Business

On-demand laundry and dry-cleaning platform Laundryheap has accelerated its international growth strategy with launches in four new markets: Colombia, Mexico, Malaysia and Scotland.

The latest expansion sees the company enter Bogotá, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur and Edinburgh, taking its total footprint to 28 cities across 16 countries. Existing markets include the United States, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, the UAE and France, with further launches planned throughout 2026.

Founded by Deyan Dimitrov, Laundryheap positions itself as the world’s largest on-demand laundry service, having served more than 400,000 customers globally and processed over 110 million items to date. The business has grown rapidly over the past five years, reporting 700 per cent growth since 2020 as consumers increasingly embraced app-based convenience services.

Dimitrov said the new openings marked a significant step in the company’s ambition to become the most trusted global brand in the sector.

“Our launches into Colombia, Mexico, Malaysia and Scotland mark another major milestone in Laundryheap’s journey to becoming the world’s most trusted name in on-demand laundry and dry cleaning,” he said. “Expanding into these vibrant markets reflects both the strength of our technology platform and the growing global demand for reliable, 24-hour turnaround services.”

Laundryheap’s app-based model allows customers to book collections for clothes and bedding, which are laundered or dry cleaned and returned within 24 hours. In select cities including London, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the company introduced an Express Overnight service last year, offering turnaround times of as little as eight hours.

Beyond individual customers, the company has expanded into commercial partnerships, working with bars, restaurants, hotels and short-term rental operators. Corporate partners include Emirates Skywards, CitizenM and Klarna.

The expansion follows a series of strategic acquisitions aimed at consolidating the fragmented on-demand laundry market. Over the past three years, Laundryheap has completed seven acquisitions, including France’s Lavoir Moderne and Singapore-based Oppa Laundry. It previously acquired UK rival Laundrapp in 2022.

The company has raised £17 million in funding to date from investors including Alex Chesterman, Nickleby Capital, Verb Ventures, The Side by Side Partnership and Claret Capital Partners.

With fresh market entries in Latin America and Southeast Asia, and further planned growth in the United States and the Gulf region, Laundryheap is pursuing what it describes as its most aggressive international expansion strategy to date, as competition intensifies in the global on-demand services sector.

Read more:
Laundryheap ramps up global expansion with four new market launches

Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) has called for Sir Keir Starmer to resign as Labour leader following the party’s defeat to the Green Party in the Gorton and Denton by-election.

The transport and travel union, which is affiliated to the Labour Party, said the result reflected growing dissatisfaction among voters and warned that Labour’s recent political direction was costing it support.

Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of TSSA, said the party’s positioning under Keir Starmer had alienated core voters and created space for the Greens to gain ground.

“It’s clear that the disastrous lurch to the right under Keir Starmer is haemorrhaging Labour votes to the Greens,” she said. “There’s an urgent need for a change in leadership, and Keir must announce his departure immediately.”

Eslamdoust argued that replacing the leader alone would not be sufficient to reverse Labour’s fortunes. Instead, she said, the party needed a broader shift in policy direction, returning to what she described as its “radical soul”.

She called for an expansion of public ownership across key industries, including water, energy and mail services, alongside a substantial rise in the minimum wage. She also advocated for the introduction of a wealth tax to fund public services.

“Only by embracing ‘Real Labour’ policies will we be able to win back support from the voters who switched from our party to the Greens in Gorton and Denton,” she said.

The intervention underscores growing tensions between parts of the trade union movement and Labour’s current leadership, particularly over economic policy and the party’s positioning on public ownership and redistribution.

Labour has not yet responded publicly to the TSSA’s remarks.

Read more:
TSSA calls for ‘urgent change’ in Labour leadership after by-election defeat

Circular tech start-up Kibu has secured an investment offer from entrepreneurs Peter Jones and Jenna Meek following a televised pitch on Dragons’ Den, putting repairable children’s electronics firmly in the national spotlight.

The award-winning brand, which produces modular, repairable headphones for children, appeared on the long-running BBC programme represented by co-founder and chief executive Sam Beaney. Kibu’s pitch focused on its mission to redesign children’s consumer electronics around circular principles, prioritising disassembly, repair and customisation over disposal.

