for more relaxed industries, but wouldn’t fly at, say, a legal conference. Likewise, if you’re pitching to tech-based clients, there’s likely to be a sweet spot in wearing business casual attire. 

Small Details can Signify More Attentiveness

One of the best tricks of the trade is to use small accessories and flourishes to your advantage when meeting prospective B2B clients. This is because they can make you and your business appear more attentive to detail, and better prepared to aid the growth of your clients. 

Accessories like matching cufflinks, earrings, handbags, and any other jewellery and accessories can be a great way of attracting more attention and to secure greater volumes of interest no matter where you’re interacting with your clients. 

Once again, colour can be a good ally in this scenario–particularly when it comes to networking opportunities. Spend more time considering how to incorporate bold, warm colors into your small details and you’re more likely to come across as friendly and approachable amidst larger crowds of competitors. 

Always Prioritise Comfort

While your appearance is of paramount importance when meeting prospective clients, your first impression could be impacted by wearing uncomfortable clothing. If you’re meeting multiple potential B2B clients over the course of a day, dressing in new, formal attire could bring discomfort that will affect your mood and ability to communicate effectively. 

For this reason, you shouldn’t wear untested items of clothing on busy B2B networking events or through a series of meetings. Look to customise your wardrobe with a collection of comfortable items that you know and trust. 

Fortunately, combining style and comfort can bring out more style opportunities. For instance, your bag can be styled to match your appearance and carry essentials like a bottle of water and an extra layer of clothing should you need it. 

For B2B businesses, client acquisition is an essential part of operations, and making a successful first impression is pivotal. Style plays a big part in helping to make a great first impression, and client-facing staff should always keep an eye on their wardrobe to ensure that they’re in a position to win new clients. 

While factors like comfort are key, it’s the small details that can really carry a lasting impression for clients, and with the right approach to your style, it’s possible to give yourself the best chance as possible in securing meaningful client relationships that can last long into the future. 

The post Can Your Style Help to Win Over B2B Clients? appeared first on Real Business.

Sadly, it’s not enough for websites to create great content in order to be recognised by the likes of Google and other leading search engines. It has to be the right content. Many businesses have struggled to win over Google’s fickle army of crawlers over the years, but over time we can see how certain tweaks and approaches to content creation appear to be more effective than others. 

Fortunately, this doesn’t require you to rip out your existing content and start from scratch, but with the right adaptations, you may be capable of making your blog posts, articles, guides, and other content stretch further and rank higher among Google’s SERPs. 

What is Google Crawling?

Firstly, let’s cover what is actually meant by Google’s ‘crawlers’. Crawling takes place when Google’s bots assess all the content and code that make up a website and analyse it. This process helps to index pages and to ensure that a page is good enough to show up in Google’s search engine ranking positions (SERPs). 

With each update, Google is liable to change its criteria for websites. For instance, since Google’s Panda update, the importance of domain names has grown by a notable measure, and businesses are required to maintain a level of accessibility and relevance with the names they choose. 

Google considers a wide range of factors that are relevant to categorising your website appropriately, and many revolve around good on-page SEO relating to your content. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most notable adaptations that can be made to your content to ensure that it’s given the credit it deserves by Google. 

Size Matters when it Comes to Content

When it comes to studying Google’s attitude towards content, one recurring theme is that longer-form articles and posts generally perform better. 

(Image: Kinsta)

As Kinsta data shows, the top two pages of Google search results typically feature articles that stand at more than 2,400 words in length. 

Because Google consistently values long-form content higher, it’s worth exploring your existing blog pages or on-site content and asking yourself whether it’s possible to expand your articles. 

Given that search engines are ever-improving in ways that are more focused on directly answering queries, it’s also worth anticipating what your audience is asking when they run queries in Google. 

Audit Your On-Page SEO

To better optimise your content, it’s worth adopting one of the many free SEO checklists available online, with the Lawrence Hitches 2023 on-page SEO checklist standing as a handy resource when it comes to analysing what’s at the core of your content strategy. 

