Uncategorised – Lemon Quarters https://lemonquarters.com We Squeeze Out Your Most Inspiring Stories Thu, 25 Apr 2024 09:30:00 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://lemonquarters.com/wp-content/uploads/Lemon-Quarters-Website-2_21-150x150_89faee2e47644e3b499f344f3f2357a9.png Uncategorised – Lemon Quarters https://lemonquarters.com 32 32 Empowering a sustainable financial future: Five key steps brands can take on their journey towards a sustainable future https://lemonquarters.com/empowering-a-sustainable-financial-future-five-key-steps-brands-can-take-on-their-journey-towards-a-sustainable-future/ Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:04:41 +0000 https://lemonquarters.com/?p=1832

5 key steps brands can take on the journey to a sustainable future

The COP26 Summit put climate change at the top of everyone’s agenda but now the conference is over, and as the dust starts to settle, government, businesses and individuals need to turn the talk into action.  

And with consumers proving their commitment to sustainability by choosing greener businesses, companies must continue to demonstrate a commitment to net zero if they are to compete successfully, and the way in which they pay for and receive payment will be scrutinised. 

Lemon Quarters Media in partnership with Attest, invited an expert panel to hear more about the future of sustainable payments and investments and the role cash, contactless, crypto will have in the transition to net zero.

Read below the five insights captured below, shared by the likes of Sarah Hollinshead, Head of Content at Attest, Mark Hipperson, CEO and Founder of Ziglu, and IIona Sediha, Marketing Lead, Clim8.

1. Enhance education

Help consumers to understand where their money is and why this is important. The more individuals know about the impact their savings and investments can have in managing environmental, social and governance risks, the greater the opportunity for financial organisations to use that money to drive the sustainability agenda.

2. Keep it simple

Messaging on sustainability needs to be straightforward and easy to understand. Consumers benefit from clear guidance on how sustainable their payment methods are and the influence their savings and investments have. Armed with clear information about products, individuals can make better choices.

3. Collect data

Take the time to understand your consumers and find out their challenges, pain points and objectives. This helps to reinforce your value proposition and to develop the right products that both meet sustainability goals and serve your markets.

4. Demonstrate authenticity

Ensuring the products available to consumers are truly sustainable really matters. For financial organisations to shake off accusations of greenwashing, they need to offer products that demonstrate there are meeting clearly defined, measurable sustainability goals.

5. Work together

Multiple alliances exist which will help financial service providers accelerate the path to net zero by 2050. Collaborating with other financial organisations and joining collectives give financial organisations considerable influence over the likelihood of meeting ESG goals.

]]> Ahead of the Game: Five key factors driving UK banking and fintech in a post-Covid and Brexit world https://lemonquarters.com/ahead-of-the-game-five-key-factors-driving-uk-banking-and-fintech-in-a-post-covid-and-brexit-world/ Tue, 13 Jul 2021 15:26:49 +0000 https://lemonquarters.com/?p=625

Ahead of the Game: Five key factors driving UK banking and fintech in a post-Covid and Brexit world​

The UK’s SMEs are under constant pressure from all sides: operating under the enormous uncertainty of Covid, struggling to recruit and retain bright people, and always in need of swift, secure and targeted help from banks. It is fortunate, then, that it seems that UK banks and fintechs are developing better ways to collaborate in order to make business banking easier and more secure for the almost 6m smaller businesses across the country.

Given the various pressures, not working smoothly with their financial service providers is one headache they don’t need, explained Professor Barbara Casu Lukac of Bayes Business School, who recently took part in a webinar we ran in partnership with DueDil.

Titled ‘Beyond Compliance’, a webinar focused on the challenges facing the UK banking and fintech worlds post Covid and post Brexit. This webinar combined the expertise of academics, technologists and financial crime experts to look at the ways in which new and established providers can work together with regulators to improve the banking services on offer to SMEs.

