The Government has launched a consultation to cut electricity bills by up to 25 percent for over 7,000 British businesses. Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle will set out an offer of enhanced support in a keynote speech to a room of bosses from some of the UK’s top firms at the CBI Conference in…
Read more
New data from Purbeck has shown that 38% of SME loans taken in October were purely for working capital, to sustain cash flow. This is the highest proportion the business has recorded since the start of 2025. According to the latest Barclays Business Prosperity Index, 55% of SMEs have paused investment plans amid heightened economic…
Read more
UK manufacturing firms are urging the Government to tackle the late payments crisis, as new research from Bibby Financial Services (BFS). According to the research, nearly six in ten (59%) manufacturers report that current measures to reduce late payments, including the Fair Payment Code, don’t go far enough to protect them. The sector remains the…
Read more
Latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has shown that inflation fell slightly in October to 3.6 per cent, from 3.8% in September. Core Inflation came in at 3.4% in the 12 months to October, down from the 3.5% in September and below the 3.7% forecast by the market Commenting on today’s inflation figures for October,…
Read more
Businesses, charities and other high-value bank account holders are being targeted by fraudsters using software to steal tens of thousands of pounds with the amount stolen from some individual accounts exceeding £1 million, according to new research from the Cyber Defence Alliance (CDA) and Cifas. The scam begins with a phone call and ends with…
Read more
Unity Trust Bank has announced the appointment of Kiran Samra as its Chief Risk Officer. Samra started her career in finance and chartered accountancy 18 years ago at Deloitte, before moving to the Co-operative Bank, and then joining Unity in 2018 as Financial Controller. Samra has achieved a wealth of industry qualifications during her career,…
Read more
Nearly half (49%) of UK SME decision makers are positive about the year ahead – rising from 43% this time last year – but ongoing tax and cost burdens continue to impact growth prospects and productivity, according to new research from Simply Asset Finance. Carried out ahead of the Autumn Budget, the research highlights that…
Read more
As many as seven in ten (71%) high-value decisions made by UK businesses are based on incomplete or partial data, according to a new study from EY. The research surveyed 250 leaders of UK companies with revenues above £100 million. In the last year, of these companies’ high-value business decisions – defined as decisions involving…
Read more
New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in September 2025 grew by 11% compared with the same month in 2024. In the nine months to September 2025, new business was 2% higher than in the same period in 2024. The…
Read more
New research from Capital Economics, commissioned by SME lender iwoca, has found that SMEs receiving a loan can increase their monthly revenues by an average of 19%. The analysis is based on data from current accounts of thousands of iwoca customers, finds that taking a loan is associated with an increase in revenues of nearly a fifth (19%) within…
Read more
Specialist lender, Afin Bank has appointed Rob Lankey as Director of Credit. Lankey has been in the industry for over 35 years, including executive roles at Norwich and Peterborough Building Society, Shawbrook Bank and GB Bank. He was also a founder and start-up team member of Aldermore and has served as Chief Executive Officer of…
Read more
Retail footfall has declined for the sixth consecutive month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Total activity fell by 0.7% in October, led by drops in shopping centre and retail park footfall. Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said “While overall footfall fell for the sixth consecutive month, there was some…
Read more
Hodge Bank has announced that it has appointed Scott Hill as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Bringing with him a wealth of experience from some of the world’s leading technology and financial services organisations, Hill will lead Hodge’s technology strategy and digital transformation as the bank continues to invest in innovation and customer experience.…
Read more