Healthcare has traditionally been one of the slowest industries to adapt to digital behaviour. Patients were expected to schedule appointments weeks in advance, travel to clinics, and navigate systems that often felt disconnected from modern consumer expectations. Over the past few years, the telehealth trends model has shifted rapidly as telehealth moved from a niche convenience to a mainstream healthcare channel embraced by patients, providers, insurers, and investors alike. This transformation has created new opportunities for companies built around digital-first healthcare experiences. Among the names attracting growing market attention is Hims & Hers Health, a company that positioned itself at…
Author: businessfast
The way people search online is changing rapidly, and businesses are feeling the impact. In the past, users typed a query into a search engine, browsed through results, and clicked on a website for answers. Today, many users get the information they need directly from the search results page itself, without ever clicking a link. This trend is known as zero-click search, and it’s reshaping the digital marketing landscape. From featured snippets and knowledge panels to AI-generated summaries and local listings, search engines are prioritizing instant answers. For marketers and businesses, understanding this shift is essential to staying visible and…
Adventure travel often sounds like something reserved for people with unlimited vacation days and big bank accounts. Many travelers assume that thrilling experiences like trekking through mountains, camping under the stars, or exploring hidden destinations require luxury budgets. The truth is, adventure travel doesn’t have to drain your savings and can definitely be done on a budget. With smart planning, flexibility, and a few practical strategies, you can enjoy unforgettable adventures without overspending. Whether you dream of hiking scenic trails, diving into crystal-clear waters, or discovering offbeat places, budget-friendly adventure travel is more achievable than you think. Choose Affordable Adventure…
Eebz, a leading digital shelf analytics provider, today announces the launch of its new suite of next-generation, proprietary, foundation models built for e-commerce data extraction and intelligence. The models are designed to address long-standing challenges plaguing digital shelf analytics, including data inaccuracy, high operational cost, and latency in insights. According to Gartner, poor data quality costs companies, across all industries, an average of $12.9 million every year. Backed by a £10 million investment in AI infrastructure, the rollout of Eebz’s technology marks a significant shift in how brands capture, structure and react to e-commerce intelligence. Rather than relying on fragmented scraping or delayed…
Preventative healthcare provider Cocoon has launched a nationwide at-home blood testing service, bringing qualified clinicians directly into people’s homes across the UK, as millions of Brits seek faster answers around hormones, fatigue, menopause, cardiovascular health and long-term wellbeing, amid growing pressure on NHS diagnostics and rising demand for earlier intervention. With 82% of Brits now naming health as one of the country’s most important issues, demand for earlier answers and more proactive healthcare continues to rise. More than 7.6 million people remain on NHS waiting lists in England, while growing numbers of people are choosing to invest in private diagnostics,…
Rob Elms, Vice President Marketing, Eebz The rules of e-commerce are rapidly changing. Marketplace expansion, intensifying competition and lower barriers to entry have created an environment where brands face pressure to compete, from multiple areas. Pricing, promotions, inventory, consumer expectations all need attention and action – ideally in real time to stay ahead. Most brands have responded by investing in systems to improve their data and provide smarter analytics. However, bad data is still an issue, and while teams now have more intelligence at their fingertips than ever before, the challenge is making sure it’s clean and then, knowing what…
Eight-week trial with Reveal Media body cameras delivers immediate impact, prompting expansion across high-risk stores Ann Summers, the UK’s leading lingerie, underwear and bedroom toys retailer, has recorded a 42% reduction in personal safety incidents during a trial of body-worn cameras across three flagship stores. The Reveal Media camera technology will now be rolled out to further high-risk stores. The eight-week trial occurred at stores in Edinburgh Princess Street, London Oxford Street and Nottingham city centre, and delivered measurable improvements in both staff confidence and in-store behaviour. Notably, the Edinburgh store reported zero police-attended incidents during the trial period, and…
