Episódios
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Mike Willians Co-Founder & CEO of Flake Bake speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss BAKING THE BIG TIME: PECKHAM BAKERS WIN OVER ALDI BOSSES WITH JAMAICAN FLAKE BAKE PATTIES.
An independent, family run wholesale bakery in Peckham, South London, producing authentic Jamaican patties, has landed a life changing contract with supermarket Aldi. The supermarket will stock its Flake Bake Beef patty (99p, 140g) in stores nationwide from today (10th April).
Flake Bake produces authentic Jamaican patties, filled with a range of flavours including chicken, lamb, saltfish and vegetables – a Jamaican twist on the beloved British Cornish pasty.
Paul Williams, (54) and son Mike (33) of Flake Bake showcased their most popular flavour, Flake Bake Beef patty, as part of Channel 4 series ‘Aldi’s Next Big Thing’, now in its second season. Mike and Paul were picked from hundreds of applicants competing for the coveted contract to stock Aldi stores nationwide.
From dinners and baked goods to party foods and confectionery, each episode sees hopeful suppliers compete for a space on Aldi’s shelves, before Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, decides on a winner which will appear as a Specialbuy in over 1,000 stores.
Impressing the judges with its standout flavour, Mike and Paul’s Flake Bake Beef patty beat five other hopefuls, including the world’s first bowler hat shaped bread, an edible cookie dough range, an award-winning brioche bun and an allergen free gooseberry and elderflower whoopie pie.
Bursting with Caribbean flavours, the Flake Bake patties come with a spicy ground beef filling, wrapped in a flaky pastry crust. Julie was blown away with the taste and flakiness of the pastry, but with no packaging, a production line falling short of Julie’s minimum order and a shelf life of just five days, the father and son duo needed to scale up production and make changes to the recipe, without changing the flavour of the patty, to win the order.
Mike and Paul got to work addressing Julie’s feedback, enlisting the help of a food scientist who suggested the addition of garlic, a natural flavour enhancer that preserves the life of food with its powerful antioxidant properties.
Having successfully doubled the shelf life to meet Julie’s quota, the pair then sought the help of Mike’s uncle, Lavar, a graphic designer, to create a shelf-ready and eye-catching, individual packaging design.
Returning to Aldi Headquarters, Mike and Paul wowed with their new look Flake Bake Beef patties, presented in individually wrapped packs.The judges were delighted with the changes made, agreeing the flavour was just as delicious as the first batch, and the duo successfully secured an order to supply over 1,000 Aldi stores nationwide.
The father and son duo pride themselves on the bakery’s origins and its dedicated workforce, who hand craft every element of their patties. Producing thousands of patties a week, Flake Bake also has social responsibility and community values baked into its core.
Working with local charity, Leaders of Tomorrow UK as well as local schools, it provides work placements for students at its factory. Most notably, the family business trained and mentored BBC Young Master Chef contestant, Jaheel John, then just 15 years old. Jaheel is now an Assistant Manager at a major British restaurant, at the tender age of 19.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, says: “You can’t help but fall in love with Paul and Mike, and their product tastes beautiful. It’s clear how much care goes into making the product. The pastry is unbelievable, every part of it is delicious – I just love it!”
Mike Williams, Co-Owner of Flake Bake, says: “We have an incredible team, they’ve been making patties for a long time,...
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Katie Paxton-Fear, lecturer in Cybersecurity at Manchester Metropolitan University speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss FROM DEEPFAKES TO CHATGPT PHISHING, WARNING OVER RISING SCAM THREAT AI POSES.
With fraudsters scamming more than £1 billion, 48% of us feel more at risk of scams
We are being warned about the growing threat Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses to us as it emerges that fraudsters have already scammed more than £1 billion from our bank accounts since the start of the year.
Top 3 Scamming Tactics This Year
Phishing Emails or Messages (11%)Contact from unknown individuals (11%) Fake Online Shops (8%)Almost half of us (48%) are feeling more at risk of scams as scammers become increasingly sophisticated in how they use advances in technology to overcome the measures financial institutions put in place to protect us. Conventional scams are difficult enough to spot, but AI-based scams are even more dangerous because they are even harder to detect.