Founded through a collaboration between London-based design studio Morrama, advanced manufacturing partner Batch.Works and Beaney, Kibu first launched via a successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then, the company has transitioned from prototype to scalable commercial product, positioning itself as a challenger brand in a sector dominated by low-cost, disposable devices.

Kibu’s headphones are built with modular components that can be taken apart and reassembled by children. Individual parts can be replaced in minutes, extending product lifespan and reducing electronic waste. The design also allows for aesthetic customisation, enabling users to change colours and update components as preferences evolve.

The brand has already received international recognition for innovation and sustainability, tapping into growing parental demand for durable, repairable products in an era of heightened environmental awareness.

Speaking during the broadcast, Jones praised the concept and offered backing, citing his own early experience building and selling computers as a teenager. Meek also expressed interest in supporting the venture.

Beaney told the Dragons that empowering children to build and repair their own technology shifts their relationship with ownership and value. “When a child builds something themselves, it changes how they feel about it. When they learn they can fix what they’ve made, it changes how they see everything they own,” he said.

Jo Barnard, founder and creative director of Morrama, described the brand as a blueprint for futureproof electronics. By combining onshored manufacturing with agile supply chains, she argued, Kibu could unlock wider opportunities across children’s consumer technology.

Julien Vaissieres, chief executive of Batch.Works, said the project demonstrated how manufacturing can be structured to reduce waste while maintaining commercial viability. As both a founder and a parent, he said, the appeal lay in giving children agency over the products they use daily.

Now in its 23rd series, Dragons’ Den remains one of the UK’s most visible entrepreneurial platforms, attracting around three million viewers per episode on BBC One. For Kibu, the appearance offers both capital and brand recognition at a pivotal growth stage.

With investor backing now on the table, Kibu plans to scale distribution while continuing to develop its circular design ethos. The company believes its repair-first approach could extend beyond headphones into a broader range of children’s electronics, an industry segment increasingly scrutinised for its environmental footprint.

As sustainability pressures intensify and right-to-repair legislation gains momentum across global markets, Kibu’s model may offer an early glimpse of how future consumer electronics for children could be designed, manufactured and owned.

Read more:
Kibu secures investment offer from Peter Jones and Jenna Meek after Dragons’ Den pitch

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has reported a sharp contraction in UK vehicle output at the start of the year, with total production down 13.6 per cent in January as weaker export demand weighed heavily on the sector.

A combined 67,415 vehicles left British factories during the month, comprising 65,249 cars and 2,166 commercial vehicles. Car production declined by 8.2 per cent compared with January 2025, while commercial vehicle output slumped by 68.6 per cent year on year.

The fall was primarily driven by reduced overseas demand. Although domestic appetite for UK-built cars remained broadly stable, export volumes softened, particularly in markets outside Europe. Exports typically account for the majority of British vehicle production, leaving manufacturers exposed to fluctuations in global demand and trade conditions.

The United States remained the second-largest destination for UK-built cars after the European Union, accounting for 14.1 per cent of exports. Japan followed with a 2.7 per cent share, while China and Turkey took 2.5 per cent and 2.4 per cent respectively.

Electrified vehicle output also declined. Production of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrids and hybrid models fell by 10.6 per cent to 26,854 units, representing 41.2 per cent of total car output. Despite the drop, electrified vehicles continue to form a substantial share of UK production as manufacturers transition towards zero-emission platforms.

The industry body said the weak start to the year reflected subdued global demand and underlined the importance of stable trade relationships. Protectionist measures and “made in Europe” proposals in some markets were cited as additional headwinds.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, described January’s figures as disappointing but pointed to expected recovery later in the year as new electric models enter production.

“Weak exports to markets beyond Europe amid soft demand delivered a disappointing start to the year for UK vehicle manufacturing,” he said. “It reinforces the need for a forward-looking trade agenda that secures existing preferential access and builds new ones with markets worldwide.”

The SMMT expects overall car production to increase by more than 10 per cent to around 790,000 units in 2026, with the potential to reach one million vehicles by 2027, provided new model launches proceed on schedule and investment conditions remain supportive.

The outlook hinges on competitive energy costs, a strong domestic market and targeted supply chain support, the trade body said, as the sector continues its capital-intensive shift towards electrification.

Read more:
UK car production falls 13.6% in January as exports slide

In their most simple forms, expense policies are designed to control costs, ensure fairness and reduce financial risk. On paper, most organisations already have these documents in place, often reviewed annually and signed off by finance and HR teams. In theory, they should provide clarity and consistency.