March 2026: Eterniti, a leading luxury private villa and ski chalet rental and property management group, today announced a new €30 million investment to accelerate its international expansion and further strengthen its operations. The new funding brings total capital raised by the group to €50 million and will support the continued expansion of Eterniti’s portfolio, destinations and guest experience worldwide. The investment comes at a time of rapidly growing global demand for high-end private accommodation paired with professional hospitality services. Eterniti currently manages more than 800 luxury villas and chalets, the majority under exclusive agreements, across 25 sought-after destinations in Europe,…
Thousands of people in Sunderland are still being locked out of everyday opportunities because they lack access to digital skills, technology and support – and the city is taking bold action to change that. Sunderland has set out one of the UK’s most ambitious plans to ensure that every resident can thrive in an increasingly digital world by 2035. In Sunderland, digital exclusion is closely linked to wider inequalities – disproportionately affecting people on lower incomes, those with disabilities and those without qualifications. As most everyday services move online, exclusion can limit people’s access to education, employment, banking, healthcare, and…
The financial technology ecosystem is now a fast growing thing, with digital banking, with global payments, with cryptocurrency platforms, and cross-border financial services changing the way money moves around the world. However, this expansion brings with it an equally critical challenge: financial crime and money laundering networks are getting more sophisticated, necessitating the implementation of stronger compliance frameworks and better technology. To address these challenges, IDMERIT has introduced AML 3.0, a next-generation platform designed to deliver comprehensive AML solutions for modern fintech companies and The platform also aims to equip organizations with the tools they need today while remaining flexible enough…
Streamex Corp has announced the live launch of GLDY (Gold Linked Digital Yield), a gold-backed digital security designed to provide 1:1 exposure to physical gold while generating yield. The launch comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tension, expanding regional conflict, persistent inflationary pressures, and increasing sovereign debt concerns – conditions that have historically accelerated capital flows into hard assets. As volatility returns to global markets, investor demand for gold exposure has strengthened across private wealth channels and family offices seeking capital preservation. GLDY introduces a differentiated structure in the evolving digital gold landscape. While existing gold-backed tokens primarily replicate…
March 2026 – FuelHub, the premium meal prep company, has announced a renewed 12-month partnership with Matchroom Boxing as the organisation’s Official Nutrition Partner. Following the successful launch of the partnership last year, the new agreement reflects a shared commitment to wellbeing, high standards, and long-term collaboration. This will see FuelHub continue to provide premium, nutritionist-designed meals, fuelling the entire Matchroom team across its UK headquarters in Brentwood, Essex, and its Bristol-based office. It will also support Matchroom Chairman Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Founder and President Barry Hearn OBE, and Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith personally, alongside Kai Peacock, Matchroom’s Head…
London, 3rd March 2026 – Revolut Business, the global financial platform for businesses with hundreds of thousands of customers, has today launched Titan, its first ultra-premium corporate card to all customers across the UK. Titan ends the compromise between executive luxury and corporate discipline. The ultimate financial aid for businesses; it incorporates premium executive-travel perks and robust reconciliation tools for finance teams, in the same place they manage their core finances. Also Read: What is SASE? 5 Key Business Benefits The launch addresses a critical gap in the market. An independent survey commissioned by Revolut Business found that while 82%…
Explosive growth makes for exciting headlines. Venture capitalists celebrate hockey-stick revenue curves, and founders who achieve them become conference circuit celebrities. But Alejandro Betancourt López has learned that explosive growth and lasting success often require different approaches—sometimes contradictory ones. When he took over as president of Hawkers in late 2016, the Spanish eyewear company was riding a wave of digital marketing success. Founded just three years earlier with roughly $300 in initial capital, Hawkers had discovered a formula that seemed almost too good to be true: sell stylish sunglasses at a fraction of designer prices, market aggressively through Facebook ads,…
Norway has implemented a ban on cross-border online sales of nicotine and tobacco products, meaning any orders of these products from an online shop in another country that gets delivered to Norway can be stopped and seized by customs. This ban does not apply to online sales within Norway and has been put in place as part of Norway’s tobacco control policy, with a particular objective to address youth access to nicotine products. In support of the ban, Markus Lindblad, Head of Legal and External Affairs at Northerner, explains why the UK should follow suit. The nicotine product market has evolved…
