New data analysis by Growth Flag has highlighted that thousands of UK firms projected to deliver strong growth next year are already showing signs of financial strain. The research, which analysed more than 4.3 million UK businesses, found a shrinking pipeline of firms achieving strong growth and a widening base of companies under pressure. Just…
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New analysis of small business loan activity in Q4 2025 has shown that overall demand for funding is levelling off despite diverging trends in construction and manufacturing according to Purbeck Insurance Services. Borrowing behaviour also remained defensive. Working capital to support cash flow continued to be the dominant reason for finance in Q4 2025, with…
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A convicted fraudster who secured £150,000 in Covid support for mobile phone shops in England and Wales has been ordered to repay all the money. Zahid Afzal made two legitimate applications for Bounce Back Loans totalling £52,500 on behalf of his companies Phone Bits Limited and Phones Onn Ltd, in 2020. However, Afzal then exploited…
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New research from Direct Line Business Insurance shows late payments are worsening across the trades sector, with over two-thirds (68%) of tradespeople currently chasing at least one overdue invoice, with the average amount owed standing at £2,023. Over half of the trades sector (53%) says they are experiencing more late payments than a year ago..…
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New figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) in November 2025 grew by 7% compared with the same month in 2024. In the eleven months to November 2025, new business was 3% higher than in the same period in 2024. The IT…
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A bankrupt builder from Derby has been jailed after illegally obtaining more than £400,000 for home improvement projects. Nigel Dinneen secured advance payments from five victims in the Midlands without disclosing to them that he had been declared bankrupt in July 2019, as he was legally required to do. Dinneen was sentenced to 12 months…
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Latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has shown that the economy grew by 0.3% in November, marking the fastest growth since the 0.4% recorded in April. Analysts had been expecting monthly GDP growth of just 0.1%. The growth was driven by a return to production at Jaguar Land Rover and strong performance in the…
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Optimism in the UK’s economic future among small businesses has tumbled heading into 2026, according to new research from iwoca. The research found that less than two-fifths (38%) of small businesses were optimistic about the UK economy, down from 51% last year. When asked about their main concerns for their business this year, nearly half…
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Business confidence sank into negative double-digit territory for the first time in three years amid unprecedented fears over the tax burden and weaker activity, according to the ICAEW research. Sentiment in Q4 2025 stood at -11.1 on ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) index, its lowest point since Q4 2022, having dropped from -7.3 in the…
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Total retail sales increased by 1.2% year on year in December, against a growth of 3.2% in December 2024. This was below the 12-month average growth of 2.3% according to analysis by the British Retail Consortium. Food sales increased by 3.1% year on year in December, against a growth of 1.7% in December 2024. This…
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Confidence among small business owners has dropped to its lowest level since 2020, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB’s quarterly small business index fell by 13 points, with a confidence score of minus 71. Taxation emerged as the primary concern for 64% of 1,200 respondents, marking a record high. The FSB…
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New analysis from UK Hospitality has revealed that six hospitality venues could close every day in 2026, if the Government doesn’t introduce a hospitality-wide solution to avert significant business rates increases in April. The analysis shows the scale of potential closures and forecasts that 963 restaurants, 574 hotels and 540 pubs would be set to…
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Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has announced it has promoted Barry Ireland and Wes Baker to Regional Account Director roles. During 2025, both played a key role in supporting brokers through increasingly complex transactions, as deal structures became more involved and expectations around clarity and delivery continued to rise. That experience has been particularly relevant as brokers…
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