Are you looking for free support, ideas and a team to talk to that will help your business through the pandemic, Brexit and beyond?
Staffordshire Business School is now delivering free training in leadership and management to help you and your business exactly when you need it most.
When does the course start?
We have two starting dates either:
Tue 12th January 2021 starting at 3pm
Wed 13th January 2021 starting at 3pm
If you would like to have a chat about the course then please email one of our experienced Entrepreneurs in Residence with your phone number and they will call you back,
Why choose the Small Business Leadership Programme?
Make your business more resilient
Boost business performance and growth
Create an innovative and agile organisation
Recover from the impact of COVID-19
Build leadership confidence and effectiveness
Plan for the future of your business
Build lasting relationships with small business leaders
Improve risk management and efficiency
Eligibility requirements
To join the Small Business Leadership Programme:
Your business must be a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) based in England.
Your business needs to employ between 5 and 249 people and have been operational for at least one year
The participant should be a decision maker or member of the senior management team within the business with at least one person reporting directly to them.
The participant must be able to commit to attending the full programme
Your commitment
The programme is designed to be manageable alongside full-time work. Participants will attend eight 90-minute webinars across ten weeks, and complete up to two hours of independent study and peer-supported learning per week.Places are fully funded by the Government to support the resilience, recovery and growth of SMEs during and after COVID-19. The programme is free to attend, and places are limited.
Register Now
There
are two ways to register. Either email one of the Entrepreneurs in Residence as
listed above or follow the simple instructions below (this takes 3 minutes)
and we will be in touch:
Choose either North West (for 13th January start) OR
West Midlands (for 12th January start) from the pink vertical menu on the left.
Scroll through the list of centres until you find Staffordshire University and the date you prefer & click register. There are some screen grabs in the document below if you need them
Paul Walters, Lecturer, Staffordshire Business School
The event sector which includes hospitality and tourism, has seen a significant decline in commercial activity, since March 2020 and as we come to the close for the year 2020. Many small to medium size business saw a complete loss of business, this included the festival industry which had somewhere in the region of 7 million visitors attending festivals in the UK each year. It is reported, the UK prior to the COVID restrictions had somewhere in the region of 400 plus festivals throughout the UK each year. Even the largest event provider on the planet ‘Live Nation’ experienced financial difficulty and received $500 million from a Saudi investment fund. Live Nation furloughed 20% of its staff to save $600 million and Live Nation artists were informed by the company to take a pay cut. This was a similar situation and mirrored in most cases across the Event Sector.
Companies
within the sector that had Interruption Insurance, attempted to make a claim
because of the Government shut down. The sector will fully understand
what is meant by ‘interruption Insurance’. As some insurance companies
decided to decline claims on ‘Interruption Insurance. Insurance companies
argued that many claims did not specify or have insurance for the specific type
of interruption. However, there was some light at the end of the tunnel,
a High Court ruling on the 15th September 2020 which represented
370,000 policy holders who are some way clearer to an answer and pay out under
their interruption insurance claim. So, what do we learn from this, it is
not just necessary to have interruption insurance but also specify the type of
interruption be that Government shut down, a pandemic and what type of virus,
be that SARS, Zika or any other known type.
Some event companies within the sector made an early attempt to re-engage with their consumers through a different medium. Those that made the immediate change rather than cancel maintained a presence in the commercial marketplace and some saw a significant increase in revenue.
If you haven’t heard of Tomorrowland outdoor music festival, let me refocus your attention. This is a festival that takes place in Belgium and has a 15 year history. In 2019 Tomorrowland had 250,000 attendees at the festival site. When the pandemic hit the global economy, Tomorrowland didn’t cancel or postpone, they created over a period of three months an online virtual festival. Two million people registered for a ticket and 400,000 people received an invite. Some commentators say the industry in the main wasn’t quick to respond to the change to the environment, thus providing a short-term alternative solution for their customers.
In the North East of England, we saw the first licensed outdoor music event that ran for a period of 6 weeks. With a maximum capacity of attendees each day of 2500, contained in their own Covid secure zones, a maximum of six per zone. The event was sponsored by Virgin money as title sponsor. For the event to have a return on investment, a schedule of live performances over six weeks was the only solution.