In practice, however, many expense policies fail to deliver the control they promised at the offset. Spend becomes unpredictable, enforcement slips into inconsistency, and finance teams are left responding to problems rather than preventing them.

It’s easy to assume that this failure stems from careless or dishonest employees. Humans are, after all, only human. In most cases, however, expense-related issues are far more likely to be the result of policies built around assumptions that do not reflect how people actually think, decide, and behave in real working environments.

To understand why expense policies break down, we need to look beyond the documents themselves, and examine the psychological and social forces shaping everyday spending decisions at work. That’s quite a hefty task, so we’ve parachuted in the aid of expense management software specialists at Webexpenses to assist with exploring this topic further.

Flawed assumptions lead to flawed systems

Most company policies are written for a hypothetical, “best-case” employee: rational, attentive, well-rested, and operating in a low-pressure environment. They assume employees will read the rules carefully, remember them, and apply them consistently at the point of purchase.

As appealing as this assumption may be, it bears little resemblance to how real workplaces operate. Expense decisions are frequently made at the end of long days, during travel, or between meetings, when time and attention are limited. By the time an expense is submitted, the decision has already been made – often quickly, with incomplete information and little cognitive bandwidth.

Behavioural economics describes this pattern as bounded rationality. When mental resources are constrained, people simplify decisions rather than optimise them. They rely on habits, prior approvals, and social cues instead of consulting formal policy documents. The gap between assumption and reality is reflected in the data.

From a governance perspective, this is important because expense policies aren’t operating in isolation. Instead, they’re competing with faster, more intuitive decision-making processes that often win.

Vaguery creates fragmentation, not flexibility

Many expense policies hinge on terms such as “reasonable”, “appropriate”, or “within limits”. These “legalese” buzzwords are intended to provide flexibility, but in reality, they invite ambiguity. Ambiguity forces interpretation, and interpretation is shaped by context rather than policy wording.

When boundaries are unclear, employees will start looking for guidance elsewhere: what their manager approved previously, what colleagues typically submit, or what appears acceptable within their team. Phrases like “I just submit it like this” override the written rule.

Over time, these informal cues become the “street” rules your employees – both old and new – will follow. Your policy documents may say one thing, but in the face of ambiguity, different teams will inevitably develop different interpretations of the same rules, influenced by culture, seniority, and precedent.

For finance teams, this fragmentation has tangible consequences. Inconsistent interpretation makes spending harder to forecast, harder to benchmark across departments and harder to challenge without appearing arbitrary. In plain terms, ambiguity does not allow for flexibility, and it does not reduce disputes; it simply pushes them downstream, after the money has already been spent.

Social pressure outweighs financial rules

Expense decisions are rarely confined to the consistent sphere of cold, mathematical calculations – emotions and social elements also play a part.

Choices around travel, accommodation, and client entertainment are tied to perceptions of professionalism, competence, and status. In many roles, particularly client-facing ones, employees feel pressure to meet (or exceed) unspoken benchmarks about what is “appropriate” for the situation. People use money to signal competence, generosity, seniority, or professionalism – especially around clients and travel.

Being forced to book the cheapest option can lead employees to feel as though they’re undervalued. If they have the ability to apply upgrades, this can be done with a sense of feeling like they’ve earned the right. Picking a nicer venue for a client lunch may be justified as “representing the brand” in the best possible light.

When expense policies fail to acknowledge these social dynamics, employees are left balancing formal rules against informal expectations. In these moments, the immediate risk of appearing unprofessional or out of step can feel more pressing than the abstract risk of breaching policy.

This dynamic shows up in reported behaviour. Surveys indicate that nearly one in four employees admit to having misreported or bent an expense claim, while broader reviews of improper claims suggest that around 13% involve deliberate reimbursement irregularities, often in socially sensitive categories such as travel and entertainment.

It might be easy to boil this down to opportunistic and dishonest behaviours, and while that may be the driving factor behind a small number of cases, it’s not typically the underlying issue.

Inconsistent enforcement undermines policy legitimacy

Even well-designed policies struggle when enforcement is unpredictable.

If similar claims receive different outcomes depending on who approves them, employees quickly conclude that the system is inconsistent. Once that perception takes hold, behaviour changes; claims become more defensive, more heavily justified, or disengaged altogether.

