INFORMATION


Burnout affecting the mental health of top performers


The mental health of a fifth of the top performing leaders of UK businesses is affected by corporate burnout, according to a five-year in-depth study into the condition. The organisation behind the


research is urging businesses to review how they monitor their workforce for signs of corporate burnout. “Corporate burnout is as an


addictive, overwhelming exhaustion and a complete inability to function,” explains Dr Howard G Awbery, who carried out the research and is MD of Awbery, a company specialising in delivering high- impact management development programmes and wellbeing strategies. “We are urging businesses to


review how their organisation monitors its workforce for signs of corporate burnout and mental health issues. Employers should promote good mental health practices and provide support for those employees who are struggling with problems such as anxiety. “Corporate burnout is a


unique condition and our research found that 20% of high performing middle and senior leaders are affected by it. A change in corporate cultures to better understand the importance of employee health and wellbeing, will reduce it.”


Small businesses feel the need to be seen


New research from Nottingham-based technology firm Handle places the East Midlands sixth in the UK for its overall digital performance. The research is based on the analysis of 2,000 UK


small businesses across five key areas; website, social media, customer feedback, financial and credit data. The East Midlands came out in the top four for company credit and finance performance but only tenth for website performance. The research highlights room for digital improvement


for all small businesses with most not maximising the opportunity available to reach more potential customers. Handle CEO Olly Betts said: “As a business proud to


be based in the East Midlands, I’m really encouraged to see the level of digital performance for our region but, like the rest of the UK, there remains work for us to do when facing challenges and seizing opportunities.”


THE NEED TO BE SEEN What is clear from the report is that UK small businesses are embracing digital and understand the importance of actively managing their digital profile. However, small businesses struggle to keep pace with the change in customer and supplier behaviour towards an increasingly online decision-making process. Poor online visibility is the top ranked challenge


named by the majority of Handle users. However, time- poor small business owners are often limited to sporadic digital activity that hinders rather than helps overcome this challenge.


SMALL BUSINESS DIGITAL CHALLENGES Not being found online is just one element of the wider challenges facing small businesses. Eighty-nine per cent of small businesses have no social media engagement and more than three-quarters of small business websites aren’t mobile friendly.


ALWAYS BE LENDING-READY With small businesses struggling to open the tap on new business, managing cash flow becomes a constant challenge. In recent years there has been a diminishing appetite from small businesses to take on debt. The unique perspective Handle gives small business owners suggests this lack of appetite or confidence is in part driven by a lack of proactive credit score management. Ninety per cent of small businesses are not lending-


ready. This means if a business needs to pay on account, borrow money for working capital or invest in expanding their business, their access to finance could be limited. Handle’s mission is to bring transparency to small business credit and re-engineer their finances by helping small businesses get finance ready so they can maximise their chance of approval ahead of an application.


If you want to gain more insight into the UK small business digital landscape download Handle’s small business digital insights report for free at blog.gethandle.com/handle-small-business-insight- report/


Ten ways to improve your cyber security


1. Stronger passwords The easiest and most inexpensive way to increase your cyber security is to ensure all employees are using strong passwords.


2. Data encryption Encrypting your company computers and mobile devices protects your data even if your devices are lost or stolen.


Alistair Wesson, East Midlands Managing Partner, Mazars


Cyber security has never been more important to companies across the UK. Information security and data protection in particular are now a central part of any business’s ability to succeed. Mazars, one of Europe’s largest accounting firms, offers ten ways to improve your cyber security.


46 business network June 2017


3. Cyber insurance For extra peace of mind, and protection against the potentially costly consequences of any significant data breach, cyber insurance could be a worthwhile investment.


4. User training and awareness Invest in training your employees to ensure they are aware of best practice when it comes to email management.


5. Updated security technology Investing in robust, up-to-date cybersecurity technology will involve an initial outlay. But the protection it provides will help to secure your business networks and any confidential data you keep that would be of interest to potential cyber criminals.


6. Security audits Take time to regularly assess your company’s security policies and key security controls.


7. Clean desk policy By introducing a ‘clean desk’ policy in the workplace, you stress to your employees the importance of keeping all information confidential.


8. Incident response plan Develop an incident response plan so that you are able to act quickly and effectively should any breach occur.


9. Educated third parties If you share data with third parties, a weakness in their systems could find its way back into your own. Check that your suppliers or partners


are complying with basic security practices.


10. Appoint a dedicated member of staff By employing someone as information security officer, you’ll have the capacity to develop plans on how best to protect your company, as well as oversee the delivery of staff training.


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