So, the
question on everyone’s lips, will the event industry recover and what will it
look like in 2021 going forwards.
There is no guarantee for this virus to completely dissipate from society even with a vaccine and we as a nation may experience another rise in transmission during 2021 and possible government shutdowns. The events industry must be flexible and ready to respond to the change in the environment to maintain some financial stability and continued growth. Alternative methods for delivering events should be considered and factored into the planning process with a viable contingency if immediate change is required.
The pandemic has illustrated how important a good website, good ecomerce offer and good social media are to business. Those that already had these established have been able to keep taking orders and in many cases to pivot their business.
To get our Masters students ready for the industry we have two modules:
‘The Management of a Digital Marketing Project’ – this module will prepare a tri-partite agreement between the student, the academic staff and the organisation as to the focus of the project, existing benchmark measures, what is to be achieved and how to make the project sustainable (so that it can continue after the student leaves). This is carried out between January to March/April
The Work Based Digital Marketing Project – a credit work experience (450 hours) to deliver the project with the organisation concerned. (April to August)
The project can be in any type of organisation e.g. private sector, public sector, charity or a university. It is essential for the work project activity to take place at the premises – many of the projects have been remotely delivered due to COVID.
We have built in flexibility to the work-placement so it could be that you would like a portfolio of tasks to be completed rather than just one main project. Examples could be – creation of a digital marketing strategy, audit and re-launch of social media, budget and investment plan for marketing, devising and implementing a training plan for existing staff.
Below are some of the current students – either reach out to them directly or contact jon.fairburn@staffs.ac.uk
Jessica Bell
Jessica Bell – Ideally, I would like a placement within events or tourism, but I’m very flexible and I am open to offers.
I recently completed my bachelors degree in Tourism Management, in which I obtained a First Class honours. I am now studying a masters degree in Digital Marketing.
I am extremely enthusiastic about travelling and understanding different cultures around the world. I decided to take an internship during my gap year where I worked in a prestige country club in South Florida for 7 months and later I worked in a country club in Connecticut for the remaining 5 months. After I completed my degree my manager in Connecticut asked me to go back to work for them for another year in 2019. During my time in America I worked in the front of house as a bartender and server, I worked events, worked on the reception and worked in the office helping to plan events and create content for the clubs website. Aside from working in America, I also have voluntary experience working for the Stone Food and Drink Festival 2018, as well as becoming a student representative for my course.
During my time at university I worked with a number of different softwares including SPSS, Excel, PowerPoint and I also obtained a Microsoft Office Specialist for Word in 2019. I also have experience working with small social media advertising campaigns to build a brand image.
Overall I am strong team player, I have good work ethics and
I’m a fast learner that can work independently as well as in a team if needed.
Ideally, I would like a placement within events or tourism, but I’m very
flexible and I am open to offers.
I have recently graduated with a 2:1 in BA (Hons.) Event Management. Previous to that I completed a National Vocational Qualification level 3 in Hospitality supervisor and leadership at Cardiff.
I am currently working as a team member at Staffordshire University Student Union bar. For my volunteer work, I had experience working with Channel 4 and at the Stone Food and Drink Festival.
Before this, I helped out at events that were hosted by the college which includes the chef forum and local MP conference, and at a hospitality competition. The skills that I have are customer service, good at solving problems, have a positive attutude to everything I do, good communication both written and oral, time-management, reliable, and confident talking to new people. I also have computer skills that include Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and confident in using social media. Additionally, I am opened minded and can adapt to new environments as well as willing to learn new things.
In 2018 I graduated with a BSc (Hons) degree in Computer Science at Keele University. Whilst undertaking my degree, I worked as an IT Intern for a houseware distribution company. After graduation, I started working as a Junior Graphic Designer for Dee Set, a company that focuses on driving growth, market share and ROI to a large range of clients, such as ASDA, Tesco and Wilkinsons. I then quickly progressed into a more senior Graphic Designer role within a Digital Marketing company, BWAR Ltd. I opened my own Digital Marketing business ‘Yello Dog’ in December 2019. To assist me with running my business and further my knowledge and experience of Digital Marketing, I decided to apply for a MSc Digital Marketing Management Degree at Staffordshire University.
