Issue #31 - Working for the weekend 😅
Would you welcome a four-day week? | Canine clobber from LISH | How to write a business plan | Are you eligible for reduced VAT? | Health and wellbeing tips | Tunes | Podcasts | More
🦾 G O
Anyone fancy a four-day week? 👋
Welcome to Issue #31 of The Backbone - the fortnightly newsletter from Bionic.
It’s that time of the year when there are so many Bank Holidays, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to have a normal week that doesn’t have at least two Sundays in it (Bank Holiday Monday is just a reprise of Sunday and no one will convince us otherwise!)
But what would you think about having a four-day week all year round? Most employees would probably jump at the chance, but it’s a different story for business owners who need to make sure productivity doesn’t drop and all working hours are covered.
In June, 3,000 workers at 60 companies across Britain will take part in the biggest pilot scheme of a four-day working week, anywhere in the world. The trial is set to run until December and other countries, including Belgium, Spain, Japan, and Iceland, will also be running similar pilot schemes.
Whatever you think of the idea of a four-day week, the reality is that we’ll eventually get to a point where automation will render some jobs redundant and mean others don’t need as many human hours to complete (we’re going full Sarah Connor if the robots learn to write properly) - but what would you say to a four-day week?
Vote in our Twitter poll to let us know 👇
Now let’s get into Issue #31 of The Backbone - Bionic’s fortnightly newsletter.
📨 S U B S C R I B E
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🗣 S H O U T O U T
#BionicBusinessStory - LISH 🐩
To round off #NationalPetMonth, we had a chat with Lilly Shahravesh from dog clothing business LISH. We found out how she gets tails wagging in approval.
Bionic: How did you start your business?
Lilly Shahravesh: When a member of the family got a Min Pin puppy back in 2002, I started making her blankets and outfits to wear. I couldn’t find anything that was good quality and well designed. She was such a character, so it was impossible to turn up without a gift for her!
B: What is the best thing about your business?
LS: The growth in sustainability and eco products. We have been producing sustainable products for over 18 years now so the fact that everyone is now coming together to save our precious planet earth and make it a better place is really refreshing and positive.
B: What other brands inspire you?
LS: Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood are great brands. They’ve always stayed true to their values, and I think that’s important when running a business.
B: What keeps you motivated?
LS: We’re a small team and everyone is genuinely passionate about what we do. We all have one amazing thing in common that keeps us motivated, our love of dogs.
To see the latest canine clobber on offer, head on over to the LISH website or check out @lish_uk on Instagram. And to hear more from Lily’s customer story, click on the pup in the snazzy sweater below.
📩 J O I N
Get involved with our business community 🔊
Share your thoughts and tips to give other busy business owners a helping hand. Or ask a question to see if anyone can help you out.
🗞 R E A D
How to easily write a winning business plan
There are a million and one things you need to consider when setting up a new business, one of which is writing a winning business plan - without one, your business might not take off as you planned and you may even struggle to get accepted for the necessary business finance to get going.
But, with so much to wrap your head around, what exactly do you need to include when trying to write a business plan? Our guide explains it all.
Could you cut 15% off your energy bills?
You might not be aware (it’s not something HMRC tends to shout about) but some businesses are eligible for reduced VAT on energy. High energy bills are being made worse for many business owners by the 20% VAT that’s added on each month, but you might be eligible for a 15% reduction in VAT if you run a charity or non-profit.
You may even get a reduced rate if your monthly gas and electricity usage falls below a certain threshold. Find out more in this Bionic guide.
Health and wellbeing tips for small business owners
April is Stress Awareness Month - an annual campaign to raise awareness of the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. We know that running a small business can be stressful - too much to do and not enough hours in the day 😰 Check out our 6 simple health and wellbeing tips to help keep your physical and mental health in shape.
📊 B U S I N E S S
Get your business costs sorted 💷
Bionic - the business price comparison experts - compare a range of business essentials to help you save time, money, and hassle.
Our tech-enabled team will answer all your questions in simple terms, and help you find the best deal on business energy, insurance, phone, broadband, or finance. No jargon. No-fuss. #BeABionicBusiness 🦾
Check out more ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Trustpilot reviews
🎧 L I S T E N
Playlist
Have you ever noticed how the third track on an album is always an absolute gem? No? Les Roberts, our content manager at Bionic, has and he thinks that one listen to his Track Number Three playlist is all it will take to confirm once and for all that three is the magic number. The playlist includes tracks from Beck, Jamiroquai, Air, Nirvana, The Chemical Brothers, MF Doom, Shack, Wire, Gil Scott-Heron, Mariah Carey (!) and loads more.
Podcast
Describing itself as ‘a podcast about business success and making yourself smarter with the continued psychic trauma of capitalism’, Trashfuture takes a look at - and pulls apart - unlikely startups, usually on the basis that they’re something to do with crypto or NFTs or both.
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🏡 H O U S E K E E P I N G
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🚫 S T O P
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