Issue #35 - Striking a balance ⚖
A bit about strikes and small businesses | 5 businesses, 1 question! | How much is your business worth? | Understanding your energy bills | How to complain about your business energy supplier | More
🦾 G O
What about the small businesses?
Welcome to Issue #35 of The Backbone - the fortnightly newsletter from Bionic.
Temperatures have hit 30°C, ABBA are back on tour, and flares are back on the catwalks. In an unlikely turn of events, we’re in the midst of a 70s revival.
And, in true 1970s style, it’s all set against a backdrop of high energy prices and industrial action.
The news is a fast-moving medium these days, and strikes are the latest big issue dominating the headlines.
No matter what you think of the industrial action being taken by RMT - or the strikes being considered by everyone from teachers to nurses - the fact is that these strikes are against either big businesses that have made millions in profits (trains) or public sector industries that have faced funding cuts for at least a decade (teaching and health services).
In the most basic terms, there is money available to those industries to at least allow for some wriggle room when negotiating with workers who are struggling with rising living costs.
But what about the millions of small business owners across the country? If you run a garage, gym, salon, shop, or any one of those backbone businesses that are vital to the economy, there’s a good chance you’ve put all your time and money into just getting through the last two years.
But now you’re being hit by rising costs on all fronts - higher costs to run your business, higher costs to run your household, and higher costs to help your staff who themselves are being hit with higher living costs.
Striking isn’t really an option for you or your staff - what good would it do anyone if the cook didn’t turn up at your restaurant because he needs higher wages?
This cost of living crisis isn’t going to sort itself out. When the pandemic hit, the government took decisive action with the furlough scheme and other forms of financial support.
It needs to act decisively now to help the millions of small business owners struggling with rising costs. Else we really could be headed towards another winter of discontent - a 70s revival no one wants to see.
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🗣 S H O U T O U T
#BionicBusinessStory - 5 businesses, 1 question 🤔
We love hearing all about how small business owners got to where they are? The stories of how they’ve built their business, the things that keep them awake at night, their biggest achievements, and the things that keep them coming back for more. We asked five business owners one simple question, and here’s how they answered…
Bionic: How does your business use social media?
💐 “We have Facebook and Instagram, but our social media is used more like a shop window, people can go on our pages and see what we offer but they can’t order there, they have to ring up. I think this makes it more personal. I’d rather they called, and we made them something personal and bespoke.” Sue Colledge - Colledge's Florist
🍫 “Our website and social media have always been important, but we’ve been adapting in different ways. On the tills in the café, we’ve been using an add-on so we can use the QR codes and we can provide table service. Social media is something we always try to keep on top of.” Grace Simpson - Goupie
🎂 “Social media has played a huge part in getting my name out to the public. If it wasn't for Facebook and Instagram, I'd still only be getting orders from close friends and family. These platforms have allowed me to advertise to a much wider audience and get my name out there. They’ve given me a place to show my work and gain feedback from customers and people visiting my pages.” Heidi Kay - Handmade by Heidi
💈 “Technology is a big part of my business because without apps like Instagram and Facebook I would not have half my clients. I do all my promotion through social media and although I do get a lot of customers through word of mouth, my Instagram page is the way that people can see the work I do and the services I offer.” Jamie Stenning - Jamie Stenning Barbers
🏰 “On the whole, our campaigns for recent events have been digital and social media-heavy but we also use advertising on buses. We’ve recently added Snapchat and TikTok advertising campaigns to the mix to reach a younger local audience too.” Jess Cutts - Hever Castle
Click on the open shop sign below to check out more Bionic small business stories 👇
📩 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 much is your business worth?
The next of our guides on setting up and running a business looks at valuing your business. Putting a monetary value on your business can help you better understand your financial situation and help with growth or give you a nudge if you’re thinking of selling up. This helpful guide from Bionic will explain all you need to know about how and when to value your business.
How to understand your business energy bills
You don't need to be a genius to understand your business energy bills, but they can be tricky to get your head around. It’s worth getting to know your way around them though, as they contain loads of useful information that can help you get a handle on your costs and figure out ways to cut your energy usage and save money.
This guide explains all you need to know, including the costs to look out for before comparing deals and switching suppliers.
How to make a complaint to or about your business energy supplier
Let’s face it, we’ve all got something to complain about right now. If your business energy bills aren’t accurate, you’re having issues with your supply, or your provider just isn’t offering the service that you expected, you’ll need to make a complaint to get it sorted. But, there’s a certain process you need to go through to make sure your complaint is heard and dealt with as efficiently as possible.
Our guide explains all you need to know about complaining to and about your business energy supplier.
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
It’s Glastonbury week! If you've not been able to make it to Worthy Farm this weekend, this playlist picks out songs from the first wave of artists announced as part of the 2022 lineup. As you’d imagine, it’s a melting pot of artists old and new. Kicking off with Paul McCartney, it blasts through another 86 songs from artists including IDLES, Bicep, Supergrass, Charli XCX, Robert Plant, Pet Shop Boys, Primal Scream, Billie Eilish, TLC, Jarvis Cocker, Wet Leg, and…somehow…loads more.
Podcast
With 250 million players and millions more fans across 200+ nations, football is the most popular sport in the world. But what started life as the sport of the people is now little more than a plaything for the super-rich - at the elite level, anyway. And nothing screams elite-level football like FIFA.
Lords of Soccer looks at how football’s world governing body is a somewhat mysterious group of elite businessmen who promote the sport and organize the biggest international contest on earth, the World Cup. We should be enjoying the 2022 tournament right now - this podcast delves into the reasons why we’re not, and much more.
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🚫 S T O P
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