When looking to audit your content, your on-page SEO checklist should provide insights into key elements such as:

• Revising Title Tags

Your content title tags should be the first element to appear on your search engine results page, and this means that it’s vital that you get it right the first time. 

Remember to always keep your titles relevant, informative, and original so that Google can understand what you’re offering visitors and why it deserves to be ranked highly for a fitting query. 

Also, bear in mind that Google shortens titles by default as a means of making them fit onto their results pages. This means that your titles must be no longer than 60 characters. 

• Craft Unique Meta Descriptions

Your meta descriptions will be the first thing prospective visitors read when exploring their search result options. This means that it’s your golden opportunity to make a compelling case for them to click through and onto your website. 

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to keep your meta descriptions between 150 and 160 characters long and to avoid keyword stuffing in order to maintain the trust of your target audience. 

Although this can feel like an added chore after completing your content, a fitting description is an ideal way of marketing your articles and casting your net as wide as possible for the right leads. 

• Always Remember to Link Internally

What happens when your visitor enjoys the content they read? They should be offered access to more articles as a way of encouraging them to stay on your pages for longer and build their perception of your brand. 

Here, it’s worth categorizing your existing content and remember to link to relevant articles when a related topic is touched upon in your content. Not only does this help to convert consumer interest into purchase intent, but it also helps Google’s crawlers to better index your pages. 

Again, there’s no set number of links to include in your content, and it’s wise to avoid shoehorning an internal link in at every opportunity, but around three-to-six links per article can keep your pages well-connected and visitors engaged. 

Remember that Content Optimization Doesn’t Stop with Text

When we talk about content, we’re not only referring to text; images and video can also play a pivotal role in your SEO, and it’s worth optimising your multimedia content accordingly. 

Here, it’s important to note that crawlers don’t read images like humans, and this means that the correct use of alt tags and descriptions is essential for the correct indexing for search engines. 

The same logic applies to videos. Although it can seem like an unnecessary hassle to think up a relevant description and alt tag for your visual content, it can make a world of difference when it comes to ranking on Google. 

Image and video optimization can even become a key advantage for businesses in competitive industries. This is because the content is so overwhelmingly text-based that there’s less competition to rank for visual elements–which is precisely why more marketers are optimising video content via YouTube and infographics that can be found through Google image search. 

For small businesses, it can seem time-consuming to add extra layers of effort on top of content creation to ensure that text, images, and video are all correctly optimised. However, for those who dedicate the effort to optimising their on-page SEO, the sky’s the limit in terms of how far it’s possible to climb Google’s SERPs. 

The post How To Improve Your SME SERP Score For Google Search Success appeared first on Real Business.

While we’d all hoped that 2022 would bring some respite to UK small business owners, the next few months look set to present a whole new set of challenges as inflation continues to rise.

Amidst this disruption, prioritising anything beyond the day-to-day of keeping a small business afloat seems daunting. Marketing and growing new customers can easily fall by the wayside.

But perhaps more than ever now is the time to evaluate what is happening with your current customer base and identify who your potential new customers are. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about permanent, seismic shifts to consumers habits and the way we live our lives and businesses need to be aware of these changes in order to reflect and meet these new demands.

For example, if your business isn’t based in a big city, you might wonder how the growth of ‘flexible working’ and the impact it has had on the lives of city-based office workers would affect you.

In fact, lockdown restrictions look set to leave a lasting impact on the whole country. As most city-based offices are continuing the flexible approach, people are realising they no longer need to be tied to their office. They can have the best of both worlds; a longer commute becomes an acceptable compromise for more space, the countryside and a better work-life balance.

But how is this changing the demographic of the UK’s market towns, and how can your business take advantage?

Flexible working in the city impacts small town demographics 

House prices are rising, with the ONS House Price Index showing the average house price in the UK now stands at £275,000, and £521,146 in London. When combined with the fact that many city-based employees now work from home several days a week, these costs have inspired people to relocate.

Experian’s latest analysis of home moving data reveals the pandemic caused a significant shift in where homeowners are choosing to live in the UK. City employees are now swapping urban centres for smaller market towns nearby.

For example, the rural district of Harborough in the Midlands has seen an influx of movers from Leicester, while the market town of Selby in North Yorkshire has seen arrivals from nearby cities Leeds, Bradford, and York. Meanwhile the London boroughs of Camden and Brent, along with Oxford and Cambridge, have seen substantial population drops.

Movers tend to stay within the region in which they already live, but outside of the main city locations. London saw the largest proportion of movers leave their region, with 12% relocating elsewhere in the south-east and 8% heading further afield into the East region.

The significance for small business owners

 Local business owners in towns and suburban locations outside need to be aware of these evolving  demographic changes, as it opens a completely new audience to them. Families that have swapped the city for the country bring with them new spending power and interests – if you’re able to bring these potential customers on board, they can spread the word about your business and boost sales.

However, research is required to ensure you’re targeting that audience as appropriately as possible. And this new audience will likely have different interests to the ones you’re used to catering to. They might desire different products and services, or their need to commute to cities could impact travel trends. Their tastes could also be very different; Londoners moving out to the suburbs might still want trendy local coffee shops and breweries, vegan offerings or be used to a multitude of takeaway and online delivery options.

How they want to be communicated with is also different. Most businesses now engage their customers across multiple marketing channels using different targeting methods but by understanding new and existing customers’ actual preferences, you can talk to them through the channel they are most likely to respond to.

Making these changes work for your business

Of course, many business owners dream of being able to buy advertising and hire a marketing expert to reach their audience. But, with some research, there are quick and budget-friendly steps you can make to ensure you don’t miss out on this new opportunity.

You’d be surprised how much data you can access online for free. Organisations such as YouGov or the Office of National Statistics host data on their websites that you can use to find out your audience’s attributes, including where they live, their education level, the media they consume, their politics and how affluent they are. Experian also offers a host of services and tools which can quickly and easily help businesses better understand the likely characteristics and preferences of existing and potential new customers.

These insights can be invaluable in adjusting your brand strategy to meet ever-changing consumer habits in times of uncertainty and change. They will help truly understand your new audience, tailor your tone of voice and adapt your products accordingly.

As anyone who’s owned a business in the past two years knows, flexibility and willingness to adapt to change are key to survival. Data, and research into your local audience, could also help you thrive.

The post How Small Businesses Can Capitalise on Demographic Changes appeared first on Real Business.

Deferred tax is the accumulation of taxes that are not paid or deducted during a current tax period but are instead deferred to future periods. It is calculated on business profits and arises when your company has made an accounting loss for the current year, but expects to make profit in the future. It can be difficult to understand how deferred tax works if you have never experienced it before, because there are different types of deferred taxes depending on whether they’re asset- or liability-based.

In this article, we’ll discuss what deferred taxes are in more detail so that you can decide whether they are something that could benefit your business.

What is Deferred Tax?

Deferred tax is the difference between what a business has earned and what it actually owes. It arises when there is a difference between your company’s accounting profit and its taxable profits due to timing. There are various reasons why this may occur such as capital allowances, depreciation, and timing differences between the times you buy an asset and sell it.

Deferred tax means that some of your business’s income has been taxed in one year, but not all of it. The UK government allows businesses following certain accounting rules to set aside this excess amount for later payment of current taxes without incurring penalties or interest charges.

How does Deferred Tax Affect Your Business?

Deferring your company’s taxes can have several benefits, including reducing uncertainty about what money it should set aside each year for its future taxes so you don’t end up overestimating or underestimating how much is needed, avoiding incurring penalties and interest charges, and distributing your business profits over a longer time period.

Deferring your business’s taxes will have no effects on profits today but can reduce taxable profit tomorrow or many years from now when it is finally paid. Being able to spend your business’s profits over a longer time period means that you are able to use the capital you have generated for other purposes such as investment or paying dividends.

It also means that you can is to avoid paying high rates of current income tax and any penalties or interest charges associated with late payment if the deferred taxes are not deducted beforehand.

How do you Calculate Deferred Tax?

The process of calculating deferred tax is quite complicated but it actually boils down to three basic steps:

• First, your business calculates the tax it should owe based on its taxable profits.
• Next, your business applies any deferred tax liability or reliefs that apply to those profits.
• Finally, your company deducts all payments and credits made in the current year before calculating how much future tax is due.