Reimbursement delays compound this effect, and when employees are regularly left out of pocket, expense processes stop feeling administrative and start feeling adversarial.

From a governance standpoint, trust functions as an informal control mechanism. When employees believe the system is fair and predictable, they are more likely to self-regulate. When trust erodes, formal rules lose authority and administrative costs increase.

Policies fall behind modern working practices

Many expense policies fail not because they are ignored, but because they are outdated.

Hybrid working, remote travel, and digital-first transactions have introduced new scenarios that older policy frameworks were never designed to address. Grey areas multiply, and employees are forced to rely on judgement rather than guidance.

At the same time, technological change has reshaped the risk landscape. Digital documentation and AI-generated receipts have made manual verification less reliable. In 2025, industry reporting found that AI-generated fake receipts accounted for around 14% of flagged fraudulent documentation, a rapid shift that legacy control processes were not built to handle.

In this context, policy failure is often a matter of misalignment rather than misconduct. Controls that do not reflect how work is actually done lose relevance, and relevance is a prerequisite for compliance.

Adding more rules often makes things worse

When expense issues arise, the instinctive response is to tighten control: more rules, more exceptions, more detailed guidance. While understandable, this approach often backfires.

Long, complex policies increase cognitive load. Faced with dense documentation, employees are less likely to consult it in real time. Instead, they rely on memory, precedent, or judgement. Attempts to cover every edge case can make everyday decisions harder rather than clearer.

Effective policies focus on clarity where it matters most: common scenarios, clear examples, and predictable outcomes. Simplicity, in this context, is not a lack of rigour but a deliberate design choice.

What makes an expense policy effective?

Expense policies work best when they are designed around real – rather than idealised – behaviour. This means recognising cognitive limits, social pressures, and the realities of modern working environments.

Clear examples outperform abstract rules, consistent enforcement builds legitimacy, and predictable reimbursement reinforces trust. Systems that support judgement, rather than relying solely on manual oversight, reduce friction and error.

Ultimately, expense policies are not just financial controls. They are signals about how an organisation balances trust, accountability, and practicality. When they align with how people actually operate, they become effective tools for cost control. When they do not, they risk becoming well-written documents that fail quietly in practice.

Read more:
Why Expense Policies Fail: A Deep Dive Into Workplace Psychology

The owner of British Airways has launched a fresh €1.5 billion share buyback after reporting record annual profits, underlining the scale of the post-pandemic turnaround in the airline industry.

International Airlines Group (IAG), which also owns British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling, reported a 22 per cent rise in profit after tax to €3.34 billion for 2025.

Group revenues climbed 3.5 per cent to €33.2 billion, despite passenger numbers edging down slightly to 121.5 million compared with the previous year. The improvement was driven by stronger pricing and higher revenue per passenger rather than volume growth.

In response, the FTSE 100-listed airline group announced an 8.9 per cent increase in its dividend and unveiled a €1.5 billion share buyback programme. It follows a €1 billion buyback completed last year and adds to a growing trend of large UK corporates returning surplus cash to investors.

IAG said market conditions remained supportive, citing long-term demand growth across its core transatlantic and European markets, combined with constrained aircraft supply as manufacturers struggle with delivery delays.

“Market dynamics are compelling, long-term demand growth in our core markets and constrained supply in a consolidating industry,” the company said.

Share buybacks reduce the number of shares in circulation, increasing earnings per share and often supporting share price performance. IAG’s shares, which were trading below £1 during the depths of the pandemic, are now approaching historic highs, having previously peaked at around 470p in 2018.

The group has moved decisively from a crisis-era balance sheet to financial strength. Just over three years ago, IAG was carrying close to €20 billion of debt as international travel collapsed under Covid restrictions. Since then, it has restored profitability and significantly reduced leverage.

Luis Gallego, IAG’s chief executive, said the group’s improved profitability was underpinned by higher margins across its airline brands. Iberia delivered an operating margin of 16.2 per cent, while British Airways achieved 15.1 per cent, both historically strong levels for the group.

“Our margins are significantly better than those of many global competitors,” Gallego said.

Looking ahead, IAG expects to grow capacity by between 2 and 4 per cent annually over the next few years. However, it anticipates that supply constraints, driven by delays from aircraft manufacturers, will limit industry-wide expansion, supporting pricing power.

