Collaborative Post | Taxation and excessive red tape are often seen as necessary for government revenue and societal structure. However, many argue that these burdens can have a detrimental impact on the economy. Overly complex tax systems and bureaucratic regulations may slow down business growth, limit innovation, and reduce overall competitiveness. 

Here’s a look at how heavy taxation and red tape might be stifling economic progress. We look at the effect of them particularly on small businesses, and how it could be preventing the economy from reaching its full potential.

Excessive regulations often drive business away from local traders and service providers. When this happens in the retail and grocery sectors, it’s easy to understand the knock-on effect as raised costs and expenses are often pushed onto the consumer, resulting in inflation.

However, there are effects on other industries that consumers may not notice as readily. For example, the UK has one of the largest iGaming markets in the world—worth close to £10 billion in 2024. Despite its popularity and success, the local industry has been bleeding money for a while now as many players blame the UK Gambling Commission’s excessive regulations through strict betting limits and the mandatory imposition of programs like GamStop. 

As a result, many now turn to independent casinos UK players can access, as these fall outside the scope of the UKGC’s regulation. Operators who fill this gap in the market provide niche services like instant payouts, anonymous play, and even crypto betting—many of which aren’t possible locally due to stringent regulations making them impossible or too expensive to implement.    
  
While these regulations are intended to ensure fairness and safety, they can be overwhelming for smaller businesses that lack the resources to handle the complexity. In some cases, it forces companies to hire additional staff or invest in software systems, further increasing operational costs. 

As a result, businesses may be less likely to innovate or expand, and many smaller players could be pushed out of the market, reducing competition and slowing economic growth. Meanwhile, foreign companies benefit by providing services to local customers, thereby driving tax revenue out of the region. 

Taxation is a necessary part of funding public services, but high taxes can negatively impact business activity. Corporate taxes, in particular, may discourage investment in the domestic market. High taxes on profits can make it more difficult for businesses to reinvest earnings into research, expansion, or job creation. 

Small businesses, which are typically more reliant on reinvested profits, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of taxation. When taxes are too high, they may reduce the ability of businesses to grow and hire new employees, ultimately resulting in stunted economic progress. Additionally, taxes that are overly complicated or inconsistent can add to the burden, forcing businesses to spend time and money on accounting and compliance rather than focusing on core operations. 

For instance, businesses may need to hire specialised tax experts or outsource financial management to navigate complex systems, which diverts resources away from other vital areas. In this way, high taxes not only eat into profits but also limit a company’s overall capacity for growth and development.

Small businesses often feel the combined weight of both high taxes and excessive red tape. Unlike larger corporations, they don’t have the financial flexibility or resources to manage the complexity of taxation systems and government regulation. This can create significant barriers to entry for new businesses and hinder the growth of those that are already established. 

For example, a start-up may spend months navigating the regulatory requirements before even opening its doors, reducing its chances of success. Furthermore, small businesses may struggle with high taxes, especially if their profits are modest. When forced to allocate funds toward tax payments instead of reinvestment, these businesses may find it difficult to scale or hire new employees. 

As a result, economic diversity and job creation may suffer, stifling overall economic growth. In many cases, smaller firms also face the challenge of complying with local, national, and international tax rules, which can create additional confusion and increase compliance costs.

High taxes and red tape can also hinder a country’s competitiveness on the global stage. In a world where businesses can easily relocate or expand internationally, many companies choose to operate in regions with more favourable tax systems and fewer regulations. This shift can lead to job losses and a reduction in investment in domestic industries. 

In the tech sector, for example, companies may move to countries with lower corporate tax rates and less stringent regulations, seeking better conditions to grow. This not only harms the economy by reducing the tax base but also leads to a loss of innovation and investment in key industries. 

If businesses continue to face high taxes and excessive red tape, the economy may struggle to keep pace with other nations that offer a more business-friendly environment. As firms relocate or establish themselves in other countries, this could reduce the number of high-skilled jobs in the domestic market. In the end, this can diminish the country’s attractiveness as a destination for global investment.


Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.

Even well-organized trips can fall apart if connecting flights are too close together. Airlines sometimes sell tight layovers that leave little margin for delays, and missing a connection can quickly unravel your plans. To avoid unnecessary stress, try to leave at least 90 minutes for domestic connections and two to three hours for international ones—especially if changing terminals or going through passport control.
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If you do miss your connection because of a delay or rescheduled flight, you might be entitled to missed connection compensation under EU regulations. Knowing this in advance helps you stay calm and act quickly if things don’t go according to plan.


Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.

Collaborative Post | University is more than just essays, exams, and late-night study sessions — it’s where lifelong habits take root. As today’s graduates face a rapidly shifting job market, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that how students live, on a day-to-day basis, is just as important as what they learn in the lecture halls.

From mental and physical health to accommodation quality, nutrition, and social development, a student's lifestyle choices during university profoundly shape both their academic performance and their long-term career trajectory. Investing in student wellbeing isn’t just about creating a better campus experience - rather, it’s a strategic move to shape a more productive, adaptable, and employable future workforce.

​With access to some of the most thoughtfully-designed student apartments London - and the wider UK - has to offer, young academics are increasingly discovering how a healthy living environment can positively impact both their academic performance and long-term career success.