What are Deferred Tax Liabilities?

A deferred tax liability is the amount of money that your company will have to pay in taxes at some point. This balance arises when there are profits and losses on which no taxes were paid. It also arises when your company has tax losses that it can’t use up or carry forward to future years.

When profits are high, the deferred tax liability may be low because there is no difference between what you earned and what you will have to be paid in taxes. However, if your business incurs losses during the year, then those can offset some of your other income so that less income becomes taxable for that current year’s expected liability.

Deferred Tax Liabilities affect companies’ cash flow positively or negatively depending on whether the liabilities exceed assets and how long until they are expected to be paid.

When do you Pay the Deferred Tax Liability?

The deferred tax liability is your business’ accounting of the difference between your current liabilities and assets. If your company has made a profit in any year for which taxes have not been paid, due to years being carried forward from previous losses, an allowable deduction like depreciation expense reducing net income taxable at full rate, or simply because no money was owed yet, you will carry over some portion of these unpaid taxes as deferred tax. This debt must be accounted for on your balance sheet under long-term liabilities. This means that what you owe today may not be due until tomorrow or even many years later depending on how long certain items like depreciation take to offset taxable income.

The liability becomes payable when you have available assets to pay it off with, which may be in the form of accumulated profits or from future earnings. This may be more or less than what you would have paid if you hadn’t deferred depending on whether your company has been profitable or not.

Strategies for Minimizing or Avoiding Deferred Tax Liability

Your company may be able to minimize or avoid a deferred tax liability and thereby reduce the amount of current taxes that it has to pay in future years. There are various different ways businesses usually do this:

• Investing more money into certain assets such as inventory or property – This will increase their tax deductions in the future when they sell these assets and will reduce their deferred tax liability.
• Accelerating income to be able to use more of these deductible expenses today – This can work if your company still has unused business expense deductions available for this year that are greater than the amount of its taxable profits (the deduction limit).
• Taking advantage of losses that have already been incurred – This can work if your company has made certain types of deductible expenses this year greater than its taxable profits.
• Instituting an accounting technique called “accelerated depreciation” – This increases the annual deduction for a given asset which can will reduce its deferred tax liability for future years.
• Investing in employee retirement plans – This will allow you to deduct the contributions made as business expenses and then defer taxation. This can be effective if your company has a high proportion of its profits in the form of employee wages or benefits.
• Purchasing other insurance policies that have guaranteed cash values – This means your business will be able to make deductions for premiums and claim any losses as tax-deductible expenses, thereby reducing your deferred tax liability.

When is Deferred Tax an Asset?

When a company has incurred costs that are deductible for tax purposes in future periods, the UK deferred tax is an asset if it meets one of two conditions:

• The taxable profit would have been higher had these provisions not been made. The difference between this and what was recorded represents the amount by which assets were increased to give rise to a liability.
• It can be clearly demonstrated from reliable evidence (e.g., contracts) that there will be sufficient taxable profits against which to set off the cost.

If you cannot demonstrate both conditions then your deferred tax may be classified as an expense rather than an asset.

What are the Consequences of Not Paying Deferred Taxes on Time?

The consequences of not paying a deferred tax liability can vary depending upon how long it takes before the payment is made and whether there is an interest charge levied against late payments. The longer it takes to pay, the more interest is added. For example, if your business has not paid an amount of deferred tax for two years then there may be penalties in addition to accrued interest charges as well as late payment fines and fees.

If your company is experiencing cash flow issues or have difficulty paying your deferred taxes, you may be able to negotiate a payment plan with the authorities so that you can pay your deferred taxes over time. You will need to make sure that what you owe is not in excess of your company’s assets though, or else it could becomes an unsecured debt on your balance sheet which could lead to insolvency if there are any more liabilities added.

Make sure you contact the relevant tax authorities as soon as possible to ask about the terms for a payment plan. This way you can get it set up before your business’s financial situation spirals out of control. It also means you cannot be accused of deliberately avoiding your tax obligations because you will have made the authorities aware of your payment difficulties straight away.

