News

April 01, 2016

Also in the news this week - 1 April 2016

Enterprise Zones drive jobs growth

New Government figures show that nearly 2,000 jobs were created in England's 24 Enterprise Zones in the three months to September last year - a 9% increase on the previous quarter. Established four years ago, Enterprise Zones offer tax incentives and business rate discounts to businesses. In four years, Enterprise Zones have been responsible for attracting nearly 24,000 new jobs. Northern Powerhouse minister James Wharton said: "Enterprise Zones are delivering real, tangible benefits. But we want to go even further, and the announcement of three new Enterprise Zones and a Zone extension … means this programme will go from strength to strength."

New customer service academy launches

The Institute of Customer Service (ICS) is opening an Academy to provide specialist customer service training and development. Aimed at front-line staff and business leaders, the Academy will help employers respond to the changing demands of UK consumers. Jo Causon, ICS ceo, said: "With 70% of the UK's workforce employed in customer-facing roles, their ability to meet consumers' demands has a direct impact on UK GDP. The launch of the Academy will provide … a skills boost to help organisations deliver what customers, shareholders and stakeholders expect."

Backlash as Instagram changes its algorithms

Instagram is changing its timelines so that posts are sorted according to user interest rather than being listed chronologically. The move is in line with the way Facebook (which owns Instagram) organises posts. But, according to the BBC, many Instagram users, including businesses, are concerned that their posts won't be seen by as many people. As a result, many are urging their followers to "turn on notifications" to make sure their posts are seen. An online petition opposing the change has already attracted well over 300,000 signatures.

Marketing is a "struggle" for many SMEs

Many aspects of marketing are proving a problem for small firms, according to new research by PeoplePerHour. It has found that 41% struggle with pay-per-click advertising, 37% are confused by SEO, social media is a problem for 27% and email marketing is an issue for 34%. In addition, the survey shows that 23% of small business owners say they are finding it "almost impossible" to find a marketing director to cover all skills. Xenios Thrasyvoulou, PeoplePerHour founder and ceo, advises SMEs to "embrace hyper-specialists" as "it's almost impossible to find one marketer who can effectively perform for each marketing channel".