TrustMark Blog

As we near the middle of Spring, while the weather may continue to disappoint – at least we can be cheered by lighter mornings and longer evenings. Unfortunately, there is a darker side of summer to be aware of as yearly statistics show longer daylight hours can also bring thieves out of hibernation, with opportunistic burglary rising sharply after the clocks have gone forward.

Always a challenge to any business, fuelled by concerns over Brexit and the fluctuating pound the problem of delayed or late payments is reaching epidemic proportions – and is potentially fatal for the smaller business. Indeed, it is estimated that 50,000 businesses close each year due to late payments, costing the economy £2.5bn.

We are seeing more and more news concerning scammers targeting homes. While this is nothing new in itself, these scammers are increasingly creative in how they go about their murky business.

As we all know, Christmas brings a plethora of extra jobs, buying presents for the family, to putting up decorations and, of course, cooking Christmas dinner. With such festivities taking place during this period, it is common for fire safety to take a back seat.

If you are a tradesman yourself, perhaps a sole trader or a small business owner, you will be well aware of the saturated market in which your business sits and how reputation and differentiation is everything to get that phone ringing off the hook. Perhaps you are part of an accreditation scheme, such as TrustMark, whereby you can display the ‘Government-endorsed standards’ logo across your paperwork and vehicle livery – but how else can you really make the most of your business assets and unique selling points?