Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
In the aftermath of the new Labour Government’s first Budget, businesses are looking to how best mitigate the impact of the announced rise in employee National Insurance (NI) with half of UK SMEs (50%) expecting the policy to hinder business growth, with 31% saying it will hinder their own business according to new research from…
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The Government has announced the launch of a new Fair Payment Code aimed at tackling late payments, with research showing that SMEs are on average owed £22,000 a year. It comes on top of an earlier announced consultation which will investigate the scale of the problem and best solutions. The code, overseen by the Small Business…
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Business leaders’ confidence in the prospects for the UK economy fell to levels not seen since the pandemic during November, according to analysis by the Institute of Directors (IoD). The institute’s Economic Confidence index fell to -65 in November, down from -52 during October. This marks the fourth consecutive monthly fall and is the second…
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The UK’s retail sector continues to display resilience amid economic pressures with notable trends in late payments and insolvencies as the year concludes. The data from trade credit insurer Atradius also highlighted a rise in payment defaults in specific retail categories but remains optimistic about the sector’s ability to adapt and thrive in 2025. The…
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New research by EY ITEM Club has found that total bank lending grew by 2.6% this year (up from – 2.2% in 2023), 3.7% in 2025 and 4.3% in 2026. The research forecasts that business lending is set. to grow 3.1% this year (up from – 2.1% in 2023), 5.6% in 2025 and 6.2% in…
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The number of Welsh companies with overdue invoices on their books reached a 2024 high in September, according to new research from R3, the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body. Analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows that 18,360 Welsh businesses had unpaid invoices on their books last month – the highest monthly total of…
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The value of bad debt suffered by small businesses has surged by a staggering 127 per cent in the last six months, according to a report by SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS). According to the latest SME Confidence Tracker from Bibby, businesses have written-off an average of nearly £40,000 in unpaid invoices in the…
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SMEs are switching to monthly payments for insurance bills as premium increases put pressure on their businesses according to new research Premium Credit. The research showed that 43% value the ability to pay for insurance monthly through premium finance or finance offered by insurers compared with 32% who prefer to pay in a lump sum.…
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The construction industry experienced the highest number of insolvencies in the 12 months to August 2024, reaching a total of 4,310 according to latest Insolvency Service data for September 2024. Commenting on the latest construction insolvency statistics Kelly Boorman, National Head of Construction at RSM UK, said “The latest rise in construction insolvencies comes amidst a number…
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Optimism among UK SMEs has grown for a third consecutive year, according to a poll by American Express. The survey saw found that seven in ten SMEs say they feel confident about the future of their company, up from 67% in 2023 and 65% in 2022. The poll also found that almost three quarters say…
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A global survey of 79,000 businesses conducted by the Peninsula Group, parent company of BrightHR, has found that although small business owners are optimistic about the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with one in three believing it has the potential to positively transform the workplace, only one in ten are regularly using it. The results…
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One in six business to business (B2B) sellers (suppliers) are offering business customers over two months to pay their invoices, according to a new joint report from economic consultancy Cebr and iwoca. The report reveals the number of suppliers offering repayment terms over 60 days to customers has surged from just 7% of suppliers in…
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New research from Novuna Business Finance has indicated a resurgence in small business confidence with 68% considering new projects for growth, up from 66% earlier this year. New research hints at renewed small business confidence since the installation of the new Government. The Novuna Business Finance study of 1,000 small business owners and senior management…
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