Read below the five insights captured below, shared by the likes of Justin Fitzpatrick CEO of DueDil, Professor Barbara Casu Lukac, Director of the Centre of Banking Research from Bayes Business School, Ricky Lee CEO and Founder of sync.money and Matthew Tataryn Head of FinCrime at Tide.

Onboarding

Onboarding remains a problem. Banks want to extend their lending books to new customers, but the current KYB can still be cumbersome and time consuming.

Challenger banks

Challenger banks still face a battle to past the trust test. While they are driving many of the innovations that keep the UK at the forefront of banking technology, challenger banks need to do more to reassure customers – retail and business – that they are equipped to take on large scale lending securely.

UK Regulators Lead

The UK regulator leads the world. The FCA has its critics but fintechs, banks, investors and consumers can all feel grateful that the UK’s watchdog takes such an active and progressive
role in shaping the banking landscape. The world is watching, and following.

Stop the fraudsters

Fraud isn’t going away. If the figures from the National Crime Agency are a guide, we are in a golden age of banking and online fraud. Good news, then, that the tools, systems and processes employed to counter the fraudsters are developing at a rapid rate.

Lets innovate

The status quo isn’t always a good thing. New technologies and processes will always carry a risk, but with a robust regulatory framework in place, the UK is better placed to support innovation in the banking space than anywhere else.

]]> Ten ways business leaders can turn change to their advantage https://lemonquarters.com/ten-ways-business-leaders-can-turn-change-to-their-advantage/ Fri, 29 Jan 2021 12:32:45 +0000 https://lemonquarters.com/?p=425

Ten ways business leaders can turn change to their advantage

What a year 2020 has been. The world has, at times, been paralysed by an unexpected pandemic, the UK government has finalised the Brexit negotiations with the EU and US voters have, unusually, turfed out a President after just one term. If dealing with the fallout of those changes isn’t enough, the dual challenges of climate change and new technology continue to grow. In 2021, business leaders have two options: run for the hills or embrace change.

Those who choose change will be the surefire winners in an increasingly uncertain business landscape.

Taking place in the grips of our third lockdown here in the UK, our webinar, A playbook for change: How to find the silver lining in a cloud of uncertainty, in partnership with British Business Bank, brought experts and leaders together to discuss how companies of all sizes could not just survive a period of great change, but thrive. We delved into some of the key secrets that change advocates swear by: accepting rather than resisting, creating a culture of learning and over-communicating.

But how can businesses of all sizes grow accustomed to the new and the benefits of being agile? And how can these business leaders embrace change and the opportunities it brings.

Here’s what our experts had to say…

Pivot...

When the world around you is changing, a smart move is to change with it – observe what is happening around you and create something to fit, says Julia Munder, International Marketing Director, Maxwell-Scott.

“Look at the times we’re living in – for example, we manufacture briefcases which are normally a favourite for businesswomen who travel. This year no one is out and about on the go. So we pivoted to home office accessories, such as mouse pads and this has worked well.”

Plan...

While change brings opportunity, it can bring shock waves for a business and having a strong foundational plan is key to survival, says Richard Bearman, Managing Director for Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank

“To deal with long-term challenges of this nature it’s important to plan and build agility and resistance into the business. These are easy things to talk about but you need to take the time to actually look at building these in. Challenges create opportunity, but for a business to be able to take advantage and respond quickly you need a strong foundation.”

Lean...

With an uncertain future, it helps to have fewer overheads, says Luisa Alemany, Associate Prof Management Practice, Academic Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School:

“A lot of businesses are leaner than they were. They have adapted and are not spending so much money on things like travel and they’re maybe thinking about whether they need to pay for office space. The cost structure of companies is changing too and that’s key.”

Collaborate...

When times are looking tough, reach out to those around you to achieve shared goals, says Marie-Claire Frederick founder, Lemon Quarters Squared

“There’s an old African proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.’ So I think, especially for startups, or even scale-ups and established businesses, work with other organisations, partner with other businesses and allow that collective force and collaboration to take off.”

Stay True...