My work experience and qualifications have provided me with an extensive and broad skillset. My Computer Science degree has enabled me to understand the technicalities associated with building websites, computer software and assist with many digital trends of today. My role as a Graphic Designer has provided me with an understanding of brand identity, digital marketing and social media. Owning my own business has given me the opportunity to obtain and work with my own clients, identify ways of marketing my own business and manage my own projects and deadlines.
I have graduated with 1st class BSc (Hons) Computer Science and 1st class MBA (Post-grad) degree in HRM and marketing specializations. Due to my keen interest and evolving technologies in Digital marketing and its immediate growth in a new dimension, I am pursuing my 2nd Master in digital marketing management with Staffordshire University.
I have gained eight years of corporate experience internationally with leading IT companies from leading markets such as Asia (India), Middle East (Dubai) and Europe (UK ) with wide range of expertise in the field of business technologies management, solutions automation (such as ERP/CRM/ED-Tech/E-learning solutions), SAAS model implementation, digital marketing management & content creation, performance analysis, brand management, SEO and corporate website management including email & online marketing, PR & CSR activities promotion and media management etc.
I am currently looking for a project with a reputed organisation that challenges me with my expertise & skills to excel in my career and helps me to gain further experience in digital marketing & management. Moreover, being multilinguistic I am always a great team player and I want to help organizations to grow in the new dimensions of digital marketing and experience its potential. Ideally, I would like a placement within IT sector, but would not mind if it’s an exceptional offer from other fields. Contact information – Sruthy AB | LinkedIn /Email Sruthyab@gmail.com
Sandra Decowska
Sandra Decowska – bilingual in English and Polish
I have graduated with a BA (Hons) in Tourism Management at Staffordshire University with Upper Second (2:1) and I am now studying an MSc in Digital Marketing Management.
Bi-lingual – fluent in both Polish and English.
Recently, I have experience working as a Planning Distributor at TK Maxx
Newcastle-under-Lyme. In this role I am working closely with the planning and distribution team. This
role is office based within a very busy, fast-paced environment.
This has taught me a lot of transferable skills such as computing skills,
implementation new team strategies, efficiently manage the office duties,
dealing with administration, customers and suppliers.
My ideal placement if possible would be within the events, tourism or
hospitality industry. However, I am willing to try anything new that may
broaden my knowledge and skills.
I
have recently graduated with a BA (Hons) in Business
Management. Having grown up in a small family business which sold food and
beverages, I have been able to gain insider knowledge of how to run a business
successfully. When studying Business Management at university I successfully
created a business from scratch working within a small team.
I have previously worked as a Healthcare Assistant and much recently as a Call Handler at an urgent care centre. By working in these positions, I have learned to become a more compassionate person, as I show more kindness and empathy towards other people in my daily life.
I have a passion for Digital Marketing that is why I am pursuing a master’s degree in Digital Marketing Management. The master’s course has taught me how digital marketing strategies can be applied to a business and given me extensive knowledge on different marketing tools. For the last year I have been running a blog on Instagram and WordPress. This experience has made me efficient in creating content that connects with diverse audiences and have gained solid understanding of different media platforms.
I am
a highly creative individual on the other hand I am extremely analytical, what separates
me from a lot of people is my enormous desire to learn. I am looking for a
placement in an organisation that will help me gain further experience and
knowledge in Digital Marketing.
If you would like to
contact me, email me at : tembo.aj@outlook.com
If you wish to take a look at my blog, you can find It on Instagram: arnoldwrites_blog or if you want to take a look at my blog on WordPress: ARNOLD WRITES – BLOG (wordpress.com)
Niamh Beer
Niamh Beer – runs her own Etsy shop
I have a BA (Hons) English Literature (2-year fast track) where for my placement I worked with my own small Etsy Business and focused on the importance of Social Media in the online marketplace. Creating my Etsy shop enabled me to learn about SEO as well as the use of their marketing services as well as those which are provided by different social media platforms.
My interest in the sector is within social media as I feel like I understand it well and have been a user for more than a decade. I have used my knowledge of Social Media to run a Twitter account for a small business a family member was starting and help with brand building. This was great experience for me as I was able to learn what went well and what could be improved on. I currently am applying the skills I am learning in my Digital Marketing Management MSc to my own Etsy shop which has seen great improvement. I am experienced in using analytics as well as identifying different demographics, I also have the ability to create Marketing Communications Plans and Global Digital Marketing strategies.