The North Atlantic remains IAG’s most important market, although growth has moderated. The group described the route network as increasingly mature, with future expansion likely to be in the low single digits. Demand from US travellers softened slightly during the summer peak season last year.

By contrast, IAG expects mid-single-digit growth in the South Atlantic, where it holds a strong competitive position.

Short-haul European operations, which account for more than a third of group capacity, have faced pressure from rising operating costs and weaker demand in parts of northern Europe.

Despite those headwinds, the airline group’s record profitability and enhanced shareholder returns mark a striking contrast to its precarious position during the pandemic, and reinforce investor confidence in the durability of premium transatlantic and leisure travel demand.

Read more:
IAG unveils €1.5bn share buyback after record profits at British Airways owner

Rolls-Royce has signalled it could manufacture its next-generation UltraFan engine outside Britain unless the government provides financial support, raising fresh questions about the UK’s commitment to its aerospace industrial strategy.

The FTSE 100 engineering group, led by chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic, is seeking to re-enter the highly lucrative market for narrowbody, single-aisle aircraft engines, the fastest-growing segment of global civil aviation. However, it says industrialising the UltraFan platform for this market will require public backing, similar to the subsidies received by competitors in the United States and France.

UltraFan, a more fuel-efficient engine architecture developed over the past decade at a cost of around £1 billion, is central to Rolls-Royce’s long-term civil aerospace ambitions. But moving from research and development to full-scale production will hinge on government support, according to Erginbilgic.

“This kind of support of industry is not uncommon,” he said, pointing to the scale of state assistance available to rivals such as GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney in the US and Safran in France. “Our competitors get two or three times what we get. It is a competitive world and you need to think about that.”

Rolls-Royce has reportedly been seeking up to £200 million from the UK government and has held discussions with Business Secretary Peter Kyle. While the company recently announced plans for up to £9 billion in share buybacks over the next three years, Erginbilgic insisted industrial backing for major aerospace programmes is standard practice globally.

The chief executive argued that the UltraFan programme aligns directly with the government’s own industrial strategy, which identifies narrowbody engines as a critical growth opportunity.

“Narrowbody is the single biggest opportunity in a generation,” he said. “It is natural for the UK government to support it. Not supporting it would be a strange thing to do.”

Rolls-Royce is understood to be evaluating alternative manufacturing locations, including Germany, where it builds business jet engines, and the United States, where it produces military engines, if UK support does not materialise.

The economic implications could be significant. Erginbilgic claimed a domestic UltraFan narrowbody programme would support up to 40,000 jobs, create a new UK supply chain and generate at least £100 billion in long-term economic value. He estimated that every £1 invested could deliver £34 in economic growth.

“The amount we are asking from the government is a fraction of what we are investing ourselves,” he said, noting that Rolls-Royce has doubled its internal investment levels since 2022.

The company exited the narrowbody market in 2011 when it sold its stake in a joint venture with Pratt & Whitney, a move widely viewed as a major strategic misstep. Since then, Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace business has been heavily reliant on long-haul engines such as the Trent XWB for the Airbus A350 and the Trent 1000 for the Boeing 787.

Re-entry into the short-haul market comes at a time when rivals are facing operational challenges. Pratt & Whitney has struggled with durability issues affecting its geared turbofan engines, leading to delivery delays and aircraft groundings across several airlines.

Erginbilgic said UltraFan would offer superior fuel efficiency and durability compared with current narrowbody engines and confirmed that Rolls-Royce is exploring industrial partnerships to share risk.

“We are talking to multiple parties,” he said.

With global demand for single-aisle aircraft expected to dominate the next aviation cycle, the government’s decision on funding could determine whether the next phase of Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace expansion is anchored in the UK or moves abroad.

Read more:
Rolls-Royce warns UltraFan production could shift overseas without UK backing

Businesses are rapidly growing their branded product lines in an attempt to meet changing consumer behaviour. Private labels now account for over 54.7% of sales made at grocery stores.

Retailer-owned products not being seen as a cheap alternative anymore, but instead, a way to convey luxury and exclusivity.