Deepfakes allow criminals to create seemingly legitimate audio and video, often featuring someone famous, while ChatGPT phishing gives text the tone and coherence of legitimate sources, voice cloning replicates somebody’s tone and language to trick someone else into having a genuine phone conversation, and verification fraud can be used to subvert standard security checks. With these tools ready to use at the scammer's will, a surprising three in five (61%) UK adults are confident they can tell the difference between human and AI-generated communication.
Despite us losing on average £83.69 as a result of scams in the last year, with them costing men (£93.48) more than women (£70.22), fewer than a third (30%) of us report the incident to the bank, according to Raisin’s research, with only a quarter notifying the relevant online sales platform, with more than one in four (27%) not reporting the scam at all. This may be due to anemotional cost, with us most likely to feel very angry (28%) and anxious (27%), while 23% develop trust issues.
RESEARCH INFORMATION:The research for Raisin was carried out online by Opinion Matters throughout 23.02.2024 – 26.02.2024 amongst a panel resulting in 2000 UK adults responding.
All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).
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Scott Manson, Director of Cyber Security at CISCO UK & I speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss why 73% OF BUSINESSES EXPECT TO BE AFFECTED BY CYBERATTACK IN NEXT 2 YEARS
Last week, Britain’s AI minster urged UK businesses to “step up” their cybersecurity in response to growing challenges and risks,noting the UK is second-most attacked country in Europe behind Ukraine.
Today, data from cybersecurity leader Cisco has revealed 54% of UK businesses experienced a cyberattack in the last 12 months,while 70% believe an incident will disrupt operations within the next 12 – 24 months.
Meanwhile,analysis of cybersecurity protections – based on five core pillars: Identity Intelligence, Machine Trustworthiness,Network Resilience, Cloud Reinforcement, and AI Fortification – has determined only 2% have security measures rated ‘mature’ to remain resilient.
Similarly, despite many acknowledging the impact AI is having for both defenders and attackers, only 5% are rated ‘mature’ specifically on AI Fortification, with more than half yet to have deployed any AI into their security.
Despite this, 78% feel very or moderately confident in their ability to stay resilient against the evolving threat landscape, which is seeing supply chains attacked, social engineering used to compromise networks, and criminals increasingly exploiting vulnerabilities in common applications.
This overconfidence could stem from the fact 91% have increased their cybersecurity budgets over the last few years, and the majority expect they will grow further. Cisco believes UK firms are not properly assessing the true scale of the challenges they face.
To improve readiness to face future threats, Cisco recommends UK businesses:
1.Continueto accelerate investment in protective cybersecurity measures across the board, and adopt a ‘platform’ approach to ensure solutions can be effectively leveraged
2.Urgently assess and close vulnerability gaps created by unmanaged devices and unsecured WiFi networks
3.Keep abreast of the latest developments in Generative AI technology and use them to enhance security programs and operational resilience
4.Ramp up recruitment to close security talent gaps and avoid more costly downstream consequences.
5.Establish a company baseline of how ‘ready’ you are across the five major security pillars
ABOUT CISCO:Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that securely connects everything to make anything possible. Our purpose is to power an inclusive future for all by helping our customers reimagine their applications, power hybrid work, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on X at @Cisco.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries.
A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
ABOUT THE 2024 CISCO CYBERSECURITY READINESS INDEX:The 2024 Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index is based on a double-blind survey of 8,136 private sector business leaders who have cybersecurity responsibilities in their organizations.
The organizations cover 30 territories in North America, Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden,...
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Wendy McMillan, Partner of Waterland Private Equity speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss BOOSTING FEMALE-FOUNDED BUSINESSES via Private Equity.
Wendy McMillan, Partner at Waterland Private Equity, talks about recent initiatives announced by the UK government to unlock and boost private investment in female-founded businesses?
Wendy, who herself was a female entrepreneur and CEO, and has experience as a VC and consultant to private equity, joined the European private equity investment group Waterland(€14BN AUM) in January 2024.
Wendy was keen to discuss:
1.How the Invest in Women Taskforce and other similar initiatives are crucial to helping scale female-founded businesses, but that support from private capital is key in helping them to progress them beyond the early stages.
2.The role private equity currently plays in supporting female-founded SMBs to build and expand internationally – and how private equity must do more to by providing partnership, empathy and expertise which are all equally important for long-term sustainable success.
