Fintech PR
SMEs feeling the squeeze with rising costs the top concern for 84.2% of global businesses heading into 2024: Peninsula Group reports
MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — According to a new survey, 84.2% of SMEs list rising costs as their top business concern.
Peninsula Group conducted a survey of 79,000 SME’s across 5 countries – Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK – to see what the top priorities and concerns were for employers in 2024.
The global survey revealed:
- Growth is the main business goal for 44.7% of SME’s; a significant drop from 58.7% this time last year, reflecting the tough economic environment faced by businesses around the world. Australia and New Zealand appear hardest hit, with 22.4% and 26.6% respectively listing survival as their main goal for the year.
- It’s more positive news for the UK and Ireland, however, with just 18.8% in both countries listing survival as their top goal, compared to 38.4% and 34.7% respectively a year ago.
- Rising costs are the top concern for 84.2% of all businesses, while staffing continues to be a big issue. Labour shortages came in second highest at 45.6% with retention in third place at 41.5%.
- The cost-of-living crisis and staffing shortages are having a significant impact, with 56.3% of employers offering financial remuneration to help retention. Canada ranked highest here, at 64.9%.
- Those who are unable to give financial incentives are turning to reward and recognition to aid retention; this saw a huge 131% increase YoY. While mental health support was highly valued in all countries last year, this year it’s only in the UK where mental health is the second highest retention aid, with 48.7% of employers continuing to offer it – an increase of 8% from last year.
- Employers are also getting creative as they look to offset the ongoing skills shortage with 46.5% investing in upskilling and training their existing staff. Apprenticeships are also on the rise, with a 36% increase globally. Canadian employers especially are turning to apprentices with a massive 217% increase YoY. 25.7% of employers list recruitment as their biggest challenge staffing wise, with pay increase requests coming in second at 22%.
- In terms of working patterns, despite all the headlines surrounding a 4-day work week it’s clear that this is not a reality for many businesses. Only 2.2% of SMEs globally have moved to a 4-day working week, with a further 0.6% having trialled it and found it did not work for them. Instead, 50% of all employers say that their employees are all in the workplace full-time, 14.7% have flexible working hours, and 10.1% have made hybrid working a permanent policy.
Peninsula Group Chief Operations Officer Alan Price says “Despite the tough economic climate, there is an air of optimism amongst small business owners as we move into 2024. Compared to this time last year, while recession remains a top concern, it’s been overtaken by rising costs – unsurprising given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and soaring interest rates.
“Employers feeling the financial pinch are turning to reward and recognition and enhanced benefits instead of financial remuneration to aid retention in tough economic times. Here in the UK there is concern amongst small business owners around the affordability of pay raises, with a huge jump to National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage due in April.
“It’s also interesting to see that the majority have returned to the office full time. While hybrid working is likely to remain for some businesses, this signals a behaviour shift that we can see reflected in the number of job vacancies listing a permanent office-first working model as a requirement.
“It’s clear that this will be a tough year for many businesses, but there is also a mood of opportunity. Employers are seeing the value in retaining employees and, in turn, employees are reaping the benefits. More than half were given a pay raise and employers are looking at creative ways to retain employees, such as upskilling and training opportunities, or flexible working where a pay raise is not possible.
“As January starts – traditionally the time of year when most people look for new jobs – it’s no surprise that business owners are looking at ways to upskill and retain their own employees, rather than having to spend time and money recruiting.”
Notes to editor
Full survey data and more information is available HERE
About Peninsula
Peninsula protects employers across the globe with employment law, HR, and health & safety services.
From small start-ups to well-known brands, we support tens of thousands of businesses with HR and health & safety. Business owners reduce their legal risk and save time with our expert advice, documentation, and more.
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Fintech PR
OIVE and ViniPortugal celebrate closing of joint campaign that reached 100 million consumers
MADRID and PORTO, Portugal, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — For three years, A Shared Passion showed European consumers the quality and unparalleled versatility of Iberian wines. The program reached over 100 million consumers with advertising in airports, train stations, press trips, digital content, and other actions with opinion leaders.
The wine interprofessionals of Spain (OIVE) and Portugal (ViniPortugal) celebrated the closing of their ambitious joint campaign A Shared Passion with flagship events in Madrid and Porto. The closing event in Spain took place in Madrid’s iconic Calle Alcalá, while in Portugal, the World of Wine (WOW) in Porto was the perfect setting to present the achievements of the international collaboration. Both ceremonies were very well received by the press and the wine sector, highlighting the impact of the promotional actions that reached more than 79.2 million travelers in key transport infrastructures.
The campaign included 22 study trips, taking 150 specialized journalists to explore the world of wine in both countries and generating publications that reached nearly 15 million European consumers.
On social media, the A Shared Passion profile on Instagram exceeded 15,000 followers, consolidating its presence in the digital sphere. In addition, exclusive activities such as workshops and VIP dinners contributed significantly to this initiative’s global impact.
The final events were honored by the presence of opinion leaders, such as Masters of Wine Pedro Ballesteros and Dirceu Vianna Júnior, who moderated round tables with the presidents of OIVE, Fernando Ezquerro, and ViniPortugal, Frederico Falcão. The conference concluded with masterclasses that highlighted Spain and Portugal’s extraordinary oenological diversity, reinforcing the relevance of the sector in the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of both countries.
With funding from the European Union, A Shared Passion highlighted not only the quality and authenticity of Iberian wines but also their strategic role in the sustainable development of numerous municipalities. This initiative underlines the passion with which Spanish and Portuguese wines are made, reflecting their rich traditions and commitment to the future.
For more information: www.asharedpassion.com
Video: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2565600/ViniPortugal_and_OIVE.mp4
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Fintech PR
Alkira Ranked 25th Fastest-Growing Company in North America and 6th in the Bay Area on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™
Alkira attributes its 7,194% revenue growth to consistent innovation, enabling enterprises to overcome mounting network complexity in the cloud and AI era
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Alkira® Inc., the leader in Network Infrastructure as a Service, today announced that it ranked as the 6th fastest-growing technology company in the Bay Area and the 25th fastest-growing company in North America on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America. Now in its 30th year, the list recognized Alkira for achieving a growth rate of 7,194% during this period.
“Being recognized as one of North America’s fastest-growing companies by Deloitte is a tremendous honor. This achievement reflects Alkira’s unwavering commitment to equipping frontline networking teams with solutions that dramatically simplify enterprise networking amidst escalating complexity,” said Amir Khan, CEO at Alkira. “Today’s enterprises are racing to support cloud, AI and machine learning workloads, but their existing networks weren’t built for this dynamic environment. Alkira’s network infrastructure as-a-service platform enables organizations to connect any cloud, on-premise location, and remote user with a unified, secure, and highly scalable network fabric that reduces deployment times from months to minutes.”
“For 30 years we’ve been celebrating companies that are actively driving innovation. The software industry continues to be a beacon of growth, and the fintech industry made a strong showing on this year’s list, surpassing life sciences for the first time,” said Steve Fineberg, vice chair, U.S. technology sector leader, Deloitte. “Significantly, we also saw a breakthrough in performance of private companies, with the highest number of private companies named to the list in our program’s history. This year’s winners have shown they have the vision and expertise to continue to perform at a high level, and that deserves to be celebrated.”
“Innovation, transformation and disruption of the status quo are at the forefront for this year’s Technology Fast 500 list, and there’s no better way to celebrate 30 years of program history,” said Christie Simons, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP and industry leader for technology, media and telecommunications within Deloitte’s Audit & Assurance practice. “This year’s winning companies have demonstrated a continuous commitment to growth and remarkable consistency in driving forward progress. We extend our congratulations to all of this year’s winners — it’s an incredible time for innovation.”
Overall, 2024 Technology Fast 500 companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 201% to 186,373% over the three-year time frame, with an average growth rate of 2,097% and median growth rate of 458%.
Now in its 30th year, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2020 to 2023.
In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.
About Alkira
Alkira is the leader in Network Infrastructure on Demand. We unify any environments, sites, and users via an enterprise network built entirely in the cloud. The network is managed using the same controls, policies, and security systems network administrators know, is available as a service, and can instantly scale as needed. There is no new hardware to deploy, software to download, or architecture to learn. Alkira’s solution is trusted by Fortune 100 enterprises, leading system integrators, and global managed service providers. Learn more at alkira.com and follow us @alkiranet.
About Deloitte
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500® and more than 8,500 U.S.-based private companies. At Deloitte, we strive to live our purpose of making an impact that matters by creating trust and confidence in a more equitable society. We leverage our unique blend of business acumen, command of technology, and strategic technology alliances to advise our clients across industries as they build their future. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Bringing more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 460,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.
Media Contact:
Jelena Dopudj, Sr. Communications Manager, Alkira Marketing
[email protected]
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.
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Written by Arndt Lutz, CEO of EliTe Solar
SINGAPORE, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — EliTe Solar is dedicated to advancing technology with a strong focus on quality, sustainability, and meaningful partnerships. For nearly two decades, EliTe Solar has led the solar industry by adapting to changing market demands and setting standards in customer service and quality as evidenced by third party reviews. The company’s comprehensive strategy starts with ingots and wafers to cells and modules, supported by a global supply chain. This vertical integration underscores EliTe Solar’s commitment to excellence.
EliTe Solar’s core principles of honesty and transparency drives the company’s growth and actions. By upholding these values, EliTe Solar consistently goes above and beyond for their clients. Open communication is central to their work, fostering trust and loyalty. EliTe Solar ensures their clients are informed every step of the way—from production to customs clearance, and final delivery.
EliTe Solar offers a diverse range of products tailored to different needs. The company’s goal is to optimize module performance and achieve a low Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), delivering lasting value for customers while minimizing costs and environmental impact. This approach supports their partners’ energy goals and contributes to a broader sustainability mission.
EliTe Solar’s supply chain is meticulously designed to meet high standards and market demands. The company sources all materials outside China to ensure traceability from raw material to final product. With ingot and wafer production in Vietnam, cell and module production in Indonesia, and manufacturing in Egypt and soon, the U.S., EliTe Solar maintains compliance and uphold supply chain integrity.
EliTe Solar’s project management expertise sets them apart, especially in challenging environments. Currently, the company is transporting one million solar panels to a remote site in Utah with EV trucking from Hight Mobility, working closely with their client and partners to ensure timely delivery and smooth communication. This demonstrates EliTe Solar’s dedication to reliability and strong partnerships.
EliTe Solar prioritizes inland and ocean transportation management, timely customs clearance, and comprehensive post-sales support to deliver reliability and customer satisfaction.
The company’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond eco-friendly energy options. EliTe Solar actively engages with communities to foster positive social impact. For example, the company recently awarded $50K in scholarships with Utah universities to support future solar industry professionals. This investment in education strengthens the sector’s future and contributes to global sustainability.
In the coming months, EliTe Solar is preparing to expand in Egypt and establish solar cell production in the U.S., creating jobs and reinforcing a dependable supply chain. With a track record of reliable service and top-tier solar technology, the company is proud to have supplied over 10 GW of solar modules worldwide, playing a vital role in the shift to sustainable energy. As EliTe Solar continues to grow, the company’s principles of quality, transparency, and sustainability will guide every member, positioning EliTe Solar as a leader in the global solar industry.
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