I am a quick learner and am always enthused to learn more in order to further my career. I am looking for a placement which can enable me to enhance my skills and can challenge me. Email me b010250h@student.staffs.ac.uk
Jack Dutton
Jack Dutton experienced in film and video
I currently have a BA Experimental Film Production (First class). My experience ranges from volunteer to paid work, as well for my own interest. My main skills lie in social media and videography, which I have an extensive knowledge of. I have a range of experience creating content whether it is for business or different groups. Primarily this is promotional materials, such as logos, business cards, and videos such as trailers or adverts.
I have a keen interest in Digital Marketing, specifically around content curation and social media management. I am currently undertaking an MSc in Digital Marketing Management. Before starting my course, I have worked with Staffordshire University to introduce prospective students to camera equipment and walkthrough the film courses at the university. In addition, I have worked with Stoke Council to go into schools to deliver presentations around anti-smoking, and then work with groups of students to produce these anti-smoking messages into short films. I also currently hold an FLT licence which I gained whilst working at B&Q .
At present I am looking for a project or work placement that helps
me further my experience in digital marketing, in order to develop my skills
and pursue a career in the future within the industry.
I have recently completed my BSc (Hons) Sound Design in which I obtained a 2:1, this focussed on sound for visual media. I strengthened my skills in digital media, including sound for film, TV and games using tools such as Logic Pro X (Certified Pro), Pro tools ultimate and Adobe Audition and Premiere. I comprehensively studied music production and technology including use of industry standard hardware. Within this time I also improved my skills using Adobe Photoshop and completed my certification as an associate in visual design. I also obtained experience within Microsoft Office, namely Word, PowerPoint and Excel. I also have a lot of experience with virtual meeting rooms such as Microsoft teams.
Within my pursuit of an MSc in Digital Marketing Management
I have gained skills and knowledge of content marketing, marketing strategy and
planning, SEO, email marketing and social media marketing. I would love to
further my experience in all of these aspects of digital marketing specifically
SEM gaining hands on experience with PPC and other digital marketing tools.
I have recently been successful acquiring a digital
marketing role within a B2B company in which I can further my knowledge and
experience in social media, content curation/creation, SEO, website management,
visual design and analytics. Within this role I am gaining experience with
tools such as Zoho, WordPress and Google analytics.
My experience mostly consists of customer facing roles, this
includes seasons abroad with PGL Travel in Spain and France, Customer team
member at Coop (ongoing) as well Student Ambassador for Staffordshire
University advocating the university on open days as well as with the Unibuddy
chat service (ongoing).
Fast forward to the coronavirus crisis, whose humanitarian and human-livelihood costs are still rising, even as it also reveals supply-chain vulnerabilities that many small and medium businesses didn’t realize they had. As a result, building flexibility and resilience in operations has gone from one priority among many to business-critical. In this context, organisations need a new approach to manage supply-chain risk and build resiliency.
In the short term, the concern has focused on the shortages of critical goods or services. In the long term many anticipate a renewed focus on better quantifying risks, with a mindset similar to buying insurance—by using probabilistic approaches, such as discrete-event simulation, and by redesigning business cases to include potential losses from a lack of resiliency measures. These responses represent a shift in business strategy, with companies showing more willingness to weigh the benefits of investments to navigate future risks against the potential fallout from failing to do so.
The current situations shows that there is need to a much deeper view of the supply-chain vulnerability and exposure to create effective mitigation and business-continuity plans.
Thus, there is a need to work more closely with suppliers to build more transparency through collaboration. However, collaboration is often viewed as a fraught territory, with supplier networks viewed as proprietary, and to create a more cooperative working environment can involve or require a deep change of mind-set. There is no need to disclose every detail to their suppliers, but to effectively perform network planning consider:
transparency of inventory levels,
capacity,
and flexibility
these can give a lens into potential bottleneck issues. The research suggests organisations should begin to tackle issues in a structured way, cataloguing and addressing known risks while improving the organisation’s resilience for the inevitable unknown risks that can become a problem in the future.