3.How diversity in background, experience, and gender can generate greater diversity in ideas and innovations which ultimately build into successful businesses, solving more problems and catering to a broader consumer base.
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Duncan Goose, Founder of One Water & The One Foundation speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss TACKLING THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS
About 1.8 billion people are predicted to be facing absolute water scarcity by 2025, according to the United Nations, with two-thirds of the global population expected to be grappling with water “stress”
1. 703 million people in the world lack access to safe, clean drinking water
2. including 115 million who still collect water to drink from rivers, lakes, and other surface water services.
These people survive on as little as five litres of water a day for all their needs, whereas we use in the region of 150 litres of water each day, with one toilet flush typically using at least five litres itself.
Lack of access to safe water leaves families in some of the most exposed and vulnerable areas on the planet trapped in poverty, forcing them to spend up to four hours a day collecting water at the expense of working or attending school or earning a livelihood.
Tragically, more than 1,000 children aged under five die each day from illnesses caused by unsafe water and sanitation
3.Entrepreneur Duncan Goose, founder of One Water and The One Foundation, is available on World Water Day (FRIDAY 22nd MARCH), a designated United Nations observance day which inspires action to tackle the global water crisis, to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Water and Sanitation.
He has been able to make a difference with The One Foundation, changing the lives of more than five million people in the most water-stressed areas of the world, having raised £30 million.
Goose, a marketing executive who returned from a two-year motorcycle adventure around the world, started One Water in 2004 with the aim of raising enough funds to change one person’s life.
The rise of climate related disasters such as floods and droughts disrupt precipitation patterns and the entire water cycle. This is something Founder Duncan Goose witnessed first-hand during his travels through Honduras in October 1998 as Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest tropical cyclones on record, caused devastation across the Atlantic coast. One Water together with its partner, the One Foundation, offers solutions to combat these challenges.
Almost 20 years on the multi-million-pound fundraising milestone, achieved through sales of One Water and donations to The One Foundation, has helped to fund crucial programmes in the most water-stressed areas of the world, focusing on Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.
Duncan Goose, founder of One Water and The One Foundation, is available to talk about his journey and helping to change five million lives, raising £30 million, over the last two decades.
FOOTNOTES:1.By 2025, 1.8 billion people are likely to face what the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calls “absolute
water scarcity” and two-thirds of the global population is expected to be grappling with water stress
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/shortages-mount-countries-hunt-novel-sources-water
2. 703 million people in the world lack access to safe, clean drinking water
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Luke Broad from Dacia UK speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss HOW TO SOLVE THE UK’S EV AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM
Latest figures show EV rollout in the UK is being driven by fleets and firms, with private buyers accounting for less than 1 in 5 EV purchases1.
This is largely because of the success of incentives such as the Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme (ECSSS) – which uses earningsbefore tax to fund repayments on an electric car – and has seen usage grow 68% year-on-year2.
Schemes like these support businesses, which support employees and advance the overall EV rollout, as research shows 74% of UK drivers want to buy an EV but think they are too expensive.
As Dacia brings its all-new Spring – widely known as Europe’s most affordable EV – to the UK, it poses the question; who should foot the bill?
In the UK, high cost is the biggest barrier to owning an electric vehicle. More than three in four (74%) drivers say they would like to purchase one, but they are too expensive.
However, tackle that problem and more appear, as two thirds (66%) say the associated costs are too high, while 56% say their local area lacks the charging infrastructure needed to own and operate an EV.
This leaves 25% feeling it is unlikely they will own an EV by the 2035 deadline set out in the government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, while 45% say it is unlikely they will purchase an EV as their next car.
Offering the best value for money on the market, car brand Dacia is tackling the first and largest barrier by bringing Europe’s most affordable electric vehicle to the UK later this year.
About Dacia
Born in 1968, then relaunched by Renault Group from 2004 across Europe and Mediterranean countries, Dacia has always offered the best value for money cars by constantly redefining the essentials. As a game-changer, Dacia proposes simple, multi-purpose, reliable cars in
tune with customers’ lifestyles.
Dacia models have become a reference on the market, including Sandero, the best-selling retail car in Europe each year since 2017; Duster, the best-selling SUV to European private customers since 2018; and Jogger, the C-segment versatile family car.