When student mental health suffers, academic performance almost always follows suit. Here, the numbers paint a stark picture; A 2022 survey by Student Minds revealed that over half (57%) of students experienced mental health concerns, with over a quarter of those having a formal diagnosis.

A systematic review published in the International Journal of Wellbeing in the same year concluded that student wellbeing is consistently associated with academic performance. This connection was echoed in a later 2023 King’s College London study, where nearly a third of students reported considering dropping out due to poor mental health.

Sadly, the link between mental health and academic performance is bidirectional, in that academic struggles often worsen mental health, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of poor motivation and performance.

We don’t often think of sleep as a study skill - quite the opposite, in fact; Many parents have likely berated their child for sleeping when they “should be studying”. Still, we know for a fact that a good, consistent sleep pattern is vital to our health.

A 2023 study from the British Association of General Paediatrics found that 75% of UK students qualified as “poor sleepers” during the week, while almost all (95%) reported feeling peer pressure to stay up late.

While peer pressure to indulge in late nights could be for a number of unrelated reasons - especially considering the potential goings-on in student halls, the phenomenon of late-night cram sessions is very real; a 2021 study from Red Brick Research showed no less than three in five students admitting that they’ve had to stay up all night studying at some point.

You don’t need data to understand how sleep deprivation can have a direct impact on academic and career success. Disrupted sleep is linked to procrastination, and is strongly associated with absenteeism and underperformance, while also hindering creativity, emotional regulation, and decision-making — all vital traits in the academic environment and the modern workplace.

Universities can turn the tide with targeted sleep education, accessible counselling, and timetabling strategies that support healthy rest habits.

Where students live during their time in the education system should be seen as far more than a means to an end. For many, one’s home shapes how one feels on a day-to-day basis, as well as how one behaves and performs in social, academic and professional environments. Given this, it seems reasonable that the best student accommodation should be a that which balances solitude, security and sanctuary with stimulation, community and the freedom to thrive - both socially and academically. 

A study published in BMC Public Health highlights student accommodation as a vital component of the university experience. Since many students spend a significant amount of time there, well-designed, comfortable and well-maintained student living spaces aren’t a luxury, but a necessary component of student success. Quality living conditions help to reduce stress, support concentration, and build community spirit. These conditions not only support academic success, but develop confidence and future career readiness.

As it happens, good student housing is a key factor in the decision-making process of students as to where they take their courses; A 2024 Student Accommodation Survey found that over half of prospective students chose their university based, in part, on housing quality.

UK students spend an exorbitant amount of time in front of screens - whether that’s a personal mobile, laptop or TV. A report by the UK Parliament's Education Committee noted a 52% increase in screen time for children and adolescents between 2020 and 2022, with nearly 25% of children and young people using their smartphones in a manner consistent with behavioral addiction. These habits can be hard to kick, even as one reaches young adulthood, but the effect of excessive screen time presents more than a mere distraction. 

Again, King's College London revealed that extended periods of recreational screen time were associated with heightened psychological distress reported around three years later. Those with the highest recreational use of screens reported nearly double the levels of anxiety and psychological distress.

Even passive phone use during lectures is linked to reduced test scores - A study conducted at Rutgers University revealed that students who had access to electronic devices during lectures scored at least 5% lower in end-of-term exams compared to those without device access.

It’s clear, then, that unchecked screen time contributes to academic burnout, poor focus, and low engagement. Universities can help by promoting screen-free study zones, digital wellbeing workshops, and time management support. On the side of the students themselves, those who learn to manage digital boundaries today are more equipped for the attention demands of fast-paced, tech-heavy workplaces tomorrow.

In this developing age of artificial intelligence and automation, soft skills are fast becoming a graduate’s greatest asset. Communication, empathy, teamwork, and self-awareness are no longer an afterthought of the C.V. writing process, but instead, are active prerequisites for demonstrable leadership qualities.

Sadly, UK students are falling behind in this area. A 2024 NFER study found that 15- and 16-year-olds in England scored lower in socio-emotional skills than their peers in most developed countries. In this, universities must take up the baton, integrating emotional intelligence development into both academic and co-curricular programs.

Indeed, the habits students form at university — from managing stress and sleep to building communication and time management skills — don’t just help them graduate. They shape how well students transition into, sustain, and succeed in their early careers.

According to a 2023 recruitment survey, the proportion of employers requiring a minimum 2:1 degree classification decreased from 48% to 44%, indicating a shift towards a more holistic evaluation of candidates. Beyond this, data from LinkedIn published in 2023 showed a 90% increase in the share of UK job postings that do not require a university degree at all-though that doesn’t discredit the overall value of attending and studying at university - the benefits of which extend beyond academic achievement.
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Meanwhile, poor mental health and burnout are major causes of early-career dropout. Mental Health UK reports that 18–24-year-olds are the most at risk of high stress and find it hardest to switch off from work. Graduates without strong, positive habits may struggle to thrive in the workplace, even if they excelled academically..

The real infrastructure of success is built from daily habits, and the areas addressed in this article - along with many others - all contribute to both short-term academic success and long-term career potential.

Graduates who prioritise physical and mental health during their studies enter the workforce with stronger self-leadership, clearer purpose, and greater capacity to thrive in dynamic environments.