Hi,

Welcome to February’s newsletter, covering all the latest from Farillio:

• New Features: We’ve been hard at work finessing and working on releasing those features that we showcased in last month’s newsletters. We’ll be showing you our progress and letting you know what’s gone live in next month’s instalment. Those data tracking and profiling tools are testing especially well. To complement our HR and supply chain risk management versions, we’re also busy working on one to help our users track their insurance position too – never lose track of your insurance position or policies again. And very soon, you’ll be able to send some of Farillio’s everyday correspondence templates by email too! We’ll reveal more next month.

• New content: This month, we have 2 superb experts with new content covering some big HR themes: Chris Taylor from Accelerate HR’s practical, informative and highly engaging FAQ videos, covering almost every essential element of HR - from recruitment and interviewing, onboarding new staff, how to achieve authentic and sustainable diversity and inclusion - substantially enhances our existing HR resources.

  February also launches Pamela Windle’s excellent video FAQs and related materials on menopause, taking a sensitive, supportive and highly insightful look at this long under-discussed and highly important issue. The suite includes guidance and suggestions for how to better support female colleagues who may be experiencing menopause symptoms and who might potentially be struggling with workload and/or working practices.

• Community Spotlight: our spotlight for February’s feature is on our customer, Networking Health, and one of their inspiring directors and founders, Melanie Richardson. Melanie shares her observations on today’s business challenges, her advice on how to deal with customers to whom you seem to endlessly pitch but with whom it takes forever to clinch the deal, and her role models and recommended business reads/podcast follows.

• Expert corner: We’re continuing with wellbeing and this time focusing on the very serious topic of burnout. Well & Truly’s Sarah Phillips is back with an excellent, illustrated test that you can easily apply to gauge if one of your colleagues is suffering from it. Far more of us are affected than many of us realise. Are you seeing the signs among your team and not recognising them fast enough?

• In the News: This month, we’ve listed our top picks for essential small business news. Your February edition therefore covers:

  • Ukraine-triggered cyber alerts and some guick guidance: Illustrated guidance on what you need to know and recommended actions, responding to the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)’s confirmation of a very significant increase in malicious cyber incidents in and emanating from the Ukraine. The summary infographic below, produced in collaboration with Ryan Rubin from our expert partner Ankura, will help you evaluate any areas of cyber vulnerability for your business.
  • The Government has removed the remaining covid restrictions, including the legal duty on workers to inform their employers if they test positive for covid and to self-isolate,and the requirement to test for 7 days after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive. And although employers will no longer be required to explicitly consider covid-19 in their risk assessments, they should still consider the needs of employees at greater risk from covid-19.
  • Inflation fears affect 75% of small businesses in latest research: Nearly three in four business owners are understandably concerned about rising inflation, according to new research by iwoca. We take a look at the top concerns identified and anticipate that you’ll relate to most of them too.
  • Freelancers are in demand and helping employers to counterbalance #TheBigQuit: According to a new study by PeoplePerHour, demand for freelancers is surging with businesses apparently willing to ‘pay whatever it takes’.
  • New government campaign to help businesses boost workforce skills: The government has launched a new Skills for Life campaign which they say highlights the range of training and employment schemes available for businesses who want to boost their workforce’s capabilities.
  • As Covid winds down, our business leaders are burning out and need help: SME Business News reports that many business leaders are on the verge of burnout without support. We take a look at one solution on offer, and a free alternative version that comes with your Farillio account.
  • Entrepreneurs reported to be optimistic and focused on conserving their well-being in 2022: The British Excellence Awards conducted a survey of 2,500 entrepreneurs that apparently concluded 80% of those responding feel they have a better work-life balance now than pre-pandemic, and they plan to keep it that way in 2022 and beyond. From side-hustle plans to what’s important to business founders, find out more below.

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