Supply-chain resilience requires a risk-aware culture to help an organisation
establish and maintain strong defensive layers against unknown risks, as well
as respond more quickly in the event of a severe crisis or operational threat.
As COVID19 brought to light vulnerabilities in companies supply chains,
building resiliency is not only a matter of awareness, but of setting an intent
across the organisation, clearly communicating to the entire workforce, and
taking tangible action to address the immediate and long-term risks.
Risk mitigation often has an associated incremental cost, and so it is important to align on which risks need to be mitigated and which can be borne by the organisation.
Supply chain and risk are just some of the topics we are covering on a free course – the Small business Leadership Programme – sign up now.
The Small Business Leadership Programme is provided by Staffordshire Business School and is fully funded (free). Participants will develop strategic leadership skills and the confidence to boost business performance.
The course lasts ten weeks and the next two cohort start dates are
‘’Supply
chain resilience: the whole is not the sum of the parts’’, (2019), M. Martins se Sa; P. Laczynska de Souza
Miguel . www.emeraldinsight.com/0144-3577.htm
by Vanessa Oakes, Course Director at Staffordshire Business School
Vanessa also delivers on the Small Business Leadership Programme
Leadership theory identifies a vast range of styles and behaviours to emulate and develop, most with their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. This blog identifies three of the most useful behaviours to help you and your business survive and thrive, through the pandemic and beyond:
Leadership behaviour that develops resilience – Ensuring continued business success means that you and your staff will require a level of resilience in the face of significant change.
Resilience means more than just bouncing back to what was once ‘normal’, it requires fostering an atmosphere of support for those who are struggling to cope, talking with staff about the changes they are facing now and those that will come and encouraging an atmosphere of adaptation and innovation so that staff feel a part of the changes around them. Most importantly, developing resilience is not just about how you weather the storm but how you harness it to improve your business for the future. For free webinars on developing resilience in yourself and your team, visit here
Leadership behaviour that exhibits trust – As organisations move towards more flexible forms of work in order to get the job done, resist the temptation to implement strict monitors and controls around new ways of working that communicate to your staff that they are no longer trusted to do their jobs well. During lockdown, your most valuable assets have found a way to work for you, in the face of childcare, caring or other personal hardships. Now is the time to communicate that you still trust them. If you feel you need to keep up to date with what they are doing, ask them for regular updates via email or virtually. If you feel that you need metrics for your own peace of mind, consider how you identify and develop them, and try to do it as openly as possible. Read more here
Leadership behaviour that builds loyalty – Once the impact of the pandemic lessens and a level of normality starts to return, labour markets will open as recruitment starts to rise once again. Staff will have more choice over where they work and how they work. Do you want to retain the staff that have seen your business through this crisis? Then it’s important to start thinking about how you will retain them over the next 2-4 years. This ManpowerGroup Webinar (on demand) identifies several recruitment and retention priorities to focus on as your business begins to re-focus
Contrary to the beliefs of the layman, Leadership is not a dark art or a skill that only certain individuals are born with. It is something that, once recognised, can be developed, honed and put to good use to improve organisational performance without the need for new products, new services or restructures. Effective leadership harnesses your organisations greatest asset, it’s people, and allows them to flourish for the benefit of the organisation.
If you would like more free training in this area then have a look at the Small Business Leadership Programme
The Small Business Leadership
Programme is provided by Staffordshire Business School and is fully funded
(free). Participants will develop strategic leadership skills and the confidence
to boost business performance.
The course lasts ten weeks
and the next two cohort start dates are
Angela Lawrence, Associate Dean, Staffordshire Business School
2020 celebrates a decade since the arrival of the term Black Friday – traditionally the day after Thanksgiving in America, it came into existence to encourage people to take advantage of an annual holiday to spend some money and get a good deal. This year more than ever the thought of Black Friday disturbs me. It’s another tradition that seems to be driven by consumerism and globalisation – some media even have a Black Friday channel so that you can snatch up the deals as soon as they are available. This year, I find it particularly difficult to observe the way in which consumerism is pervading every aspect of our lives, at a time when for so many finances are incredibly challenged.
