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Saying "SMEs are the backbone of the economy" should be banned

ended 06. August 2025

It's August, which doesn't move the needle as much as other months in terms of news. So we're reaching out to ask you for the business phrases that make you want to turn into the Incredible Hulk. If you've got the bandwidth to respond as the clock's ticking, touch base with Newspage by 09:00 with the business words and phrases that make you recoil at a cellular level — and which should be banned, forever.

10 responses from the Newspage community

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Patricia McGirr
Founder at Repossession Rescue Network
“Let’s circle back” is top-tier clap-trap, usually uttered moments before a task is ghosted into oblivion. Then there’s “bandwidth,” because apparently we’re all burnt-out WiFi routers. “Moving the needle” makes me want to move into the woods and never speak to anyone in marketing again. And “learnings”? Stop. It’s not an even a word, it’s a cringey, woke way of avoiding pointing the finger of blame! “Low-hanging fruit” deserves to be ditched. “Synergy” sounds like a failed energy drink. And if you ever invite me to “ideate” in a “thought shower,” I’ll assume you’re part of a corporate cult.These phrases are the verbal equivalent of instant coffee, cheap, bitter, and wildly overused. Strip them away and suddenly, people have to say what they actually mean. Terrifying, I know.
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Tony Robinson OBE
Chair at Yorkshire in Business Limited
"SMEs are the backbone of the economy" should be banned. It spews easily from the mouths of business leaders, heads of business institutions and politicians every day, and has done so for at least thirty years. The phrase is a meaningless, patronising cop out, intended to make the speaker seem as though they have the interests of "small" businesses at heart. In reality, they couldn't give a damn about the 96% of all businesses that are start-ups and micro-businesses , with 0-9 employees. How do I know they couldn't give a damn and even actively discriminate against what the general public thinks of as "small" businesses - self-employed people, sole traders and limited companies with under ten employees? Since 1996, I've campaigned (e.g. #PayIn30Days and #MicroBizMatters ) for startups and micro-business owners in the UK. Yet over 3 million were #ExcludedUK from income support during the pandemic, leading to 40 suicides and massive debt, depression and loss of livelihoods.
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Ranald Mitchell
Director at bad credit mortgage specialists Charwin Mortgages
If I had a quid for every time someone said ‘Let’s touch base’ or ‘circle back’, I’d have enough to ‘pivot’ to a private island. ‘Bandwidth’? You’re just busy, Karen. ‘Low-hanging fruit’? That’s not strategy, that’s laziness in a lanyard. Business speak used to be clear, now it’s like someone fed a thesaurus into ChatGPT and called it a meeting. Let’s stop ‘ideating’ and start talking like real people again. The relentless corporate hyperbole landing in everyday business conversation doesn't make anyone look clever. In fact, it makes them look quite the opposite.
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Samuel Mather-Holgate
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
The lexicon of the corporate world is enought to make your swede explode. Not only do the old classics like "blue sky thinking", "circle around to it" and "take if offline" remain like nails scratching down a chalk board, but all too casual over-used phrases can now be all around the office. Hair is pulled from heads on the utterance of the words "well, it is what it is" and "there's good vibes today". If only there was a perpetual echo in each office so people could hear how ridiculous they sound.
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Tony Redondo
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
My pet hates include “circle back”, a fluffy way to say, “follow up.” It sounds like you’re avoiding commitment or stalling, and "Take it to the next level". Sorry, but what’s the level? Where’s the next one? It’s a lazy way to avoid describing actual goals. These phrases are often used to sound smart or professional, but are just meaningless jargon. Ban them, and we’d all communicate more clearly.
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Rob Mansfield
Independent Financial Advisor at Rootes Wealth Management
"Without further ado" as used by every webinar host or any politician that says they've been very clear about something when they have been anything but.
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Kundan Bhaduri
Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at The Kushman Group
I have developed an encyclopaedic collection of phrases that deserve immediate banishment. "Deep dive" heads my list, typically announced by someone who has never ventured beyond the shallow end of any pool, intellectual or otherwise. This is routinely paired with "blue sky thinking", presumably because "making things up" sounds less professional. The chronic offenders often promise to "take this offline", which translates roughly to "let us never discuss this embarrassing situation again". Meanwhile, "let us put a pin in that" has become the alternative to "your idea is terrible, I will ignore it". The absolute crown jewel of corporate nonsense must be "thought leadership", a term that devalues both thinking and leading simultaneously. When someone describes themselves as a thought leader, they are usually neither. My personal nemesis remains "strategic alignment", though I suspect this might need to be "cascaded through the appropriate channels" before anyone listens.
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Lee Chambers
CEO at Male Allies UK
Using “synergy” all the time
Reach out, circle back, touch base, sounds like a nursery rhyme
Move the needle - makes no sense
Hit the ground running - when given no training
Give it 110% - just no
When everything is just “adding value”
When every decision is a “pivot” towards being “more disruptive”
When focusing on something becomes a “deep dive”

I look at corporate jargon as part of my work so could go on all day. Maybe this piece should create some buzzword bingo assets!
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Colin Low
Managing Director at Kingsfleet
"I wanted to reach out....." simply means I wanted to make contact, so stop reaching and just make contact. "I'm passionate about....."means I quite like....." while "this investment isn't intended to shoot the lights out......" means it could basically be quite dull.
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Tom Collier
Advising Director at Advantage FS
If someone could explain to me why on earth we use the term 'haircut' when a bank takes a conservative approach to using foreign income. I would be most grateful.
‘Yes, we can consider US dollars but we apply a 10% haircut’. It’s such a bizarre term that has become normal.