Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
UK small business profit growth reached 7.4% in the year to the first quarter of 2026, according to Sage’s latest SME Pulse report. The figure was up from 5.5% in the previous quarter and marks the strongest pace since Q1 2022. The difficulty is that stronger profits are still not always turning into available cash. Sage found that…
Read more
Bibby Financial Services (BFS) has announced the appointment of Oliver Batley as Head of Sales for its Asset Finance business, as it continues to expand its support for UK SMEs. Batley joins Bibby Asset Finance with nearly 14 years’ experience in asset finance. Most recently, he served as Area Sales Director at Lloyds Banking Group,…
Read more
One in five small businesses (20%) say the legacy of Brexit remains a barrier to business growth, according to research by Novuna Business Finance. Drawing on 12-years of tracking research, exploring small business growth outlook since 2015, the report ‘Brexit at 10′ draws together research on small business owner sentiment to Brexit, and their reactions…
Read more
Instability arising from US trade tariffs has fractured the ‘special relationship’ between the UK and US trading partners, according to new research from international SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS). BFS’s report finds that UK SMEs have suffered average losses of £59,000 in the past 12-months due to US tariffs, leading many to reprioritise trade…
Read more
Garfield AI (Garfield), the world’s first AI-powered law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, has helped a freelancer win a small debt claim at trial. This marks the first court trial won with the support of a regulated AI lawyer anywhere in the world. The win is a landmark moment for legal…
Read more
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75% after a deal between the US and Iran pushed oil prices down and reduced inflationary risks to the UK economy. The Monetary Policy Committee voted seven to two to leave rates unchanged, with chief economist Huw Pill and external member Megan Greene dissenting. They called…
Read more
A decade since the UK voted to leave the EU, a regular survey of mid-sized businesses paints a mixed picture of Brexit’s impact on their operations, according to accountancy and advisory firm BDO. BDO’s bi-monthly tracker of 500 mid-sized businesses with revenues between £10m and £500m, revealed that just over a quarter (26%) felt the…
Read more
A new report released has revealed that significant strides are being made to improve the accuracy of the Companies House register and disrupt economic crime. The report is the latest part of the implementation of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCT Act), which brings about the most significant reforms to UK company…
Read more
Lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rose 16 per cent year-on-year to £5.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to UK Finance’s Business Finance Review. This was the highest level of SME lending since 2021 and demonstrates both strong demand for SME finance and the continued role of high street bank lenders…
Read more
UK SMEs trading internationally are facing a tipping point, with seven in ten warning they could be pushed into bankruptcy if disruption linked to the Iran war continues according to new research from SME funder Bibby Financial Services (BFS). The data reveals the growing financial toll of the conflict on UK importers and exporters, with…
Read more
Britain’s construction sector is heading for a cash flow crisis, with firms battling late payments and rising costs on contracts that are now being delivered at a loss, according to new research from UK accountancy and advisory firm Menzies. The firm’s latest report finds that 86% of construction and property firms are already in or…
Read more
The IoD Directors’ latest Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism over prospects for the UK economy, rose to -53 in May 2026 from -64 in April. Business leader confidence in their own organisations also rose, to +23 in May from +8 in April. This is the indicator’s highest reading since August 2024 (+23).…
Read more
Business confidence edged upwards by three points to 47% in May, according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer, indicating tentative stabilisation after the decline seen in April. The 12-month average for overall confidence is currently sitting at 48% and trending above the long-term average of 30% since the survey began in 2002. Businesses’ own trading…
Read more