Like a lot of business people, you may worry about cyber security, but there are some simple but effective steps you can take to improve your business’s cyber security.
Ninety per cent of firms said in a recent survey that the UK’s industrial strategy will drive up living standards but only if given the priority it needs by the Govermnent.
The UK attracted more than 2,200 new inward investment projects in 2016 to 2017 with more than 107,000 jobs across the country safeguarded or created, according to new figures.
Figures published by the Department for International Trade revealed that the UK attracted more foreign direct investment projects than ever before for the year.
With more than 2,200 projects recorded, the post-referendum figures show an increase of 2% on the previous year. The data also shows that 75,226 new jobs were created, and 32,672 safeguarded, amounting to over 2,000 jobs per week across the country.
Overall, the UK is the number one destination for inward investment in Europe, with the technology, renewable energy, life sciences and creative industries all seeing an increase in the number of projects.
International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said: “Almost one year on since the EU referendum, the UK continues to attract record levels of inward investment and remains extremely attractive to foreign investors.”
We agree. Digital technology is playing its part every day and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Three quarters of businesses expect to increase the number of high-skilled roles over the coming years, according to the 2017 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey.
The survey of 344 companies highlighted that 62% are seeing strong competition for candidates with appropriate qualifications.
Asked about the impact of the introduction of the £2 billion apprenticeship levy, 58% of firms plan to increase apprentice programmes.
Josh Hardie, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: “Skills have to be the beating heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy – it’s the best growth strategy a country can have. More high-skilled opportunities are good news for our future – and a sign we can make progress on productivity – but this is tempered by the growing urgency around skills shortages.”
We agree that skills development is crucial, including in the digital sector where we see plenty of opportunities for young talent. For our part, we will do all we can to develop talented people.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Growth in the UK’s private sector slowed in the three months to June, according to the latest CBI Growth Indicator.
The survey of 762 respondents across the distribution, manufacturing and service sectors showed the balance of firms reporting a rise in output at +6%, compared with +13% in the three months to May 2017.
However, private sector firms expect growth to pick up over the next three months and we support that viewpoint. This is a time for calm heads.
The many companies we work with are expressing confidence that trading conditions, while challenging, do remain positive.
We are playing our part, offering a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of the digital revolution.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Twenty-four innovative agri-tech projects have been awarded a share of £16 million through the latest round of the Government’s Agri-Tech Catalyst programme.
The money will help the companies solve the world’s greatest food challenges, including the need to provide ultra-sensitive storage.
The UK is a world leader in the fast growing agri-tech sector and, as a company that supports businesses in the food industry, we applaud this investment in technology to make companies as efficient as possible.
We see digital technology playing its part every day and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
With a year to go until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into law, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging businesses to start preparing to ensure that they are compliant with the legislation when it comes into force.
From 25 May 2018, all businesses that hold personal data will have to guarantee that their data procedures are fit for purpose and compliant with the new regulation.
While the GDPR is an EU-initiative, the UK government has already made it clear that the legislation will still take effect in the UK after Brexit. Businesses that are found to be non-compliant risk fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual worldwide turnover.
Chambers of Commerce around the country are urging their members to start taking the necessary preparations to ensure they are ready for the regulation.
David Riches, Executive Director at the BCC, said:“Businesses need to be proactive about ensuring they are ready for the new data protection regulations when they come into force this time next year, and not leave preparations until the eleventh hour. Those firms that don’t fulfil the necessary responsibilities leave themselves vulnerable to tough penalties, not to mention public scrutiny.”
We agree. This is a major piece of legislation that affects just about every company in the country.
Bowe Digital specialises in keeping data secure as we offer a range of IT solutions that can help companies streamline their manufacturing processes in everything from quality control to stock management.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
A new survey has underlined the growing importance of digital technology to businesses of all size.
The British Chambers of Commerce Digital Economy Survey questioned more than 1,400 businesses across the UK and found that 84% of firms say digital and IT skills are more important to their business than two years ago, with 51% saying these skills are ‘significantly’ more important.
However, the survey also found that 20% of businesses had been hit by a cyber-attack in the past 12 months. Big businesses are far more likely than their smaller counterparts to be victims of attacks (42% of companies with more than 100 staff, compared to 18% of companies with fewer than 99 employees).
We agree that digital technology is playing its part to support the growth of the UK economy but that companies also need to maintain their security.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of digital opportunities and we can also advise on ways to avoid falling foul of hackers.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen
Entrepreneurs are being invited to complete a survey by Government-backed organisation Innovate UK, which is seeking views on innovation.
Innovate UK says it will use the results to strengthen the ways in which it supports innovative companies and, as a company whose digital technologies help many clients find new ways of working, we think it’s well worth offering your views.
Among the questions that Innovate UK is seeking to answer are:
how much effort are you investing in evolving or developing new products, services and processes, as well as in new areas?
how much you expect to grow in the next two years and what the challenges stopping you from doing so?
what are your plans for international activities?
They are seeking views from businesses of any size and age and the survey is open until 23 April 2017 at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/how-does-your-organisation-approach-research-and-innovation innovate uk
A new survey has shown that manufacturing is playing a key role in the UK’s economic revival.
Although overall private sector growth slowed slightly in the three months to March, according to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator, manufacturing output expanded strongly.
Overall, firms expect growth to pick up over the next quarter, with the survey balance the strongest since September 2015.
We see that confidence reflected among the companies that we help. We believe that digital technology is playing its part to support this continuing growth and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.
Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.
Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.
Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen