Issue #1 - You're not alone 🤜🏻🤛🏻
The backbone is a newsletter for anyone who owns, runs or works at a SME - the backbone of the UK economy. In this issue - Clubhouse, Supreme Court ruling, quotes, podcasts, tunes,and much more...
💪 G O
It’s easy to feel alone right now.
It’s easy to feel like everyone’s looking after number one, not so much because it’s survival-of-the-fittest – things are bad, but we’re not quite at The Hunger Games just yet – but more because we can’t physically be there for each other like we used to.
But we adapt, we evolve, we move on. And you’re not alone.
As a business owner, you’re part of a six million-strong community, providing goods and services to help everyone get through from day-to-day. We’re all essential to someone, even if government rules tell us otherwise.
Nothing feels easy right now, but you’re here and reading this in all your perfectly flawed glory. Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get through this. We all will. And we’ll all be stronger for it.
Oh, and welcome to Issue #1 of The Backbone – The (first of a fortnightly) Bionic Business Bulletin…
🔥 S O C I A L
Are you in the Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is the biggest social media app you’ve never heard of. Unless you’re enough of a big deal to have bagged yourself an invite.
A completely audio-based social network, Clubhouse users meet in ‘rooms’ that are sorted by topic or opened privately by other users.
There are three roles in the rooms:
Moderator. Manages the room and decides who gets to speak
Speaker. Can talk until the moderator gets fed up with them
Listener. Can only lurk and listen, except to give the moderator a nudge if they have something to say.
And that’s about it. But can a social network created solely for on audio really do what Instagram has done for food porn or Twitter has done for leading the free world in 280 characters?
The developers certainly hope so. And to help them achieve ownership of your ears, they’ve added an air of mystique and exclusivity to their network as Clubhouse is currently ‘invite-only’.
It’s also only available on iOS. Sorry non-famous Android users, your name’s not down and you’re not coming in. Not yet anyway.
📤 S H A R E
…
📰 N E W S
SMEs backed in Covid insurance dispute
It’s easy to be cynical about insurance companies, especially when you hear of them trying every trick in the book to avoid paying out on claims. But a Supreme Court ruling may be about to shift the balance in favour of beleaguered policyholders.
The Supreme Court – the highest court in the land, not the latest offshoot of a really expensive skating brand - has backed a test case from the Financial Conduct Authority.
Insurance companies that rejected thousands of business interruption insurance claims could soon be forced to honour pay-outs totalling more than £1 billion.
Insurers who turned down claims on the basis that the coronavirus pandemic was not covered in their business interruption policies may now have to stump up as part of the ruling.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the FCA’s case and dismissed the appeals of insurers. If you’ve had a business interruption claim relating to coronavirus rejected, check out the Bionic blog to find out what the ruling could mean for your business.
📩 J O I N
We need you for the next newsletter.
How has your business coped with lockdown? How did you find the government support packages? Do you have a business question to ask our experts?
❓ W H O
Can you tell who said what, here?
A) Starmer or Sharma is said to be ‘apoplectic’ at the decision of Robert Jenrick, the government’s Communities Secretary, for not blocking plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria - Britain’s first new deep coalmine in decades.
B) Starmer or Sharma said: “The next major priority over the coming months is supporting businesses. Businesses are the engine of our economy. They’re not just a source of good jobs and prosperity but also of pride and dignity.”
📺 W A T C H
Ready, Steady, Book
Ever wondered what would happen if you mixed Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Boston Legal? No? Nor had we until we stumbled across the YouTube channel of Brown and Crouppen Law Firm.
🎧 L I S T E N
Need to switch off from the 24-hour rolling doomcasts on the radio?
🚫 S T O P
Thank you.
Firstly, thank you for making it this far 🤝🏻
That’s all from us until next time, but if you think there’s anything else we should be featuring let us know, whether an inspirational story, a Spotify playlist, or anything in between.
And don’t forget to send this link to all your friends and get them to subscribe ✌🏻
📊 B U S I N E S S
Get your business costs sorted.
Looking to cut your business costs, sort your insurance, or get you broadband up to speed? Bionic’s tech enabled experts will help you find the right energy, insurance, broadband or loan providers and deals for your business - in minutes.
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