Common mistakes when Calculating Deferred Taxes

There are a few common mistakes when calculating deferred taxes, one of the main ones being not understanding the difference between deductible and taxable expenses in deferred tax calculations.

For example, it’s important to know that some types of startup expenditures may not be deducted from your business earnings as they would on a personal income statement since you don’t yet have any earnings for them to offset against (e.g., equipment purchases).

However, these same expenditures might still be considered “deferred costs” if they’ll produce future benefits over several years or more, in which case they could negatively impact your company’s current profit margin but will provide lasting savings later down the road. Examples may include:

• Research and development expenses.
• Certain marketing expenditures.
• Legal fees pertaining to intellectual property protection.
• Interest on borrowed money used to fund the Startup Phase when revenue streams aren’t sufficient to cover expenses.
• Costs incurred in the acquisition of an intangible asset that will benefit future periods.

It’s also important not to overlook any “deferred revenue” when calculating deferred taxes. This may include refunds or rebates from vendors, deposits on orders, trade discounts, and accrued payments. Even if these aren’t deductible for your business at this time due to cash flow restrictions, they will still need accounting treatment so you can prepare for them down the line.

What is the Difference Between Deferred and Current Tax?

The difference between deferred and current tax is that deferred taxes are calculated on the profit of a business. This means they only arise when your profits go above zero, which in turn creates an opportunity to offset them with future losses if you make any. Current tax, meanwhile, happens every time revenue goes into your business’s account because it will be immediately deducted from this amount. It can also come out of any money you try to withdraw before paying yourself as an owner-manager or it might even require withholding payments for other entities such as shareholders who have not been paid dividends yet.

When should you Talk to an Expert to Help with your Deferred Tax Situation?

Mismanagement of deferred taxes can lead to various issues. hiring an accountants will help you to understand exactly what needs to happen next. This could include things like reviewing projected cash flow statements, determining available funds for reducing liquidity risk, and ensuring you don’t accrue any late fees or penalties.

The following are situations in which an expert should be consulted:

• If your company has not been paying its taxes from profit for three consecutive years.
• If there is no foreseeable end of the nonpayment of taxes and interest due on any future payment dates.
• If it becomes clear that the assets can’t provide enough money to pay all current and past liabilities within 12 months.
• If you don’t know how to estimate future tax liabilities or when a rise in interest rates might affect your deferred-tax situation.
• You are planning to sell your business and need to get your taxes in order first.

Final Thoughts

Deferred taxes can be very useful and can really help your business to excel. They provide you with the extra capital you need for investment, enables you to make more reliable financial plans, and helps you to avoid fees and penalties. In order to make the most of these benefits, it is very important that you calculate your deferred taxes correctly to ensure that you don’t miss payments. Deferring your taxes does not mean just ignoring them at a later date, and you should always be aware of how much money you owe, and when it will need paying. If you are any having any problems paying your deferred taxes, make sure you notify the relevant tax authorities immediately and that you speak to an accountant or tax expert who will be able to help you get your business’s financial situation in order.

The post Deferred Tax and What It Means for Your Business: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Real Business.

Patrick McCrae, CEO of ARTIQ, one of the UK’s foremost art consultancies, explores the subject of office spaces post-lockdown…

A glut of articles have emerged on the death of the office, rejoicing in the huge saving that can be made by cutting real estate overheads. Yet pieces predicting the death of the office conceive of an office-space one-dimensionally: as a neutral space for the completion of labour.

The pandemic has made it evident that importing work into our homes does not outweigh the benefits offered by well-nurtured offices. The productiveness and pleasure of seeing colleagues and face-to-face interactions with clients should not be underestimated. Nor should the chance dialogues that we would never think of inaugurating a skype call for, but that help to defuse tension after a difficult meeting or spark an idea that fuels the next project.

The effects of the pandemic

The pandemic has not initiated the end of the office. Instead, it offers us an opportunity to reimagine the office as a cultural hub, nurturing the rich affective benefits that have prior been a by-product of the traditional office, often depending on voluntary extra efforts of colleagues and bosses. This crisis has highlighted just how crucial offices are to company identity and employees” sense of mental wellbeing and belonging.

