News Team
17 April 2024 – The UK unemployment rate has been at its highest in six months, according to the latest Office for National Statistics report. The current figure comes in the wake of the diminishing number of vacancies in the market, a tell-tale sign of a cooling labour market. The UK labour market in numbers … Read more
UK employees can request flexible working arrangements as early as day one from 6 April 2024 as the new Flexible Working Bill passes into law. The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill will allow 2.2 million more employees to exercise their right to decide when, where, and how they work by the start of this month. … Read more
3 April 2024 – Twenty thousand incoming apprenticeships may be the government’s answer to SMEs’ current skill and labour crisis. A previous iteration of the apprentice support programme saw the government shouldering 95% of apprentice upskilling costs. This time, the subsidy will cover all the training costs when SMEs hire apprentices. An extra £60 million … Read more
27 March 2024 – Starting 1 May 2024, Companies House will increase its fees for most of its filing and registration services. The change comes after an annual review of the fees and the new legislation for major company law reforms. The Companies House price increases will fund the changes to implement the Economic Crime … Read more
7 March 2024 – The spring budget 2024 promises an economy on the rise, recovery from inflation, tax cuts, and other policies to drive SME growth. Yesterday, the Chancellor delivered his Spring Budget speech to the House of Commons. In over an hour, he painted a picture of an economy that’s on track to grow, … Read more
29 February 2024 – A whopping 93.4% of in-store card transactions up to £100 were made via contactless in 2023. Barclays derived the data from its debit and credit card transactions and determined the following surprising conclusions. A typical customer had an average of 231 transactions, with an average spend of £15.69 each time. A … Read more
22 February 2024 – With optimism at an all-time high, small businesses are in for a reality check. A recent report by Small Business Britain indicates many struggles in a UK recession that may cripple SMEs. The Small Business Britain survey involved 1,000 small businesses, while 40 were personally interviewed in Q3 of the previous … Read more
14 February 2024 – In a bid to deter economic crimes, the government will roll out changes to UK company law on 4 March. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill aims to introduce improved safeguards against financial crime. The bill will also enable Companies House to better bolster the economy and market the UK … Read more
7 February 2024 – Small business growth in the UK has stunted over the past decade, new research has shown. The Enterprise Research Centre‘s (ERC) comprehensive report compiled data from ERC studies and other secondary sources. It turns out the last ten years were a period of challenges for small businesses in the UK. Based … Read more
25 January 2024 – Encouraging thoughtful marketing and loyalty may help small businesses win back customers despite inflation! Marigold, a leading authority in relationship marketing, recently published its report on consumer trends 2024. The index is a valuable resource for small businesses, especially when competition isn’t just with larger companies but also the economy. Consumers … Read more