The deals have already started and as if Black Friday wasn’t enough, it’s swiftly followed by Cyber Monday. As a marketer I totally get it, but that just doesn’t make it right and quite frankly I struggle with it this year of all years. Don’t get me wrong, we all need to spend where we can to bring the wheels of our economy back to life, but this is about making sound choices about how to spend your hard-earned money. So, to make me feel better if nothing else, I want to ask you to stop and think before you spend your money on Black Friday deals.
These are the five things I want you to consider:
1 – Is there a chance that you are going to buy something you had no intention of purchasing, something that you really don’t need, simply because it looks like such a good deal? Let’s face it, from the minute you wake on Black Friday you’ll be inundated with marketing messages on emails, SMS, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram…and you’ll see deals that you think are irresistible. Ask yourself the question – would I have gone out with the intent to buy it had it not been cleverly marketed to me?
2 – Your local small and medium sized businesses are also crying out for trade but may not have the same way of reaching you with clever marketing messages. Take a moment to consider whether you could buy the same or similar deal from a local business, to keep our SME’s afloat too.
3 – When we come out of lockdown and shops are open again, your Christmas shopping trip might also include a cup of coffee from the pop up stall run by a small business, a taxi ride from the station to the shops, a bite to eat before you head home . These small businesses and services need our trade too – don’t restrict yourself to buying online from the big retailers who arguably have deeper pockets to dig into to weather the storm. Equally, don’t deny yourself the Christmas shopping experience if that’s something you enjoy as part of the build up to the festive season.
4 – Do you need it? Do you really need it? In a world full of discarded products, where will it end up? Can it become part of a circular economy or is it a linear purchase that will end up polluting our environment once it’s use is over?
5 – Finally, can you replace this Black Friday purchase decision with something much more meaningful? UNICEF are asking us to do Black Friday with a difference, our local hospices are asking for help, there are foodbanks in desperate need of donations – which use of your hard-earned money will make you feel better in the long run?
Whichever way you choose to spend your money one thing’s for sure – there will be something else to tempt you no sooner than your hand is out of your wallet. Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be followed by Boxing Day sales and New Year sales, then before you know it we’ll have Easter Eggs on the shelves!
Dr Syed Zaidi, Lecturer, Staffordshire Business School
Fintech (Financial Technology) refers to any business
that adopts technology to make financial services better, safe and more
efficient. Fintech companies blend technologies like artificial intelligence,
blockchain and data management to financial processes to make them secure and
effective.
Fintech was no doubt the topic of agenda for
businesses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but has garnered more importance due
to this random economic event. This pandemic has forced businesses to think
differently and it is anticipated that Fintech will play a positive role in
reshaping the businesses. The adoption of digital and contactless payments
globally has increased and will likely provide stimulus to banking sector to
upgrade their conventional systems and move towards digitally efficient
processes.
This pandemic has forced businesses to think
differently and it is anticipated that Fintech will play a positive role in
reshaping the businesses. The adoption of digital and contactless payments
globally has increased and will likely provide stimulus to banking sector to
upgrade their conventional systems and move towards digitally efficient
processes.
A report by FleishmanHillard discusses the progress of financial technology (fintech) in 2020 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. E-commerce transactions in the US have increased by 43% since the start of this year. The UK saw a 30% increase in e-commerce transactions, and Australia reported a 117% increase. Businesses and consumers wanted a safer and more secure environment, which has pushed businesses towards cashless and contactless payments. Fintech is predicted to remain profitable and provide safer opportunities for SMEs. It is evident that corporations should focus on cloud-based approaches to managing their businesses in order to provide safer services online.
Blockchain
The fintech sector is renowned for developing
digital solutions and streamlining payment processing for business. One
technology that has revolutionised the banking system is blockchain.
Blockchain is a system that records information in a manner that
makes it difficult or nearly impossible to hack or alter the system. It is
basically a digital record of transactions that is replicated and distributed
to the entire database on the blockchain. The banking sector around the globe
is exploring the potential for adopting blockchain technology for payment
systems.
Adoption
Business leaders realise that digital
advancement can give their business an edge over competitors. Innovators and
early adopters always have an advantage, so companies are rapidly moving
towards digitalisation. As mentioned earlier, the current crisis has also
expedited this process. As the global economy prepares to recover from this
pandemic, one area of focus for businesses will be financial inclusion.