Coronavirus, despite its damage to our physical and mental health and the global economy, is ushering in a change that has been afoot for some years: that of purposeful work. Those firms who can reiterate their purpose will thrive as the best candidates look around at how their employers have reacted during this crisis.

The new reality we find ourselves in is throwing up some serious questions: Why do I work” Why do I work for this company” Why am I exchanging my time for money with this specific business” This is fundamentally a question of company culture, which is, without regular human interaction and with restricted funds, in many businesses, being tested to breaking point.

Following the slow easing of lockdown measures, it will be important to have a place to go and not just work, but to talk, to socialise, and fundamentally, to humanise the work we do. The office could morph from a place of work to the physical and cultural hub of a business.

Many businesses exist for more than just profit and for those businesses, the office is already representative of company culture. It is a representation of how the business and those who work within it perceive themselves. In the office this often means excellent facilities and design. One of the many ways to signal this is through art.

Many of ARTIQ’s clients use art collections as a tool for employee engagement. An APPG study found that 60% of people feel art helps them work more productively and another recent study relvealled that people work 30% more quickly in workspaces they have had agency in curating themselves. Art can therefore be used to assert company values.

A cure for mental health?

For instance, our online art classes launched in the wake of the lockdown have been entertaining many clients and their teams. They are alternative option to the many cultural events we usually offer clients in their offices. Indeed, many clients will use their workplace art collections to engage their staff, often forming committees from a cross-section of their workforce to foster inclusivity.

It would be ignorant to argue that having a nice office will be a magic cure to the mental health crisis that is, with every week of lockdown, becoming more extensive. However, an office that is well-designed, offering a place to socialise and to be reminded of company culture, full of art and engagement opportunities will help. The benefits are tangible. In 2017 the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing in the UK published a comprehensive report that collated research showing an undeniable positive link between art and mental wellbeing.

Across all settings, whether in healthcare with art-on-prescription services resulting in a 37 % drop in GP consultation rates or in society at large, with data showing that after engaging with the arts, 82% of people reported greater wellbeing, and 77% engaged more in physical activity, the benefits of art and wellbeing are undeniable. Art is one of a range of items the cultural hub could offer its staff.

The power of art

Indeed half of all office users already believe that artwork makes them more effective, while 61% believe that art inspires them to think and work more creatively, and 82% of people think artwork is an important addition to the workplace. These are all good statistics to show how employers can help to keep their workforce engaged and happy.

Office spaces are likely to become a key point of difference for companies wanting to communicate their prupose and marketing messages to clients, commitment to employees, and stand out to attract new talent. There should be joy in going into the office. A reminder for staff, in the wake of sometimes serious shake ups of headcount that they are working for a purposeful and stable business. We foresee an attitudinal shift post-lockdown, with firms taking a greater interest in how they make the most of the office, and how to foster company culture with staff increasingly working remotely.

This time has taught us all a great amount about our relationships with the various the people we communicate with and the social interactions at the centre of this. The personal relationships we have built with our co-workers, our suppliers and our clients should not be underestimated.

Whilst there is no doubt home working is here to stay, flexibility is key: holding the office as a hub, a central space for people to go and see their co-workers, their friends and for company culture to be reasserted, for purpose to be underlined and for those people whose time we are asking for to know that it is all actually worth it. Businesses that grasp this opportunity and create a space that is not only conducive to positive working, but also reinforcing the joy of work, will thrive.

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Marcus Young is partner and Layla D”Monte is an associate in King & Spalding‘s London office, they have co-authored the below piece on what SMEs should expect from the Government’s Future Fund scheme…

Many SMEs will be looking at making an application to the UK government’s new Future Fund; a £250 million investment pot intended to support the country’s innovative new business ventures impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund will match up to 100% of the amount provided by an investor/s, up to a maximum of £5 million and offer packages of between £125,000 to £5 million. It is delivered by the British Business Bank (BBB) and opened for applications on 20 May.
If it sounds like an attractive proposition for boosting SMEs then that’s because it is. The fund has a great many benefits but there are a number of key factors and potential pitfalls that SMEs should consider before filing any applications.

