Accountants and Financial Advisers increasingly are seeing clients struggle to pay their fees with a knock on effect on their cashflow, new research from Premium Credit. Nearly nine out of ten (87%) say more clients are struggling to pay their fees and nearly three out of four (74%) expect a rise in the number of…
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The founder of a football betting investment firm has been banned as a director after his company went into administration owing investors more than £10 million. Former television presenter Alan Bentley allowed his Bentley Global (UK) Limited company to obtain more than £1.5 million from investors during late 2019 and the first half of 2020,…
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According to the latest report by the ONS there were 2.76 million jobs in retail in March 2025. The four-quarter average, which smooths out the seasonal variations in hiring, was 2.80 million jobs in March 2025, 93,000 fewer than at the same point last year, and 364,000 fewer than in 2015. On a four-quarter average…
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More than eight in ten small business owners (83%) cite barriers holding their businesses back from growing – and in the Manufacturing (96%) sector the figures have hit a 10-year high – according to new research from Novuna Business Finance. The findings come at a time when the Government is grappling with delivering on its…
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May’s NatWest Regional Growth Tracker showed renewed increases in business activity across several parts of the UK, alongside a general revival of firms’ growth expectations for the coming year. The Tracker – which surveyed businesses operating in the manufacturing and services sectors across 12 regions of the country – showed improvements in…
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A new report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has put cost pressures in the UK retail sector could lead to one in ten jobs being at risk by 2028. Since 2015, over 350,000 retail jobs have already been lost, a decline significantly larger than that in the steel industry. While the Government has…
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A woman who pretended to run a business to secure a £50,000 Covid Bounce Back Loan has been sentenced for fraud following an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Rubaszko applied to a bank for a Covid Bounce Back Loan on 26th April 2021, which was approved on 28th April 2021 and paid into her bank…
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A new survey of hospitality operators from across the sector lays bare the impact of recent increases to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICS) and the changes to Business Rates on hospitality businesses. The effects are already so dramatic that Government targets, including ambitions to hit 80% employment and high street renewal, look doomed to fail…
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eCapital Commercial Finance, has announced two key appointments to its board of Directors as part of an evolution in its corporate structure, designed to drive the company’s next phase of growth. Ant Persse has been appointed Chief Product Officer, bringing a wealth of experience across product innovation, finance technology, and credit risk. He has successfully…
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New research by American Express has found that over two-thirds (68%) of SME leaders feel their businesses are resilient, having faced a series of challenges. The resilience sentiment translates into business confidence, with 73% of SME leaders expressing optimism about their company’s future prospects. This represents a four percentage point increase from the previous year’s survey…
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The UK could see higher than expected growth due to trade deals agreed with the US and the European Union, with KPMG predicting that growth could hit 1.2% in 2025 as trade agreements lower uncertainty. The UK economic outlook could brighten over the next two years as the economy stands to benefit from easing trade…
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Despite persistent economic headwinds, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are showing remarkable resilience, with the majority reporting growth over the last 12 months. New research from specialist SME lender Shawbrook reveals that 71% of SMEs have grown in the last year, with 21% reporting significant growth. This compares to only 46% of SMEs reporting growth…
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Paragon Business Finance has become the latest financial services provider to register with the Lending Standards Board (LSB) Standards of Lending Practice for business customers – asset finance. The Asset Finance Standards set the best practice framework for the provision of asset finance to businesses with a turnover up to £25m, and cover hire purchase and…
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