ConferenceCall.co.uk blog Posts

It’s just over two years since British voters took to the polls and gave the government the green light to leave the European Union, and since then all things Brexit have dominated the news.

The trouble is, even as Article 50 deadline day approaches – the UK is scheduled to the leave the EU on March 29, 2019 – we’re still no clearer on what Brexit will mean for consumers, householders, businesses, or anyone really, as those in favour (Brexiteers) and those against (Remainers) leaving the EU continue to point fingers and point out that neither knows what they’re talking about. None of which is doing the EU negotiations, or public confidence any good.

And it now looks like the government is going back to a pre-referendum ‘promise’ to get the public back on side.

News Small business

British businesses may have been dealt another huge Brexit blow with the news that the European Commission (EC) is advising businesses within the European Union (EU) to steer clear of using UK-made parts and components, because of a government decision to leave customs union.

Is this the EU looking to punish the UK? Or another legitimate problem that Brexiteers didn’t see coming or put down to scaremongering from Remainers*?

Around the world News Small business

The summer heatwave looks like it’s here to stay, and one would assume this has to be good for productivity – the longer, brighter, warmer days should make even the most chronic couch potato want to get up and out into the world.

But, in the world of work, this can bring its own problems – yes, everyone wants to get out of the house when the weather is good, but they don’t necessarily want to go and then spend a day locked away in the office instead. And so the summer sick note becomes a thing, when the number of staff turning in for work seems drop in direct correlation with the rise in temperature.

If this sounds like your workplace, your business is far from alone, as research commissioned by PMI Health Group, has found a third of businesses recorded an increase in the number of staff calling in sick as the summer heatwave gripped the UK.

And of those companies questioned as part of the study, over half (54%) reported that they do not operate flexible working hours that staff can take advantage of at short notice.

So, could these companies benefit from introducing more accessible working from home policies or would that mean they’re being dictated to by employees who are all to quick to call in sick.

Flexible working Guides & How-Tos Infographics

GDPR – the new EU legislation on data protection – has been a bit of a nightmare for many businesses across the UK and beyond. There will have been great costs incurred by those businesses who have had to contact everyone on their database to try and convince them they can continue to use their data. And there may be an even higher price to pay for those businesses that have had to thoroughly wash their archived data, losing a significant amount of leads in the process.

But there’s also a concern that the new rules make catching hackers even more challenging.

News Technology

It’s just over three weeks until the World Cup kicks off in Russia – the hosts take on Saudi Arabia on Thursday, June 14 in the first Group A match – so this edition of everything you need to know is coming at you like a Cossack dance in a Russia World Cup Special.

And if you want to keep in touch with friends, colleagues, clients or fellow football fans forth duration of the tournament, you can use ConferenceCall.co.uk to speak to up to 100 other people simultaneously, using the local rate Russian dial-in number 499-7043569. If you’ve other business interests out in Russia, check out Exporting to Russia – everything you need to know.

Now read on for all you need to know about the upcoming World Cup, as well as some handy trivia from previous tournaments.

Around the world Conference calling News

Spain is home to about 47 million people, around one million of which are British nationals, making it on of the biggest consumer markets in the EU, and a great opportunity for any British businesses looking to widen their net.

The country also has a growing economy, with householders experiencing an increased household disposable income after recent tax reform and record employment growth. This healthy outlook has led to the return of foreign investment – if you want to be part of it, here’s everything you need to know about exporting to Spain.

Around the world Guides & How-Tos Small business

Remember the old days of office work?

A 9 am-sharp start, trapped in a sectioned off workstation for the best part of day – save for the odd five minute conversation with colleagues here and there – before finally clocking off at 5pm.

Eight hours of mindless grind.

It’s not like that these days though, not only are people working from home on a more regular basis, they’re also sharing their work space with entirely different businesses.

So could co-working be an option for you and your business?

Flexible working Small business

Social media has been around for the best part of 40 years – Usenet appeared in 1979 and is the first recorded network that enabled users to post news to newsgroups.

Although these Usenets and similar bulletin boards heralded the launch of the first, albeit very rudimentary, social networks, social media never really took off until almost 30 years later, following the roll out of Facebook in 2006.

So, what exactly is the state of social media in 2018?

Infographics Inspiration Technology

Apple is facing accusations that it has been ripping customers off by deliberately slowing devices down and charging customers artificially high repair costs as part of a battery replacement service.

News Technology

You’re going to be hearing a lot about GDPR over the coming weeks, as the European Union’s new data protection legislation takes effect in just over a month’s time, on May 25.

And it looks like it;s going to be a timely piece of legislation, giving the ongoing controversy surrounding Facebook’s use of data, which has seen the social networks CEO answering some tricky questions in front of the US congress.

There’s one tech giant that seems unfazed by the new rules though…

News Technology