Recent news headlines relating to UK businesses, entrepreneurs, and sole traders.
28 November 2023 – New data has revealed that for the first time in 12 years, the UK business population has shrunk. More businesses have closed down than started up over the past two years. Since after the financial crisis in 2008/09, the number of active UK businesses has been rising every year, with the … Read more
23 November 2023 – Yesterday the Chancellor announced his Autumn Statement 2023, setting out the government’s fiscal plan for the year ahead. When the King’s Speech earlier this month announced that the government is focussing on growing the economy in the coming year, many business leaders lamented the lack of detail. With no clear indication … Read more
14 November 2023 – Last week we witnessed a historic moment, when we heard the King’s Speech for the first time in 70 years. While economic growth featured prominently, small businesses will wonder what it all means for them. About once a year, the government outlines its priorities for the coming year delivered by the … Read more
31 October 2023 – A labour and skills shortage has been plaguing UK businesses for years now. And according to a new study, business leaders are concerned about the challenges continuing in 2024. The right staff is vital for any business to grow and thrive. But in recent years, a skills gap has impacted on … Read more
24 October 2023 – Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become important events in many shoppers’ diaries. A new survey suggests UK shoppers are planning to spend big during these discount events this year. This year was tough for many small businesses. High inflation and rising borrowing costs made running a business financially challenging. The … Read more
10 October 2023 – Small UK businesses have been impacted by a skills gap, which has made hiring new staff a huge challenge for some. 72% want more support from the government to upskill staff and close the skills gap. Small businesses had a tough time in the past few years. The pandemic made trading … Read more
3 October 2023 – UK businesses are putting sustainability and ethics at the heart of their operations. So far this year, 1,500 British companies have achieved B Corp certification to prove it. In a world where extreme weather events become more frequent and violent, environmental issues have become a constant feature in the news. More … Read more
26 September 2023 – The UK’s Competion and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its latest report on artificial intelligence (AI), setting out key principles for generative AI to protect consumers and healthy competition. AI has been in the news a lot lately, with many warning it could cause a lot of harm to people as … Read more
19 September 2023 – The past few years were tough for businesses around the world. But 2023 seems to be the year of the entrepreneurial spirit in the UK, despite the challenges. When the COVID-19 pandemic reached the UK at the beginning of 2020, most people and businesses thought that the ensuing lockdown would only … Read more
12 September 2023 – Late payments have been a huge problem for small businesses for a long time. But new research revealed that small businesses are waiting on average for overdue invoices worth £27,214 to be paid. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have long called on the government to tackle the issue of late payments. … Read more