Present in 44 countries, Dacia has sold more than 8 million vehicles since 2004.
Dacia launched in the UK in January 2013 and enjoyed the most successful start ever for a new car brand in the UK. More than 270,000 Dacia vehicles have been sold in the UK to date.
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Flavilla Fongang, Founder of Global Tech Advocates, Black Women in Tech and Black Rise speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss Leveraging Diversity, Creating Networks & empowering Growth
Flavilla Fongang is a multi-award-winning serial entrepreneur who started her career in oil & gas, then fashion and she influenced the technology sector. She is now an international and multilingual keynote speaker (English & French). Computer Weekly named her the number 1, most influential woman in tech in the UK among a list of more than 600 women in tech nationwide.
She is the founder of Black Rise, the first business platform dedicated to connecting the business world to talented, skilled and experienced black professionals and businesses.
She is a neuroscience brand expert covering strategy, design, marketing and customer experience. She is the founder of 3 Colours Rule, an award-winning branding and marketing agency. Mercedes Benz awarded Flavilla the “She’s Mercedes” businesswoman award among women such as Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook. She is the author of “99 Strategies to get customers”.
She is also the founder of Global Tech Advocates – Black Women in Tech, the 1st largest organisation of black professional women in tech. She published since October 2021, an annual book “The Voices In The Shadow”. A book that features stories of black women in tech and is distributed to secondary schools for FREE across the UK and Ireland. The books are now also archived at The British Library to protect their legacy. She is the enabler and is never afraid to challenge the norms.
She is an Entrepreneurship Expert with the Entrepreneurship Centre for Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She has been a keynote speaker for the most prestigious international events, such as AdWeek, HubSpot, DMWF, MozCon, AdWorld, Upgrade100, CTA, MarTech and many more.
She has also delivered corporate talks for the following companies: Meta, Toyota, Zoom, Levi’s, Microsoft, Deloitte, Amazon, HSBC and many more.
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Piers Linney, Executive Chairman & Co‑Founder of Implement AI speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss AI & the future of Tech in SME Businesses
Piers Linney, Executive Chairman & Co‑Founder of Implement AI, is an entrepreneur, investor, and former Dragon on the prime-time BBC show Dragons’ Den. With a background in law and investment banking, Piers has established himself as a leading figure inthe UK business world, particularly in the technology sector.
He has sat on the board of Nesta, the £600m innovation foundation, and British Business Bank during the roll-out of £90bn of Covid support. Piers is also an advocate for diversity in business and sits on Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council. He has also sat on the boards of the UK Cloud Industry Forum and TechUK. Piers is the co-founder of Implement AI which is focused on helping SME's unlock the power of AI.
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Andy Caddy, Group Chief Information Officer at PureGym speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss Change at the speed of Gen-AI
Andy joined PureGym as Group Chief Information Officer in June 2022 taking on responsibility for Digital Strategy, Digital Product and Technology across the group.
Andy had spent time in technology leadership positions at a number of companies including Group CTO at Whitbread (Premier Inn and Costa Coffee), Group CIO for Virgin Active and various roles at easyJet including CTO where he delivered their award winning mobile app and one of the busiest eCommerce sites in Europe. Previous companies include Cable & Wireless, NatWest Group and Argos.
Andy has also been a non-executive director, investor and regular speaker on the changing roles of CIO and inspiring a modern technology workforce.
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Simon Press, Senior Portfolio Director of Euro Tech Portfolio of events at Closerstill Media, speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss Tech Show London 2024
Over the past couple of years, Simon Press, the Senior Portfolio Director overseeing the Euro Tech Portfolio of events at Closerstill Media, has been on a mission to amplify the impact of tech events. These events include Tech Show Paris, Tech Show Frankfurt, and Tech Show London, which has firmly established itself as a trusted name in the industry.
Tech Show London has consistently delivered exceptional gatherings that address the ever-evolving needs of the tech community. It serves as a go-to platform for innovation, knowledge-sharing, and valuable networking opportunities across various sectors, including Retail, Travel, and Hospitality.
www.techshowlondon.co.uk
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Delphine Helin (International Retail Services & Beauty Tech Director) & Juleah Love (Global Head of Brand Corporate Engagement) from YSL Beauty speak to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss Tech Innovation at YSL beauty & why Abuse Is Not Love
Delphine Helin held various positions such as Business Development Director for Ralph Lauren fragrances, Lancôme Retail Education Director and Lancôme Brand Director for Latin America. She has developed an ability to work in multicultural and highly volatile environments with a constant drive to understand the consumer tensions and elevate their experience.
Delphine has become a specialist of omnichannel retail. She is a growing voice within Women in tech, with speeches at Vivatech and Tech for Retail. Her innovative and transformative spirit is a driving force for her to continue crafting disruptive and purposeful beauty tech services, augmenting Beauty Advisors expertise and offering consumers unique and personalized beauty experiences.
Juleah Love is the Global Head of Brand Corporate Engagement at YSL Beauty leading all corporate & sustainability communication, as well as social and environment impact programs at the international level. She has been recognized for her work spearheading the creation, launch, and development of Abuse Is Not Love, a global program to prevent IPV with non-profit partnerships.
A public speaker, Juleah is the official spokesperson for the program reaching international audiences of over 23M people across 27 countries and has notably co-authored a paper on IPV in the workplace published in the Harvard Business Review. She was invited to the White House, UK Parliament, Embassies, conferences, and podcasts on her work on engaging corporates in the fight against domestic abuse.
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Anthony Hamer-Hodges, Principal at the London College of Contemporary Music speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss Are Independent Artists Taking Over The Brits?
Ahead of Raye’s incredible success at the Brit Awards, which this year saw her receive a record-breaking seven nominations & win an amazing six awards, it’s important to take note of how being an independent artist has changed in recent years.
In fact, according to data from Spotify, independent artists have contributed $4.5 bn to the Spotify payout.
RAYE has been an independent artist since 2021 following seven years under a record deal with Polydor Records, and since becoming independent has had a No 1 single, performed at Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall.
2023 saw women dominate the UK charts, with women spending 31 weeks on top of the UK singles chart, and accounted for a record seven of the year’s 10 biggest singles.
We also discuss: Beyonce, Berry Gordy,Record Company Contracts, Record Company Influence, How independent Artists Survive ,The Future of The Industry & LCCM
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Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive, EngineeringUK speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss ‘ENGINEERING’ SUCCESS IN UK ECONOMY
This National Careers Week (4th-8th March 2024) young people are being encouraged to consider engineering as a career path, as a new report finds almost 7 in 10 (68%) engineering and technology graduates are in paid work in the engineering sector, earning more on average than those in other occupations.
The report from EngineeringUK also shows an engineering and technology degree brings graduates positive job prospects specifically relevantto their degrees, highlighting the importance of choosing your degree carefully.
Almost three quarters (73%) of engineering students went on to work in paid employment, compared to 70% of all other subjects combined, an increase compared to last year.
With an average salary of between £25,000 and £30,000 or higher for a graduate role, they also tend to be paid better than graduates from other degree subjects.
It seems the job role is increasing in popularity, ranking second only to ‘Doctor’ in the top 10 desirable jobs for teenagers, according to separate research carried out by BBC Bitesize.
Engineering graduates are also available to share their story and why an engineering degree is a successful career path into the industry.
About EngineeringUK:
We are a not-for-profit organisation that drives change so more young people choose engineering and technology careers.
There aren't enough people working in engineering and technology and demand is going up. So, we need more young people to realise there could be a future for them in those careers. Many of them don't understand what the opportunities are and the different ways to get into them. We want to change that. We need a stronger, more representative workforce for engineering and technology to thrive and we have to things differently to make those careers more attractive. We wantmore young people to see engineering and technology could offer them a varied and rewarding career.
We are a not-for-profit working with hundreds of organisations so we can all grow the future talent pool together. We need more people and more diversity andwe all have a part to play in achieving that. We can't afford not to work together. At EngineeringUK, we drive that collective effort through research and evidence, leadership, activities for schools and advocacy, with a focus on long-term sustainability
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Joanna Zhou, China Commercial Manager of Holland & Barrett speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss why UK EXPORTS TO CHINA ARE ON THE RISE
UK exports to China increased by 54% between 2019 and 2022, according to Alibaba data which shows across 27 European countries sales via its platforms soared by a third to about €32.3 billion (£27.57 billion), highlighting demand for the good but also highlighting the growing role of digital platforms in enabling cross-border opportunities for businesses around the globe.