The UK housing market in 2026 is best described as stable but selective. Gone are the extreme conditions of the pandemic-era boom and the sharp affordability shock that followed rapid interest rate rises. Instead, buyers and sellers are operating in a more rational, data-led environment—one where value, location, and affordability matter far more than momentum. While national headlines often talk about “the” housing market, the reality in 2026 is that regional differences are defining outcomes. A first-time buyer in the North East is experiencing a fundamentally different market to one in London, and sellers in the Midlands face a very…
GP surgeries run on tight margins, fixed contract income, and a workload that doesn’t pause when a clinician is off. When a partner or salaried GP is suddenly absent—illness, accident, stress-related leave, surgery, long COVID, pregnancy-related sickness, or a complicated recovery—the practice still has to deliver safe access and meet contractual obligations. That usually means paying for cover at short notice. England does have NHS locum reimbursement arrangements for certain GP absences. But the scheme has eligibility rules, waiting periods, maximum weekly caps, and administrative delays—so it rarely removes the full financial risk. That’s where locum insurance and GP absence…
Avantia becomes one of the latest UK insurers to work with Google Cloud and scales its award‑winning AI tool “Holmes” to transform customer experience. London, UK, 20 January 2026 – Avantia Group, the parent company of specialist home insurer Homeprotect, has collaborated with Google Cloud, marking a major step in the use of AI across the UK insurance market. At the centre of the collaboration is Holmes, Avantia’s proprietary AI tool built with Google Cloud technologies, now proven in live insurance operations to help combat insurance fraud and improve the experience for genuine customers. Building on its success in trials, Avantia is expanding the use of Google…
By Simon Batchelor As we limp toward the end of 2025, the marketing world is already full of bold predictions for 2026, most of them produced by people who haven’t spoken to an actual small business owner since the last time their boiler broke. But here’s the reality:2026 isn’t going to rewrite the laws of marketing. It’s simply going to expose what already works — and what never did. And if you’re a small business trying to decide where to put your budget next year, you’re probably stuck between two familiar voices: Both opinions are delivered with absolute confidence.Both are…
A £2.2 million project led by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) has so far supported 90 organisations and upskilled 250 people to explore how data science and artificial intelligence (AI) can boost productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness across Scotland’s manufacturing sector. The Data-Driven Design and Manufacturing Colab (D3M Colab), delivered by NMIS, operated by the University of Strathclyde and part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, is helping to close the gap between manufacturing and digital technologies by giving engineers the confidence and practical skills to apply data-driven methods within their own businesses. Through hands-on projects and tailored training,…
London, 8 December 2025 – With fraud now accounting for more than 40% of all crime in the UK, finance leaders are urging Silicon Valley platforms to take far greater responsibility for combating the surge in online-enabled scams. At the 2025 Economic Crime Congress, UK Finance delivered a stark warning to global technology platforms, urging them to “grasp the scale of the crisis,” take responsibility for how their networks are used, and collaborate meaningfully with regulators, law enforcement and civil society to protect consumers. With criminals stealing £629.3 million in the first half of 2025 alone, a three per cent increase on…
LONDON, UK — November 21, 2025 International entrepreneur, #1 bestselling author, and film producer Marco Robinson has been fully exonerated from a year-long smear and harassment campaign orchestrated by competing parties, as confirmed by official court documents, legal correspondence, and a formal police report. This development not only clears Robinson’s name but also serves as a blueprint for entrepreneurs facing similar reputational attacks in an increasingly digital world. Robinson, known for his $2 billion sales empire, the Start Over Movement, and his role in Lionsgate’s Legacy of Lies, faced targeted misinformation, malicious interference, and defamatory statements aimed at damaging his…
As the era of unquestioned US market leadership wanes, shifting global forces and innovation are laying the groundwork for a new cycle in equities London, 05 November 2025 Global equity markets may be entering their most significant transition in well over a decade. After years of capital and confidence flowing in one direction, signs of change are emerging across currencies, valuations and policy cycles.New research from Ninety One’s Investment Institute, The great rebalancing: A new cycle reshaping global equity leadership, explores how the forces that drive long dollar cycles also relate to equity markets and help explain the long cycles of relative…
