Before COVID-19 took the world by surprise and changed our everyday lives, booking holidays with friends and family was a straightforward activity that was fuelled by excitement rather than worry. However, things aren’t so straightforward in 2021. For those that were planning on booking a holiday this year, there are additional concerns to think about. The main concern for many is if they can even go on holiday. Although there is no straightforward yes or no answer to this, it’s important you do your research into the different COVID-19 rules affecting the destination you’re travelling to. With another UK lockdown…
Author: News Team
Whether it be increased Microsoft Teams’ meeting, a spike in family Zoom quizzes, or simply just more time spent glued to our mobile phone screens out of boredom, there is no denying that the collective screen time of the nation has grown drastically over the course of the past year. From the moment we wake up to the second we go to bed we are looking at a screen. Although it’s something we are reluctant to admit, screens for the majority of us are the only constant in our everyday lives – in a year that the only real other…
The working environment has changed over the past year. Social distancing restrictions mean that many people have been obligated to work from home. This has affected work across many sectors – particularly when it comes to training. The Office for National Statistics measured that in April 2020, 46.4 per cent of people in employment did some work from home. Of these people, 86 per cent did so as a consequence of the pandemic. Meanwhile, virtual learning opportunities have exploded into a variety of professional sectors. Learning in the workplace has been recognised as essential to business growth. Technology has been…
The personalisation of gifts has boomed over the last few years. Everything from drinking glasses to sweet jars and suitcases with people’s faces on are available to buy as personal products. It’s estimated that the global market for personalisation will reach $31.6 billion by 2021. The growing gift culture is certainly helping to spearhead these predicted figures. The use of mass customisation means businesses can produce on a large scale while satisfying a customer’s needs for individuality. One trend that is helping to drive the sales of personalised products is nostalgia. Retro sweets, jigsaw puzzles, personalised comic books and other…
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing us into another national lockdown, hiking has become the go-to hobby for many of us. Although walking isn’t everyone’s preferred choice of activity, 2021 has left us no other option but to make some compromises with how we spend our time. With this said, there are different types of hikes you can go on depending on what scenery you prefer to be surrounded by. Since many of us had to cancel or delay our holiday abroad in the sun this year, venturing on a beach walk in the UK is the next best thing. Here,…
Technology has advanced enormously over the years, and children now have many different devices at their fingertips to keep them entertained. It is no secret that technology now plays a prevalent role in children’s lives, with both positive and negative effects. Too much of anything is bad for you, and the number of hours children spend staring at a screen is no different. Time spent on children’s favourite digital devices differs depending on age and what they are being used for. To discover the true extent of just how much time children spend on their favourite digital devices, we look…
It has been a strange year for businesses and workplaces around the world. With the majority of us working from home for at least part of the year, workers have no doubt gained a new appreciation for a dedicated office space away from home – or, if nothing else, for the top-quality office chair as opposed to the spine-shattering kitchen chair of their makeshift home office. Not only are we craving that distinct work-to-life separation in our lives once more, but many of us are missing our colleagues in a social way too. According to one survey, during COVID-19’s work-from-home…
When we think about rapid developments in terms of wireless technology, we often automatically assume it’s in regard to telecommunications. However, with so many alternative industries taking advantage of the offerings that wireless technology and connectivity provides, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Many companies recognised the need for intelligent wireless technologies and the importance of the likes of the Cloud Space back in late March following the announcement of nationwide lockdown. A report by Ofcom showed that 94 per cent of businesses believe digital technologies are crucial to increasing their productivity too. With this in mind, businesses who’d…
As we continue through another lockdown, we have been forced back to online shopping as non-essential retailers have closed their doors once again. While we might be tempted to order from the giant corporations who can guarantee delivery the next day, we must stick to our guns and shop ethically. While sites like Amazon raked in $96.15bn in their third quarter of 2020, smaller businesses are left struggling in the pandemic. But it is important to stop and consider where your money is going when you shop online. For example, Amazon was faced with backlash over unsafe conditions in a…
Leadership has been tested over the past year, with many business leaders taking on the ultimate challenge of completely changing the way in which we work in the face of adversity. It has been necessary for leaders to motivate their employees from afar, usually online as their employees moved to working from home where possible, and to juggle keeping their businesses running while supporting their team in one of the most difficult times they have ever faced. The notion of leadership has had a makeover this year. The past few months have made it abundantly clear that leaders need to…