Price-Led Positioning is No Longer Dominating UK Supermarkets

Small UK businesses are aggressively growing, with price-led positioning becoming a dated trend. It’s becoming evident that brands are no longer using their own branded products as a way to be a cheap alternative. Instead, supermarkets are now investing in more premium or luxury ranges, in an attempt to target different consumer demographics. Tesco’s Finest range is an example here, but at the same time, Sainsbury’s has also expanded their Taste the Difference range quite significantly.

Aldi and Lidl also have their own branded product lines. Supermarkets are relying more and more on consumer loyalty to support them through bigger operating costs. Consumers are more willing to try alternative supermarkets, and brands are trying to compete by offering exclusive products that can’t be found elsewhere.

Brands are Exploring Own-Branded Products outside the Grocery Sector

It’s not just the supermarket sector that is exploring brand-name products. Even outside the grocery sector, we are seeing brands launch their own lines as a way to control pricing, as well as packaging and sustainability goals. Boots, for example, have their own brand, Soap & Glory. We are also seeing a shift in entertainment.

Netflix is dominating with Netflix Originals, which reduces its reliance on licensing content for set periods of time. Spotify also has Spotify-exclusive podcasts as a way to differentiate itself from the competition. We are also seeing this trend in the iGaming sector. Visiting an online live casino UK site often means discovering a range of exclusive titles like The Sun Live Roulette that reflect the site’s identity. This allows brands to tweak the rules or offer new gameplay experiences for games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. At the same time, it also dials in on exclusivity, as brands can protect their content while appealing directly to their target audience.

Even though we are seeing big trends right now, it’s more of a structural change that is changing how businesses compete with each other. Supermarkets might be providing premium-level ready meals, but at the same time, the beauty sector is also building global cosmetic brands. This not only reduces the store’s reliance on vendors but also opens up the door to new and creative marketing opportunities.

For small businesses across the UK, brands can no longer get by with offering a standard range of products. If this approach is adopted, it’s simply a race to the bottom to see who can offer the lowest prices. By offering exclusivity, it becomes possible to offer a product nobody else does, and in instances like this, it becomes easier to set price points that cannot be compared or competed with. Brands are finally taking control of an unpredictable market, and consumers stand to benefit significantly.

Read more:
54.7% of Retail Brands now Have Their Own Product Line

Trading is the process of buying and selling financial assets such as stocks, currencies, commodities, or cryptocurrencies with the goal of making a profit.

Unlike long-term investing, trading often focuses on short-term price movements. Today, trading has become accessible to ordinary people through online platforms and global exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and regional markets such as the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

How Trading Works

At its core, trading is based on price changes. Traders attempt to buy an asset at a lower price and sell it at a higher price. Prices move due to supply and demand, economic news, company performance, global events, and investor psychology.

For example, if a company reports strong profits, its stock price may rise because more people want to buy it. Traders who bought earlier can sell at a profit. On the other hand, bad news can cause prices to fall, leading to losses.

Major Types of Trading

1. Day Trading

Day trading involves opening and closing trades within the same day.
Traders try to profit from small price movements using technical charts and indicators.

Advantages:

Fast results
Many opportunities daily

Disadvantages:

High stress and risk
Requires constant monitoring

2. Swing Trading

Swing traders hold assets for several days or weeks to capture medium-term trends. They combine technical analysis with basic market news.

This style is popular among part-time traders because it does not require watching the market all day.

3. Position Trading

Position trading is closer to investing. Traders hold assets for months or even years based on long-term trends and economic outlook.

Famous investors like Warren Buffett follow this philosophy, focusing on strong businesses rather than short-term price movements.

Markets Where Trading Happens

There are several major trading markets:

Stock Market – Buying and selling shares of companies.
Forex Market – Trading currencies like USD, EUR, or PKR. This is the largest financial market in the world.
Crypto Market – Trading digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Commodities Market – Includes gold, oil, wheat, and other physical goods.

Each market has its own risks, volatility level, and trading hours.

Skills Needed to Become a Successful Trader

Market Knowledge

A trader must understand how markets react to news, interest rates, inflation, and global events.

Technical Analysis

This involves studying charts, price patterns, support/resistance levels, and indicators like moving averages or RSI.

Risk Management

Professional traders never risk all their capital on one trade. Many follow the rule of risking only 1–2% of their account per trade.