According to the World Bank, there are still around 1.7 billion individuals
worldwide who do not use banking systems. Fintech will be a significant factor
in efforts to expand the global banking system.
The recovery of the economy is dependent on
how well businesses provide safe, secure and simple financial services. Fintech
will play a crucial role in mitigating the economic and social impact post
Covid-19. Deloitte reported that fintech, along with strategic partnerships with
retailers, government sectors and financial institutions, can provide financial
services in transparent and impartial ways to economically exposed populations
Cashless Transactions
We have witnessed the effective use of fintech and digital finance during this health crisis. Cashless transactions and contactless payments have proven successful in minimising the spread of Covid-19. Various banks and financial institutions introduced discounts and encouraged the use of technologies like Apple Pay and Android Pay to discourage the exchange of physical cash. Although the use of cash had already been declining, this health emergency has increased cashless transactions. According to a Mastercard survey, 82% of global respondents regarded contactless transactions as safer, cleaner and more secure. Seventy-four per cent of respondents stated they would continue to use contactless payments even after the crisis is over. Contactless payments are also popular as individuals appreciate the convenience of not having to carry cash.
Cybersecurity
Data protection and cybersecurity will become
more important as a result of the digital transformation. Financial technology
offers high-quality cybersecurity and plays a vital role in countering digital
fraud. The need for more holistic approach by businesses to deliver effective,
sustainable and efficient financial services will make fintech more popular
post-pandemic.
Angela Lawrence, Associate Dean, Staffordshire Business School
I’ve learnt a lot this year – I’ve learnt never to throw away an eggshell, that there is a use for the cardboard middle of toilet rolls and that people chuck out a lot of stuff that you can make good use of. I’ve discovered that the circular economy as a concept can infiltrate many aspects of our lives and that we can all incorporate it into our daily routines.
A back-garden grower for most of my life, each Spring I have filled every pot, hanging basket and raised bed available with potatoes, tomatoes, courgettes, onions and strawberries. For me, there are few things more satisfying than nurturing and growing something from seed to plate, but this year I went a step further. I think it is fair to say that getting an allotment 6 months ago has been quite life changing.
Nothing is impossible
At first sight I did wonder what we were letting ourselves in for, as we surveyed 250m2 of overgrown wasteland. The best we could expect was to clear the land, create some semblance of order and some defined beds, then feed and prepare the soil to grow our vegetables next year. Lockdown changed all of that – two week’s holidays in Europe turned into two weeks of back-breaking graft, weekends with friends turned into weekends with the birds and the bees. We weeded, dug, strimmed, fertilised, and weeded and dug some more. Bit by bit the allotment began to take shape and, there was time to do some planting. Before too long we were looking at defined beds containing all the fruit and veg you could wish for. The freezer picked up at a local auction room for £20 has never worked harder – we’ve harvested, washed, peeled, blanched and frozen to fill our plates with delicious home grown produce right through until the Spring.
Pace yourself
There was a four-week period during the Summer when we picked a lettuce every day – I’m pretty sure we ate lettuce for breakfast, lunch and dinner and we were still giving lettuces away to every neighbour or family member we happened to see. Don’t get me wrong, the lettuces were delicious, but I had made the mistake of sowing all the seeds at the same time so, as a result, the lettuces were all ready to eat at the same time. Therein lies an important lesson – plan and pace yourself to reap the rewards.
This filters through to our working lives as well. As an academic I liken it to research and writing – planning when I will do my research, when I will write and outlining targets to achieve delivers the best results for me. Breaks are also planned in, to ensure that I am fresh and focused as I sit down. This year a wander down to the allotment has definitely given me some headspace.
You can’t do it all
Fighting the horsetail weed, the dread of many an allotment gardener, has taught me that I just can’t win every battle. It’s impossible to be there every time another weed pops up through the soil to rip it out, so I just have to set myself a target of one bed at a time to tackle and clear the weed. Similarly, looking at your “To Do” list at work can be quite frightening, but acknowledging that it’s not possible to get it all done and identifying the priorities to work on goes a long way towards making steady but sure progress.
