Live Innovations Reviews Why Small Businesses Are Benefitting From Flexible Working

Back in the summer, the Government announced major changes to the UK's flexible working rights, allowing workers more freedom when it comes to working hours and remote working. As the year draws to a close, Live Innovations review the benefits of flexible working.

In July this year the UK Government introduced a new flexible working legislation, allowing workers with over 26 weeks service the opportunity to request flexible working hours or the opportunity to work from home. The legislation citied that all requests must be considered by employers in a reasonable manner, meaning a huge number of UK workers were for the first time, able to work hours that suited their own individual circumstances. London based sales and marketing firm Live Innovations welcomed the changes back in the summer, as they believed that by providing flexible working opportunities, businesses across the UK could help a large percentage of the country's unemployed find suitable work opportunities. With many workers unable to commit to full time employment due to family commitments, parenthood or perhaps even further education and training, the opportunity to work more flexible hours or work remotely from home has opened a number of doors for the UK's huge bank of talented workers.

After the legislation was introduced some small business owners were concerned that the changes would harm their businesses. Many were concerned that offering flexible working would put strain on their already limited workforces, and that they would be unable to hire more staff to pick up the slack due to limited resources. However new research has suggested that these concerns were in fact unfounded and that small businesses are currently leading the pack when it comes to flexible working. A number of businesses are taking advantage of the talent available in the UK and are offering two part time roles instead of one full time role in a job share structure to allow them access to double the expertise. Managing director Tom Harris of Live Innovations' agrees saying, "When we were a small business starting out we needed more hands on deck. With flexible hours, I was able to provide opportunities to those who couldn't find full time work. As a bigger business now, we have many roles available that can fit many different schedules. It's nice to know we don't have to overlook somebody who applies, just because of the hours they can work. Some of our best people started out as part-timers!"

New businesses and start-ups are also benefiting greatly from the legislation as offering part time or remote working allows them to save money in the early days when funding is often scarce. By avoiding hiring a full time workforce or renting large business premises, new businesses are able to allocate their funding more wisely and give their ventures a greater chance of achieving long term success. Flexible working is estimated to gain even more traction in the New Year. It's estimated that 90% of smaller businesses currently offer flexible working opportunities from the start, and with small businesses being responsible for a staggering 84% of new job opportunities, Live Innovations are confident that 2015 will see remote and flexible working continue to rise in popularity among small business owners.

Live Innovations is a London based sales and marketing firm, the firm represent a wide range of businesses and create engaging campaigns devised around each client's own unique values and goals. With many years of industry experience, Live Innovations create and implement campaigns that are guaranteed to connect with each client's target audience, to build strong and lasting connections with customers the firm meet with customers face-to-face and allow each customer the opportunity to fully interact with a brand and their products. By taking the time to listen to each customer and learn about their needs, Live Innovations are able to achieve impressive returns for their clients as well as increase their customer loyalty rates and customer acquisition.