Pivots are all well and good but if you’re creating something new, don’t lose sight of who you are and what is important to you as a business, says Margaret Morrison-Macleod, Founder, The Divine Hag:

“Stay true to your values. Establish what these are and stick to them. One of the major things I wanted to do with my subscription service was make sure that everything was recyclable and wouldn’t end up as rubbish. That’s a core part of my business that will become more and more important with the way things are with the environment.”

Communicate...

Your customers want to hear from you in a crisis or a time of uncertainty, says Julia Munder:

“Communication is important and it is critical to continue to speak to your audience. Just make sure you’re hitting the right tone at the right time – and don’t be afraid to change this as and when you need to.“

Mindset...

Businesses of all sizes should try to think like a start-up, says Luisa Alemany:

“You should continue to have an entrepreneurial mindset, even if you’re not a start-up anymore and have an established business, you should continue taking risks, looking to the future and finding opportunities – because wherever there is crisis, there is an opportunity.”

Speed...

In the grip of a crisis, companies shouldn’t wait to introduce things to their customers, says Marie-Claire:

“When launching new things or introducing concepts to customers, many leaders want to have their ducks in a row first and have an all-singing all-dancing website ready. But customers don’t mind an imperfect journey, they want to be taken on it with you, to understand your inspirations and the challenges you’ve faced to bring them something. Don’t delay talking to them, find out what they think and get in front of them as soon as you can with solutions.”

Learning...

Encouraging a culture of life-long learning in your company can create opportunities to innovate and change with the times, says Julia Munder.

“We’ve worked life-long learning into our internal KPIs, which might sound really harsh but our teams have the KPI to learn one new thing every month and in our monthly meeting we share the things we’ve learned. You have to move so fast, especially in digital, and we need to keep up with it.”

Innovate...

These may be challenging times, but let’s not forget that historically, moments like this create great things, says Richard Bearman.

“In times of crisis and dramatic change, we tend to get the greatest innovation and creativity and so the business trends that I’m most excited about are really the ones that I simply can’t imagine. But I know there are entrepreneurs out there who have imagined them.“

As you can see, change is a challenge but it doesn’t have to be a catastrophe – there are opportunities to be found. If you’d like to communicate change internally or externally but don’t know where to start, a content specialist can help and give you the confidence to keep moving through the uncertainty. Get in touch if you’d like to work with Lemon Quarters Squared.

Similarly, if you’d like to find out more about the financial support and information available through the British Business Bank, such as the Coronavirus Finance Schemes and other ideas on starting, growing and scaling your business, you can find it here.

]]> Ten ways to find your voice on social issues such as Black Lives Matter https://lemonquarters.com/ten-ways-to-find-your-voice-on-social-issues-such-as-black-lives-matter/ Mon, 12 Oct 2020 19:38:46 +0000 https://lemonquarters.com/?p=351

Ten ways tech’s SMEs can find their voice on social issues such as Black Lives Matter

For the majority of SMEs, communicating with consumers, their clients and the general public is reserved for commercial interests. Rarely do social issues require action or comment. But sometimes the world beyond business demands a response – The Black Lives Matter movement is one such issue.

Sparked by police brutality and creating a tidal wave of global protests, the pain and anguish being felt by black communities across the world meant that for many companies, silence was not an option. But without enormous comms teams, lawyers and diversity and inclusion directors, SMEs can find it difficult to know where to start.
On the back of our webinar, Breaking the silence: How an authentic voice can help your business to grow, we offer some of the advice from our panelists, aimed at helping SMEs to find their voice on the Black Lives Matter movement and the issue of diversity and inclusion.

Listen...

Not everybody has the answers and that is okay. But SMEs can start by simply listening – to their black employees, clients, customers – to understand the issues.
“When black community members are sharing their experiences, be open and listen,” says Giselle Frederick, founder, Sonaaar. “Create a safe space for the black community to bring their authentic voices to the table.”

“Importantly, don’t take it personally. Do not take everything that is deemed a negative reflection of your company or company leadership as a personal attack on you or your company’s reputation.”