Make do and mend
There are very few things that we’ve actually paid money for at the allotment. We’ve been given everything from seedlings to seats, plant pots to power tools. We ordered a couple of second hand allotment books online and have learnt that baked and crushed eggshells are an excellent slug deterrent, the cardboard centre of a toilet roll cut in half makes a couple of great plugs to grow your seeds in and plastic bottles as a cane cover can save you from poking your eye out whilst digging away! We’ve helped friends to dig up their drive in preparation for a new one, so that we can make use of the old paving slabs for a hard standing next to the polytunnel. We’ve volunteered to do the tip run with friends as they’ve cleared their gardens so that we can make use of the old bench that they were going to throw away and we’ve swapped seedlings that we have grown in excess in exchange for those that we never got round to sowing.
Of course, this is the way that people used to do business – bartering and exchanging goods and services. The very earliest economies worked in exactly this way. For me, this extends to the way in which I work with colleagues across the university and employers that I engage with – work with me on this project and I’ll work with you on that one. Sharing ways of thinking and bringing new ideas to the table can only be a good thing and ultimately everyone benefits.t
Time to rest
The sun has set on the busiest time of year at the allotment now. We’ve dug the beds, topped with cardboard and manure and then covered over for the winter so that the worms can do their work. There are little projects for dry weekends, such as replacing the composting frame and building a new cloche, but all-in-all things have slowed down and we’re expecting a few months of rest before starting over again in the Spring.
I really like the new Insights feature in Microsoft Outlook that tells me it’s time to rest and re-think my working patterns too. Sometimes you don’t realise the bad habits you’ve created until someone or something points it out to you. Just like the soil, my body and mind need to rest and refresh and I’ll be using this tool to monitor my work patterns more closely in the coming dark winter months.
Like my vegetable beds I’m fed and watered now and ready for a good night’s rest before work tomorrow. Goodnight all!
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We
have all probably heard the term “the Internet of Things” (or “IoT”). This
term refers to the interconnectivity of objects or “things” resulting in new
data sources. Wearables, smart homes, smart cars, and smart cities are a few
examples of applications that provide products to consumers but in return they
also provide valuable data to companies that provide the products &
services to customers.
The Internet of Behaviours (IoB) is a technology that captures and use data“digital dusts”of people’s daily lives (Gartner, 2020) from IoT devices that focuses on individuals that can provide insights into consumer behaviours, interests, and preferences. IoB also provides companies with the ability to direct its marketing efforts towards specific consumers.
For example, a fitness wearable can track how many steps you do in a day and what time of day you are more active. This can be linked to your smart alarm clock, your TikTok account, your device location tracking application, your in-home voice assistant (such as, Amazon Alexa or Google Home), your house camera, your digital shopping list, and maybe even your smart refrigerator. That is a lot of invaluable information that can be collected about a consumer; everything from whether this consumer is a morning person to whether they have an online shopping addiction or a chocolate addiction can be inferred from collected information.
IoB
also has implications for the public sector. Think of the amount of health
surveillance and monitoring that is occurring because of COVID-19. Your smart
phone’s (remove “location”) Test & Trace App can assist the health care
system with its contact tracing capabilities. Imagine that this test and trace
App could be linked to your smart car in order to discover where else you might
have gone to last Friday night (pub, church, grocery store, classes, etc.) or
the App could be linked to your fitness wearable. What if a surveillance tool
could track whether you were washing your hands properly or whether you were
wearing a mask. Imagine also who would have access to this information?
IoB
has been identified as a strategic technology trend for 2021 (Gartner, 2020),
and by 2023, 40 percent of people worldwide will likely be having their
individual activities tracked digitally (www.bmc.com).
One
of the objectives of these types of data mining/collection is to try to
influence an individual’s behaviour in some way, that is, to either
specifically market a product to them and/or to protect against problematic
behaviour.
What
prevents the onslaught of immense personal data collection from these
technology sources? Privacy and information security laws are notoriously slow
to catch up with technical innovations and rely on proper consent to be
obtained from individuals using devices that collect their personal
information. Security of information will be paramount to ensure trust being
received from individuals and companies and/or the public sector. Like anything
else, however, if the resulting behaviour provides a clear benefit to
individuals and provides the information the company or public sector desires,
then the IoB is here to stay.
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