Emotional Control

Fear and greed destroy more trading accounts than lack of knowledge. Successful traders follow discipline instead of emotions.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

Overtrading: Taking too many trades without a clear strategy.
Revenge Trading: Trying to recover losses quickly by making risky trades.
Ignoring Stop Loss: Not setting a limit to control potential losses.
Following Tips Blindly: Many beginners lose money by copying others instead of learning themselves.

Is Trading Risky?

Yes, trading carries significant risk. While profits can be attractive, losses are equally possible. Statistics show that many beginners lose money in their first year because they underestimate risk and overestimate quick profits.

However, trading can become profitable with proper education, practice, and patience. Many professionals treat trading like a business, not gambling.

Tips for Beginners

Start with a demo account before investing real money
Focus on learning, not earning, in the beginning
Use small capital while practicing
Follow one strategy consistently
Keep a trading journal to track mistakes and improvements

Conclusion

Trading offers exciting opportunities to grow wealth, but it is not a shortcut to instant riches. It requires knowledge, discipline, and emotional strength. Whether you choose day trading, swing trading, or long-term positions, success depends on continuous learning and careful risk management.

Read more:
Understanding Trading: A Beginner’s Guide to Financial Markets

It’s 9 AM on a Tuesday morning, and your sales team is already drowning in leads they can’t seem to convert. Meanwhile, your competitors are somehow managing to reach prospects you didn’t even know existed.

The difference? They’ve partnered with a professional telemarketing agency. If you’re a UK business owner wondering whether outsourcing your telephone sales efforts could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for, you’re in the right place.

In today’s competitive marketplace, finding and converting quality leads has become increasingly challenging. That’s where a reliable telemarketing agency in the UK can step in to bridge the gap between your business and potential customers.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about choosing the right telemarketing partner, understanding the costs involved, and maximising the return on your investment.

What Exactly Does a Telemarketing Agency Do?

Before diving into the selection process, let’s establish what a modern telemarketing agency actually offers. Gone are the days when telemarketing simply meant cold-calling random numbers from a phone book. Today’s professional agencies provide sophisticated, targeted services that can significantly impact your bottom line.

A reputable telemarketing agency UK will typically offer lead generation services, where trained professionals identify and qualify potential customers who match your ideal client profile. They’ll conduct market research to understand your industry landscape and competitor positioning. Many agencies also provide appointment setting services, ensuring your sales team only spends time with genuinely interested prospects.

Customer retention programmes represent another valuable service area. These involve reaching out to existing clients to ensure satisfaction, identify upselling opportunities, and gather feedback for service improvements. Database cleansing and management services help maintain accurate customer information, whilst survey and market research capabilities provide insights into customer preferences and market trends.

The Current State of Telemarketing in the UK

The UK telemarketing industry has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Strict regulations introduced by Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office have cleaned up the sector considerably. The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) have created clear boundaries around who can be contacted and when.

These regulations have actually benefited legitimate businesses. Professional telemarketing agencies now operate within clearly defined parameters, focusing on quality over quantity. They maintain strict compliance with GDPR requirements and ensure all communications are permission-based or fall within legitimate interest guidelines.

The industry has also embraced technology in remarkable ways. Modern telemarketing campaigns integrate with CRM systems, use predictive diallers to improve efficiency, and employ sophisticated data analytics to refine targeting strategies. Many agencies now offer multi-channel approaches, combining telephone outreach with email campaigns and social media engagement.

Key Benefits of Partnering with a Professional Agency

Working with an established telemarketing agency in the UK offers several compelling advantages over managing campaigns internally. Cost-effectiveness ranks high among these benefits. Building an in-house telemarketing team requires significant investment in recruitment, training, technology, and ongoing management. Outsourcing telemarketing transfers these costs into a predictable monthly expense whilst providing immediate access to experienced professionals.

Expertise and specialisation represent another major advantage. Professional telemarketers understand how to navigate conversations effectively, handle objections gracefully, and identify genuine buying signals. They’ve encountered virtually every scenario and know how to adapt their approach accordingly.

Scalability offers tremendous flexibility for growing businesses. During busy periods, agencies can quickly allocate additional resources to your campaigns. Conversely, during quieter times, you can scale back without worrying about redundancies or unused capacity.

Access to advanced technology and data represents a significant benefit that many businesses overlook. Established agencies invest heavily in calling systems, data management platforms, and analytics tools that would be prohibitively expensive for individual companies to purchase and maintain.