Almost two fifths (38%) of the gross merchandise value of goods exported was led by beauty, perfumes, personal care and make-up products, ahead of textiles and apparel (31%), food and beverages (8%), and furniture and other manufactured goods (7%) and in addition to driving growth for individual businesses, exports have been a major contributor to economic growth across Europe with these exports to China through Alibaba’s platforms contributing about £59.75 billion to the GDP of the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, while enabling the creation of more than 205,965 jobs - in excess of £956 million in estimated tax revenue was collected through sales on Alibaba’s platforms in 2022, up from £606 million in 2019 with additionally, the estimated number of UK people employed by businesses selling on Alibaba’s platforms rising from 24,006 in 2019 to more than 33,357 in 2022.
Joanna Zhou has been responsible for the launch and operations of Holland & Barrett’s cross-border Ecommerce business in China since 2021. Her knowledge of China, expertise in digital marketing and understanding of Chinese consumers have steered the business to grow exponentially: delighting customers, exceeding the expectations of partners, and reaching substantial milestones.
Joanna is responsible for delivering Holland & Barrett’s trading strategy to thrive in the cross-border e-commerce environment, leveraging key e-commerce platforms including Tmall. She has repositioned Holland & Barrett as a leading UK health and wellness consumer brand to provide a proposition perfect for China’s growing demographic of health-conscious young consumers.
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Riffat Tufail, Customer Vulnerability Expert of Phoenix speaks to Clayton M.Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss THE ‘CUSTOMER VULNERABILITY’ EPIDEMIC ISSUE GROWING IN SCALE THAT URGENTLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED
What is customer vulnerability?
The Financial Conduct Authority’s definition is someone who, due to their personal circumstances, is especially susceptible to harm, particularly when a business is not acting with appropriate levels of care.
The impact of stress and poor mental health on decision making is well known, with researchers1 finding that having a scarcity mindset, or a feeling of not having enough money, can be the equivalent of going without seven hours of sleep.
This can lead to more impulsive decisions, difficulty understanding information, and ultimately, poor customer outcomes if businesses do not intervene with help and support.
One in four UK adults say looking after their money has caused them to lose sleep, and 23% believe money has contributed towards their poor mental health, according to recent analysis from Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group.
It also has a detrimental impact on people’s long-term financial futures, with 59% of people saying current pressures are making them worry about what their future might look like. Companies often speak to people when they are at their most vulnerable and worried, so we have a real responsibility to get to know and understand our customers' individual needs.
About Phoenix Group
Phoenix Group is the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business with £259 billion of assets under administration.
As life expectancy continues to increase and the pension landscape continues to shift, we offer our 12 million customers a broad range of pensions, savings and life insurance products across our family of brands which include Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Our vision is to help even more people on their journey to and through retirement, providing the right support at the right time.
We are a growing and sustainable business united by a common purpose – helping people secure a life of possibilities. This drives everything we do and means taking responsible and sustainable investment decisions and using our presence and voice to drive forward change for the better, for our customers, our colleagues, and our wider community.
A FTSE 100 company, we also feature in the FTSE100 ESG Select Index series and we are playing an active role in helping to invest in a sustainable future. As part of this, we have committed to our operations being net zero carbon by 2025 and for our investment portfolios we have set an interim target of a 50% reduction in the carbon emission intensity of c£250bn by 2030, as we progress towards our portfolios being net zero carbon by 2050 or sooner.
We have been recognised as a leading employer for many years. We are accredited as a Living Wage Employer, Living Pension Employer and as a Carer Positive Exemplary Employer for offering the best support to colleagues who are carers.
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Professor Pragya Agarwal, Behavioral Scientist & Professor of Social Inequities and Injustice, Loughborough University speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss MORE THAN JUST A NAME: Why Nearly A Third Of Adults Have Felt Judged By Their Name
You’ve likely heard of bias. It’s a phase often used to describe unfair or judgement for an external factor like skin colour, race, gender and religion.