Try before you apply

First and foremost, the clock is ticking. The government has put in place a provisional deadline of 30 September for applications and the fund is operating on a “first come, first serve basis. So once its gone, its gone (unless the Government extend the line of credit).
The scheme is an investor led scheme, and it is therefore the investor, or lead investor of a group of investors, who will need to apply. The key to accessing this fund is that it must be a qualifying individual investor in relation to an eligible company, not the company itself.

As such, companies need to find an investor willing to lead the process. Attracting funding of between £125,000 and £5 million (the amount required to be ?matched by the fund) is not going to be a straightforward task for many SMEs.
What is complicating this process is the unknowns. How much risk are the investors being asked and willing to take when making an application?

Willing lead investors may well look for certain guarantees from an SME itself to help mitigate the risk or even look at using the application as leverage for other aspects of the enterprise in future. Should an SME not give due care and attention to any agreements or become too focused on accessing the fund there is a risk they may enter into an agreement with an investor that has wider detrimental impact on the business. The initial short-term cash boost could be offset by losing control over aspects of your business in the long-term.

Gaining interest

It is also important to stress that these are not grants but loans. They will have to be paid back and carry a minimum of 8% per annum (non-compounding) interest rate; which is a huge margin on the current depleted Bank of England base rate. At this point, the interest will either be repaid or convert in equity. The loan will mature after 36 months. On top of this, the interest will be higher if the company and the investor(s) agree between themselves.

Unlike a typical bank loan, the interest is not payable on a monthly basis and instead will accrue until the loan converts. Rather similar to interest-only mortgage , that will require maintaining and managing a three-year ?back-end repayment schedule, especially as the loan cannot be repaid early by the company other than with the agreement of all of the investors. This too is a caveat that could lead to business disputes, with the loan being used as potential leverage.

The loans will convert into shares in the company in certain circumstances, including an exit or a new funding round. Investors and the Future Fund both invest using a convertible loan agreement, which is predefined and cannot be negotiated.

Tax (dis)advantaged

There has already been a great deal of criticism on how the Future Fund is potentially incompatible with EIS and SEIS (tax schemes supporting individuals investing in startups, i.e. angel investors). It seems the government, rather than reviewing investment decks is relying on prospective applications having been pre-assessed by VC funds. It is important to stress that tax advice should be sought before accepting funding under the Future Fund.

Based on our analysis:

Past investments may not be affected but there are no guarantees. The government has confirmed that previous EIS/SEIS investments will not be affected where the convertible loan converts into shares. Where the convertible loan note redeems, the British Business Bank states that government intends” to make changes to the rules to clarify that this is compatible with such previous investments.

Current Future Fund loan note is not compatible with EIS/SEIS. This means that the scheme will be highly unattractive to angle investors.

Private investment in the future if you persuaded an angel investor to invest without SEIS/EIS for this investment to help your company in this time of need, the SEIS/EIS rules would preclude them from ever getting SEIS/EIS again in your company, so that investor is lost for future rounds.

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Yesterday, Borris Johnson revealed that all non-essential shops can open from June 15th as part of plans to further ease the lockdown.

In a speech addressing the nation yesterday, Borris Johnson said that the move to open these outlets was?”contingent on progress in the fight against coronavirus”, and retailers will have to adhere to new guidelines to protect shoppers and workers.

Since the 23rd of March, fashion retailers, garden stores and markets have all been shut to prohibit the spread of Coronavirus. As a result, many employees in this sector have been placed on a government furlough scheme, where they are paid only 80% of their wages.

Mr Johnson said new guidance had been published for the retail sector “detailing the measures they should take to meet the necessary social distancing and hygiene standards”.

He added: “I want people to be confident that they can shop safely, provided they follow the social distancing rules for all premises.”

“The timing of the announcement that non-essential shops can potentially open from 15 June feels deeply orchestrated given Durhamgate, comments Jack Izzard, director of the The Great British Bounce Back, an organisation representing small and micro businesses seeking to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic.

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