news
A million SMEs in need of Covid support after being overlooked throughout the pandemic
I
n a report by The Federation of Small Businesses, it has been found that
a million SMEs and sole traders have been overlooked in terms of Covid emergency support and are now in urgent need of help, with one in five reported to have received no financial support from the government since the onset of the pandemic. According to Luke Davis, CEO of IW Capital, scale up finance was key prior to the pandemic, and now it is of critical importance for recovering businesses.
“More practical support needs to be offered to small businesses, too many have been overlooked and we are now seeing the shortcomings of the government’s Covid relief strategy. What we need to see happen in March, is the Enterprise Investment Scheme advanced to include the hospitality sector, which will help raise money into the businesses that need it. “UK businesses have shown true resilience throughout the pandemic and we have even seen the emergence of new start-ups, which is sure to create some exciting investment opportunities and will play a key role in the nation’s recovery.
“The SME community make up 99.9% of private sector businesses, and so supporting them to ensure their financial growth, is of the utmost importance to the overall health of the UK economy. Small firms already employ over 16 million people in the UK, and pre-pandemic, this sector was growing at a faster rate than the overall job market. A return to this would provide a welcome boost.”
Haier launches brand activation centre at Warrington HQ
H
aier, the number one global brand for major appliances, has created a
state-of-the-art brand activation centre within new premises at its Warrington headquarters in Cheshire. This facility will allow the firm to showcase all
three of its UK brands – Hoover, Candy and Haier - and is a further reinforcement to the Group’s commitment to and investment in Warrington and the North West of England. Located directly opposite its office at
Birchwood Park, the facility spans 672 sqm (7,234 sq ft) and comprises several zones, providing separate showroom areas for each brand, a chef’s theatre for cooking demonstrations, a meeting centre including an auditorium, four meeting rooms and ample breakout space and relaxation space. Each of the showrooms are tastefully styled
to demonstrate USPs of the Haier, Hoover and Candy brands and house more than 140 models from the group’s expansive product portfolio across cooking, cooling, laundry, dishwashing, floorcare and air purification. The purpose-built facility also includes
a reception area, highlighting the group’s IoT (Internet of Things) capabilities, latest innovations and demonstrating how each brand’s products integrate and interact with the Red Dot Award-winning hOn smart home app. David Meyerowitz, CEO at Haier UK, said:
“Whilst 2020 was a turbulent year, we are proud to have maintained our position as the #1 global brand for major appliances and to have continued to invest in our infrastructure. “We relocated to Birchwood Park two years ago and are delighted to have expanded our operations in this relatively short period of time, especially against the backdrop of the pandemic. This new infrastructure will help us to serve our business needs more efficiently and effectively in the coming years. “Having a brand activation centre adjacent to our existing offices provides us with a dedicated meeting facility to showcase our triple-brand portfolio and product offerings in a unique and customized way. We also aim to use the space to hold media briefings, host events and create storytelling content for our brands, our products and our people.”
Multi-brand TV manufacturer Vestel brings Twitch to smart TVs across Europe
app collaboration that is set to bring the leading interactive livestreaming service, Twitch to more Smart TVs across Europe. Now available, the app has been rolled out to all Vestel-manufactured Smart TV ranges, including those designed for many top brands, such as JVC, Hitachi, and Techwood. With the app, everyone will be able to browse Twitch channels and watch live streams on any Vestel-manufactured Smart TVs that have been produced from June 2018 onwards. Viewers can look forward to a user-friendly experience, which includes one-click access to the service, thanks to the dedicated Twitch button on the TVs’ remote controls. The Twitch community will find it easy to navigate the app on their TVs, only having to click on the remote controls’ arrow buttons to find content. Those with Twitch accounts will be able to sign in on the TVs, so that they can keep up with the latest live broadcasts from the streamers they follow. “We are extremely proud to be able to launch
M 4 |
www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk
ulti-brand TV manufacturer Vestel has announced the launch of a new
Twitch on our Smart TVs,” said Barış Altınkaya, Deputy General Manager of Marketing and Product Management, Vestel. “With this addition to our app line-up, we can connect everyone at home to an endless library of live entertainment that covers everything from games, sports, and travel to cooking and talk shows. Whatever their interests, thanks to this app collaboration, we can offer viewers more of the content they love, whilst also maximising their Twitch viewing experience with cutting-edge, big-screen TVs.” Sajjad Rehman, Director of Business Development at Twitch said, “Twitch is first and foremost a community which comes together to experience live entertainment, based on their passions and fuelled by interactivity. And there is no more important community than a family. Bringing Twitch into the living room through the Vestel TV’s will make it even easier for even more communities to come together for those never to be repeated moments which take place on Twitch every second.”
February 2021
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