But shocking new research reveals its not only these that people are making preconceived judgements on, there is also one type of prejudice that is rarely spoken about. New research conducted by Samsung UK has found that nearly a third of us have felt judged by our name, rising to more than half (53%) of people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
Some of the most frequent misconceptions made about the names of those from diverse ethnic backgrounds are related to where they’re from (39%), their cultural heritage (31%), and a false assumption that English isn’t their first language (27%).
The issue is leading to drastic steps being taken but some to achieve career goals or feel accepted in society. More than 1 in 10 (12%) of people from minority backgrounds who aren’t white admit to changing their name in a job application or interview in the hope they would progress further in the process. The study also found that 16% said having or using a ‘western-sounding’ name has benefited them; this is felt most acutely by those from Arab descent (21%), followed by the Black community (19%).
To address this, Professor of Social Inequities and Injustice, Pragya Agarwal is calling on people in the community and the workplace to take extra care when pronouncing and spelling someone’s name and be aware of the bias they may portraywithout realising.
With over a fifth (22%) of people believing promotion of correct name pronunciation and understanding of cultural significance will help to reduce name bias in the workplace. 19% would even like to see anonymous job applications where names are removed from CVs to help alleviate prejudice.
Professor Argawal talks about the shocking research, explain how things can improve and explain some of the real world examples facing people across the UK.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAbout Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones,wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com
BACKGROUND AND REGIONAL INFORMATIONThe research for Samsung was carried out online by Onepoll throughoutNovember 2023 amongst a panel resulting in 2,000 UK adults responding.
All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).
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Thorbjørn Fink COO at Pleo speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss SHOULD WE PAY REMOTE WORKERS LESS?
IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF BUSINESS OUTGOINGS SHOULD BE NO 1 PRIORITY BEFORE CHANGES ARE MADE, SAY PLEO
The majority of UK SMBs are optimistic at the start of 2024, with 49% saying the year will be easier than 2023. But it remains that 25% are looking to reduce outgoings as high costs continue to impact operations.
One key area they will look to do this is by rethinking their approach to remote working with 20% exploring whether they can reduce pay for remote workers.
However, with 27% lacking confidence in their financial ability to recruit in 2024, this should be done with caution. Before attempting this, a firm should have a strong financial visibility and assess all areas.
But, only 36% report feeling they have a good grip on their expenditure, and only 28% have strong visibility of their financial health and performance.
Pleo COO, Thorbjørn Fink believes that, for businesses to meet their revenue growth and saving goals of 2024, they need to ensure they have full visibility and insights into all outgoings.
“When there is real pressure on financial growth, companies can no longer afford to silo their outgoings into expenses and spend. Choosing to ignore low-cost items means CFOs are needlessly putting blinkers on and, in the process, only getting half of the spend management picture,” he says
This comes as the data reveals 20% treat business spend and expenses as two separate outgoings streams, with 23% “not too bothered” about tracking smaller expenses.
Pleo is the Europe’s leading spend management platform for SMBs, compiling and streamlining all outgoings to provide leaders with contemporaneous and exhaustive insight on operations.
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Claire Neal, Head of Workplace Mental Health, at Mental Health UK speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss BURNOUT IN THE WORKFORCE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN - 1 IN 5 IN THE UK TOOK TIME OFF LAST YEAR DUE TO WORKPLACE PRESSURE
One in five workers have been forced to take time off work because of poor mental health caused by pressure or stress in the workplace, according to Mental Health UK with the charity also finding that 35% have experienced high or extreme levels of stress in the past year, suggesting workplaces could be ill-equipped to prevent and combat burnout.
About 49% say their employer does not have plans in place to help colleagues spot the signs of chronic stress and prevent burnout, while 35% of employees would not be comfortable letting their line manager or senior leader know if they were experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure and stress at work, with high or an increased workload or volume of tasks (54%), working unpaid overtime beyond contracted hours (45%) and feeling isolated at work (42%) the main factors for contributing to burnout. Only 29% of working adults say their workplace has measures in place to spot the signs of chronic stress and prevent burnout in employees, however, 38% of workers have taken on additional paid work because of the cost-of living crisis contributing to high or extreme levels of pressure or stress.
