Intelligent SME.tech Issue 40 | Page 7

intelligent

// LATEST UPDATES //

UK ’ s budding entrepreneurs stifled by cost of living crisis
Nearly all ( 97 %) of budding entrepreneurs across the UK feel that there are factors holding them back from starting a business , with the cost of living crisis heading up the list , referenced by nearly four out of ten ( 38 %) as a top barrier . Underlining the prevalence of money-related concerns , the next most important barrier was ‘ perceptions of the financial cost ’ ( cited by 26 %).
These were among the main findings of recent research , commissioned by the AI-driven business planning enterprise , Venture Planner , which polled the views of 2,000 people across the UK , who had previously considered starting their own business , either on their own or in partnership with others . Very few of the survey sample don ’ t know their market or lack motivation or confidence in their skills , but 24 % are nevertheless hampered by a fear of failure , and the same percentage are unsure of ‘ where to begin ’. More than nine out of ten respondents ( 91 %) see ‘ having the knowledge to create a business plan ’ as a concern .
The survey also reveals that the drive to become an entrepreneur is also in part the dream of realising the vision of an alternative lifestyle . Nearly half of the sample ( 46 %) said that if they were to set up a new business , it would definitely be in a different sector from the one they are working in now . Forty-eight percent say ‘ my current sector pays the bills ’ but dream of working in a sector that aligns with their personal interests , while 41 % say they would set up in a different sector to achieve a different lifestyle , or work / life balance .
Hitachi Digital Services and OneThird fight supermarket food waste with digital solution
Hitachi Digital Services , the digital consultancy and technology services subsidiary of Hitachi , is supporting food waste prevention specialists OneThird in the development of a breakthrough solution tackling the global food waste crisis .
OneThird selected Digital Services from Hitachi Vantara , now a new entity known as Hitachi Digital Services , to combine its Azure cloud and application expertise with its indepth understanding of sensing and AI technology and together they created a real-time data insights platform to enable a smarter and more flexible food supply chain .
The solution enables fresh produce supply chains to prevent significant waste of produce – 25 % at least – while also saving on the associated cost of those losses .
Currently about a third of food production is lost and wasted globally , despite unprecedented levels of human consumption , courtesy of a growing global population that is set to increase by nearly 2 billion people in the next 30 years .
Genesys to acquire Radarr Technologies to unify the customer experience
Genesys , a global cloud leader in AI-powered experience orchestration , has entered into an agreement to acquire Radarr Technologies , a leading AI-based social and digital listening , analytics and consumer engagement company . By combining the comprehensive public social media capabilities within the Radarr Technologies solution with the all-inone Genesys Cloud platform , Genesys will empower organisations to unify the customer experience ( CX ) like never before , helping them create proactive , prescriptive engagement built to drive loyalty in the AI economy .
People around the world , especially digital natives , are using public social media channels to connect with businesses as an alternative to traditional service channels . Using public social feeds or direct messaging , they expect brands to turn these enquiries for service , support and information into meaningful experiences . With Radarr Technologies capabilities , Genesys will help organisations meet customers on the social channels of their choice so they can engage with them as naturally as they do with family and friends .
Intelligent SME . tech
. tech
7