For many small and medium-sized businesses, managing energy bills has become another daily challenge – squeezed between rising costs, shifting regulations, and a steady flow of confusing terms that seem to appear with every government update, including the upcoming Autumn Statement in November. With fluctuating energy prices, increased National Insurance contributions, and upcoming changes like Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges from April 2026, SMEs are under constant pressure to keep track of what’s affecting their costs. Plus, navigating a constant stream of updates across various channels like social media, TV, online forums, and online news – no wonder…
Online trading is no longer limited to a single market or asset class. Today’s most successful traders understand the value of diversification—and they need a platform that allows them to pursue opportunities across multiple markets without juggling different accounts or interfaces. If you’re searching for such a solution, this Goldman Markets review might point you in the right direction. With its user-friendly design, wide asset coverage, and accessible tools, the Goldman Markets broker platform makes it easy to build and manage a diversified portfolio. Whether you’re focused on crypto, forex, stocks, or commodities—or all of the above—Goldman Markets gives you the…
Between January 2022 and January 2025, the UK’s Google search habits hint that more of us may be turning into night owls, which may be having consequences on productivity and the nation’s health: Graph below, highlighting internal Bupa UK Google search analysis. Link to our full research: https://www.bupa.co.uk/business/news-and-information/managing-night-owls It’s very important to develop a diverse workforce. In fact, research shows that there are many benefits to having night owls on your team. For example, it’s been found that night owls tend to perform better on cognitive tests, and they’re great at bringing creativity and impulsivity to the workplace. However, being a…
Students at Kirklees College are set to benefit from hands-on experience with electric vehicle (EV) charging technology thanks to a new partnership with Drax Electric Vehicles. As part of the collaboration, Drax has donated multiple EV chargers to the college’s engineering department. Students will use the chargers in workshops and classrooms, giving hands-on experience with EV infrastructure, installation, fault diagnostics, and maintenance. This practical training will equip them with the skills to drive the next generation of sustainable transport. Adam Hall, Energy Services Director at Drax Electric Vehicles, spoke of how the company is proud to support education providers that…
EDINBURGH, Scotland – 28 October 2025 – On March 9, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the publication of Adam Smith’s The Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, esteemed global economist Dambisa Moyo will deliver a keynote address at Panmure House in Edinburgh, the last home of the ‘father of modern economics’, Adam Smith. Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations is the most influential work of economic theory that helped define modern capitalism. Dr. Moyo’s speech will analyze the extent to which Smith’s ideas can still be used to address today’s four (4) great global challenges: Artificial Intelligence, climate change and the energy transition, deglobalization, and the expanding…
New York, NY, 10/28/2025 – Pave Finance, Inc. (“Pave”), the next-generation wealth management platform, has today announced its integration with Charles Schwab, the world’s largest registered investment advisory custodian and one of the largest retail brokerage firms. The move enables registered investment advisors (RIAs) to link their Schwab client accounts directly to Pave for automated portfolio construction, management, and trading, all without moving a single client asset. By deploying automation and removing operational friction, advisors now have the ability to deliver personalized, risk-managed portfolios that scale effortlessly, saving up to 18 hours per week without compromising performance. As the wealth management industry is…
Volkswagen has long held its place among the most popular car brands in the world — and not by accident. Year after year, it proves what good German engineering looks like. Still, autumn itself brings its challenges. The roads get much slicker than usual, mornings become darker, and everything about driving feels significantly less predictable. That’s a moment when a well-built car beggins to show what it’s made of. LLLParts specialists say Volkswagen vehicles tend to handle seasonal transitions better than most because the engineers behind them think about real-world use, not just performance numbers. It’s not about luxury for…