COVID-19 guidance for our SME techUK members
19 Mar 2020 03:48 PM
Information for techUK SME members; what we are doing, how tech is helping and other useful guidance.
To offer some assistance, techUK has developed the below recommendations for SMEs as well as setting up a COVID-19 guidance hub which will be available in the next few days.
What we are doing for our SME members
We want to hear from you
As your trade association, we are working closely with the Government to ensure they consider the needs of the SME tech community when making decisions. We are asking you to spare 10 minutes to fill in this techUK member survey on COVID-19 which will help provide insights as the UK responds to the pandemic.
Remote events
All of our events and meetings in the coming months will either be held remotely or postponed to a suitable date and we will provide the best possible support for the tech community during this time. Please review details of any registered events and contact the organiser with any questions.
Raising your profile
We want to make sure we continue to promote your great work, both in relation to COVID-19 and through other innovative offerings. There are many opportunities to do this – from case studies to articles to promoting your news via our social channels. Please get in touch with me if you’d like to discuss how best we can tell your story.
How tech is helping fight the pandemic
Many of our members have been at the forefront of measures to mitigate the virus’s impact on citizens. This includes helping keep the public informed, supporting remote work and helping healthcare workers as they diagnose, treat and manage the response to the pandemic.
techUK has created a COVID-19 taskforce for members to help them understand what they can do to support Government and NHS efforts.
If you think your company could be of assistance, please email ben.moody@techuk.org to discuss.
Other guidance you might find useful
There are some immediate decisions and actions that SMEs need to undertake to remain operational. Below we have focused on looking after your people and ensuring business continuity.
- Looking after people
- Business continuity
- With a significant increase in home working, employers must be wary of security issues related to home working
- We are aware that many SMEs face cash-flow challenges. You can talk to HMRC about Coronavirus related challenges (Corporation tax, income tax, PAYE, VAT) in order to defer or delay payment – this is known as ‘Time to Pay’. The helpline number is 0800 015 9559 and lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and on Saturday, 8am to 4pm.