Essential Factors to Consider When Choosing an Agency

Selecting the right telemarketing agency in the UK requires careful evaluation of several critical factors. Industry experience should top your list of considerations. An agency that understands your sector will grasp the nuances of your market, speak your customers’ language, and identify opportunities that generalist providers might miss.

Compliance and accreditation deserve serious attention given the regulated nature of telemarketing in the UK. Look for agencies that hold relevant certifications such as ISO 27001 for information security management. Membership in professional bodies like the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) indicates commitment to industry best practices.

Technology infrastructure and data security capabilities require thorough evaluation. Your chosen agency will likely handle sensitive customer information, making robust security measures essential. Ask about their data protection policies, staff vetting procedures, and technical safeguards.

Reporting and analytics capabilities vary significantly between providers. The best agencies provide detailed campaign reports, including call outcome analysis, conversion rates, and return on investment calculations. Real-time dashboards allow you to monitor campaign progress and make adjustments as needed.

Staff training and quality assurance processes directly impact campaign success. Inquire about how the agency trains its staff, what ongoing development programmes exist, and how they monitor call quality. Many top agencies record calls for training purposes and conduct regular performance reviews.

Understanding Pricing Models and What to Expect

Telemarketing agencies typically operate using several different pricing models, each with distinct advantages depending on your specific requirements. Per-hour billing represents the most straightforward approach, where you pay for actual time spent on your campaigns. This model works well for businesses with unpredictable calling volumes or those wanting maximum cost control.

Per-lead pricing aligns agency incentives with your business objectives. You only pay when the agency delivers qualified leads meeting your predefined criteria. This model transfers performance risk to the agency but may result in higher per-lead costs.

Retainer arrangements suit businesses requiring ongoing telemarketing support. Monthly retainers typically include a predetermined number of calling hours plus additional services such as campaign planning and performance analysis. This model often provides the best value for consistent, high-volume requirements.

Results-based pricing, whilst less common, can offer excellent value for businesses confident in their conversion processes. Under this model, agencies receive payment based on actual sales generated rather than leads delivered or hours worked.

When evaluating costs, remember to consider the total investment required. The cheapest option rarely delivers the best results. Factor in setup costs, data acquisition expenses, and the time investment required to brief and manage your chosen agency.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

Unfortunately, not all telemarketing providers operate to professional standards. Several warning signs can help identify agencies best avoided. Unrealistic promises represent a major red flag. Be wary of agencies guaranteeing specific results or claiming they can deliver leads at prices significantly below market rates.

Lack of transparency around processes, pricing, or compliance procedures should concern you. Professional agencies welcome detailed discussions about their methods and provide clear explanations of how they operate.

Poor communication during the selection process often indicates how the relationship will progress. Agencies that are difficult to reach, slow to respond, or provide vague answers to direct questions rarely improve once contracts are signed.

Absence of proper accreditation or unwillingness to provide references suggests the agency may have something to hide. Established providers proudly display their credentials and happily connect prospects with satisfied clients.

High-pressure sales tactics during initial discussions ironically indicate an agency that may struggle to represent your business professionally. The best telemarketing providers understand that building trust takes time and don’t rush the decision-making process.

Making Your Final Decision

Choosing the right telemarketing agency ultimately comes down to finding a provider that understands your business, operates professionally, and demonstrates the capability to deliver results within your budget. Take time to speak with multiple agencies, request detailed proposals, and check references thoroughly.

Consider starting with a small pilot campaign to evaluate performance before committing to larger contracts. This approach allows you to assess the agency’s capabilities whilst minimising risk. The best agencies welcome this approach and often suggest it themselves.

Remember that successful telemarketing partnerships require ongoing collaboration. Choose an agency that views itself as an extension of your team rather than just a service provider. The right partner will invest time in understanding your business, provide strategic input, and adapt their approach as your requirements evolve.

The telemarketing industry in the UK offers tremendous opportunities for businesses willing to work with professional, compliant providers. By following the guidelines outlined in this article and taking time to evaluate your options carefully, you’ll be well-positioned to find an agency that can drive genuine growth for your business whilst maintaining the professional standards your customers expect.

Read more:
Finding the Right Telemarketing Agency in the UK: A Complete Guide for Growing Businesses