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Sarah Dhanda, Head of Policy and Partnerships at Enginuity speaks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss why GOVERNMENT AND OTHER SECTOR ORGANISATIONS URGED TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN IMPROVING APPRENTICESHIP SUCCESS RATES
With the number of people completing their apprenticeships successfully falling tolittle more than half (53%) within a 12-month period, this National Apprenticeship Week (5th-11th February), the UK’s leading engineering and manufacturing skills charity, is calling on the sector and the government to support small businesses to help improve completion rates.
Despite a rise in the number of people starting Apprenticeships, up to 27,800 in 2021/22, the charity Enginuity highlights a 4% fall in completion rates of overall apprenticeships, warning the higher education sector is going to struggle to meet the government’s target rate of 67% achievement, if the situation isn’t tackled. Furthermore, of concern is that the Engineering and Manufacturing achievement rates in England for females, non-white ethnic minorities, and learners with disabilities are consistently lower than their corresponding groups.
Enginuity will be conducting new research in partnership with The Engineer magazine to understand why SMEs struggle more than larger employers to attain good apprenticeship achievement rates, identify the key barriers and explore how businesses and apprentices can be better supported.
Sarah joined Enginuity (then SEMTA) in October 2018 as Head of Strategic Partnerships following a successful career in the Marine sector, where she worked for many years latterly as Chief Officer of Membership & Services at British Marine, the trade Association for the marine sector. Sarah’s background is in skills and she initially joined British Marine as Director of Training Services to head up their apprenticeship & qualifications development activity. Prior to joining British Marine, Sarah worked at City & Guilds where she was the Sector Manager for IT and Business qualifications. Sarah is responsible for Enginuity’s work on Standards and Frameworks, as well as taking the lead on Enginuity Policy work across the 4 Nations and working with regional and local stakeholders. One of her key objectives is the sharing of knowledge and good practice across sectors to ensure connectivity on key skills and workforce development challenges. The Enginuity group is a not-for-profit organisation responsible for engineering skills for the future of the UK's most advanced sectors. Led by employers, its job is to transform the skills and productivity of the people who power our engineering and advanced manufacturing technologies sectors, enabling UK industry to compete on the global stage.
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Sean Wilson of Artisan Farm & at Anthony Clarke of AAT speak to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss CRACKING THE CAREER CODE IN 2024: ACTOR SEAN WILSON ON THE FORMULA TO SWITCHING GEARS TO A NEW CAREER
This year marks 15 years since actor Sean Wilson founded the Saddleworth Cheese Company (now known as Artisan Farm), after leaving Weatherfield, the fictional home of the soap opera Cornation Street, to pursue his passion as an artisanal cheese maker.
His first lesson in this entrepreneurial endeavour – he had to be Gouda maths!
Luckily, he pursued his dream with help from a mentor, who helped him navigate the red tape associated when starting a business and venturing into an entirely new field.
But this support will not be available to all interested in pursuing a similar venture. And, as new research from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) reveals:
30% aim to change careers before the year is out.16% wish to do so and start their own venture or become self-employed.21% do not know what steps to take to make a career change.Sean appears, alongside Anthony Clarke from the AAT, to share his advice for those considering a career change and promote the benefits of proficiency with numbers when doing so.
He will also be able to discuss how, with the UCAS deadline and National Apprenticeship Week fast approaching, there are many routes to achieving a successful career in accountancy – providing support to the 61% of school leavers who said they felt pressure to go to university after leaving school.
This comes as a recent analysis by the AAT has revealed that 71% of accountancy apprentices reported a salary increase since beginning their apprenticeships, enabling them to earn close to £60K in the time it would have taken them to accrue an average £50K debt had they decided to go to university!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:About the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT)
AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) is the UK’s leading qualification and professional body for technical accountants and bookkeepers and has around 130,000 members and students in over 100 countries. We have been helping people enter and develop their skills within the accounting sector for the past 40 years.
RESEARCH INFORMATION:Research A for the AAT was carried out online by Opinion Matters throughout 12.01.2023 – 15.01.2023 amongst a panel resulting in 2,000 nationally representative UK adults (aged 18+) responding.
Research B for the AAT was carried out online by Opinion Matters throughout 12.01.2023 – 15.01.2023 amongst a panel resulting in 500 UK children aged 14 – 18 years old, who are still in school, responding.
All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. Opinion Matters is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and is fully compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998).
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