Delivery firm raises concerns about Christmas "timebomb"
Spikes in pre-Christmas orders around Black Friday and Cyber Monday put pressure on postal and delivery services last year. Now Parcelhub is warning ecommerce retailers that there could be a delivery "timebomb" with online orders expected to rise even further. Mark Rosenberg, managing director of Parcelhub, said: "Nearly four times the number of shoppers are expected to place an order online on Black Friday this year compared to 2014 and this is predicted to increase parcel volumes by 15%."
Some SMEs still not grasping online opportunities
A quarter of the UK's SME owners say they don't have basic digital skills, according to new research from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Government report, Digital Capabilities in SMEs, reveals that even though 98% use the internet for business purposes - mostly for email and online banking - only 64% of small businesses have their own website or are listed on online directories. The report says there is an "attitudinal barrier" amongst a minority of SMEs towards developing an online presence, including "a lack of awareness about the benefits and opportunities available, and a lack of understanding about online security threats".
Access to finance is barrier for would-be exporters
A study by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has found that 60% of potential exporters say general access to finance is a key factor in their plans to export goods or services. And 24% of UK businesses preparing to export have reported difficulty in accessing trade finance or credit insurance from lenders - products tailored specifically to support firms trading in overseas markets.
ABFA reports boom in asset borrowing
Businesses borrowing against assets such as machinery and real estate is on the rise, according to the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA). It says that an all-time high of £4.2 billion of alternative business finance is now secured against such assets, up 9% on £3.8 billion a year ago. Jeff Longhurst, ABFA chief executive, says: "Borrowing against hard assets is one of the innovative forms of alternative finance that has really gone mainstream in the last couple of years."