Question...

Authenticity is key. To make sure what you’re saying and supporting is reflected in your company culture, you may need to look at your core values and make changes.
“It’s really important that the messages that are being put out there are aligned with company values and culture,” says Oliver Smith, managing editor, Alt-Fi.
“We’ve seen some companies in fintech that are very good at marketing and putting messages out there and then you do hear stories of the internal side of that and it’s not always aligned and that causes tension and stress in the workplace.”

Collaborate...

If you’re looking at your company values and thinking about the kinds of content you can create to illustrate how the company thinks and feels, make sure you collaborate with a diverse team of internal voices to ensure it is representative.
“If you’re focusing on core values, bring your team along with you,” says Marie-Claire Frederick, founder, Lemon Quarters Squared “Inviting colleagues to get involved is a great way to add value and encourage your team to use their voice.”

Represent...

Your company should be reflective of the society it serves. This means having a diverse team and keeping the diversity of your customer base front of mind.
“Make sure your company reflects the spaces they operate in,” says Giselle. “If you haven’t deemed the black community your target audience, ask yourself why not. Be honest with yourself when you answer. Did you make any assumptions or applied any stereotypes in your reasons?”

Banish Blame...

For open and honest discussions to take place, there needs to be a feeling of support, not sabotage. “Get rid of blame culture,” says Marie-Claire. “Everyone should be welcome to provide constructive ideas on how to make things a more equitable and fair place to work – these ideas and discussions can be documented and shared internally first and then externally they can be shared as pieces of content.”

Share...

When you’re starting to think about how to communicate your company’s thoughts and feelings on an issue like this, a good place to start is to share and champion the content of others that aligns to your thinking. This enables you to illustrate your position and celebrate others who have communicated it well, while you take the necessary time to consider your own content outputs. You can also share any external resources you have found useful, TransferWise did this nicely.

Be Honest...

An open letter is a good way for business leaders to quickly and effectively communicate their position as a business. In this instance, honesty works particularly well. This can be shared on social media and on your website.
“We’ve seen business leaders engaging directly with their customers, saying they don’t have all of the an-swers but they stand against racism and these kinds of things are powerful because they really seek to connect and be honest with their audience,” says Marie-Claire.

Encourage...

Encourage further education within the business by creating opportunities to learn and improve, such as working groups, training or even book clubs. Monzo has published the details of its training, for example. These actions can be talked about in content form and championed internally and externally as an illustration of the work you’re doing.

Women of FinTech meanwhile, has created a diversity and inclusion book club. “As an avid book reader, I have loved the Black Lives Matter book campaigns to get people reading about and empathising with why the movement started,” says Women of FinTech and DiversiTech Hub founder Gemma Young. “As a mum of four kids I have also used this as a way to talk about this topic to my children.”

Donate...

Putting your money, or indeed fundraising efforts, where your mouth is, is a good way of illustrating intent. “Donate to charities which are openly helping to redress the balance within society,” suggests Marie Claire. “But ensure this isn’t the only thing you’re doing to bring about change, underpin donations with real internal change if it’s needed.” The 4Front Project and Colourintech are two examples supported by Starling Bank.

Campaign...

If you feel you’ve done the work to ensure your internal practices align with the movement and you want to go even further, you can consider creating a whole campaign around it.

This incorporates real action, social media, content outputs such as reports and blogs. If you’re ready to make that investment and send a clear message to the market, a campaign is powerful. “Starling Bank’s Make Money Equal is a great example of this,” says Oliver.

Listen to the full podcast

You can also find this podcast on the following websites:

Apple Podcast

Spotify Podcast

Google Podcast

Anchor Podcast

As you can see, there are many ways SMEs can take action and find their authentic voice on the  things that matter most. If you are  keen to start taking action and communicating your position, but  don’t want to do it alone, a content specialist can help with an internal audit and plan to shape your thoughts and ideas. Get in touch if you’d like to work with Lemon Quarters.

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