Two in three UK small businesses (67%) are working on plans to strengthen and grow over the spring months, although plans to hire new staff (14%) have hit a new five-year low, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance Whilst 84% of small businesses started 2026 with hopes to grow their enterprises during the…
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A business adviser from Surrey has been disqualified as a company director for a second time after failing to pay more than £100,000 in tax. Richard Beal was the sole director of management consultancy firm Larter Beal Limited, which owed more than £70,000 in corporation tax and £50,000 in VAT when it went into liquidation…
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A jailed fraudster has been ordered to hand back more than £120,000 after securing Covid loans in his wife’s name. Shohid Ahmed applied for three maximum-value Bounce Back Loans on behalf of Red Square Restaurants Limited, using his wife’s name because she had a better credit history. The 41-year-old, of Bardsey Crescent, Bradford, received £100,000…
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The British Business Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets 2025/26 report has found that gross SME bank lending increased by 9% to £68bn in 2025, making it the second highest level in the past 13 years after 2020’s covid peak, as credit conditions eased gradually through the year. Business dynamism is showing signs of improvement, with…
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Alternative SME finance provider, ThinCats, has announced the appointment of Dan Houman as Senior Director. In the new role, Houman will work with SMEs across Yorkshire and the North East to help them access the funding they need to grow. Working closely with the existing regional team, he will support businesses in securing bespoke, flexible…
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The economy showed no growth in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The ongoing Middle East crisis has driven up energy prices, raising inflation concerns and diminishing hopes for an interest rate cut from the Bank of England. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to outline Labour’s economic strategy amid calls for an…
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UK Finance’s latest Business Finance Review shows that gross business lending by the high street banks increased from £16.1 billion to £17.5 billion in 2025 compared to 2024. In the final quarter of 2025, gross lending was £4.6 billion, the eighth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth. The increase in lending in 2025 was strongest amongst…
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Nearly 40% of commercial mortgage brokers have reported an increase in applications in the second half of 2025, while a further 30% said applications remained stable, pointing to resilient momentum despite a challenging economic backdrop, according to new research by Allica. Rising demand was driven primarily by businesses seeking to purchase their own premises (44%),…
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A bounce in services sector activity pushed UK business output to its highest level in a year, according to the latest Business Trends report from accountancy and advisory firm BDO. BDO’s Output Index, which measures activity across key sectors in the UK economy, increased to 98.80 in February, up from 97.67 the previous month. This…
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One in seven high street businesses has transitioned to cashless payments in the past year, according to a survey by ATM and cash access network Link. The research revealed that 77% still accept cash. Despite this shift, 46% of in-person transactions remain cash-based. The biggest driver to becoming a ‘cashless’ business was fraud prevention (22%) followed…
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New research from Paragon Bank has shown that SMEs are rapidly adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI), with half of businesses (50%) saying they are likely to replace some staff roles with AI or other technology‑based solutions. One in four (24%) SME leaders have no plans to reduce headcount through AI, while the remainder remain uncertain about…
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Latest figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that total asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) grew by 3% in December 2025 compared with the same month in 2024. In 2025 as a whole, new business was 1% higher than in 2024. The business equipment finance and plant and…
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Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has promoted Henry Manley-Cooper to Deputy Managing Director of Bridging Finance. Manley-Cooper joined Hampshire Trust Bank as a senior underwriter within the second line credit function and has since contributed to strengthening credit discipline and commercial alignment across the bridging business. In his new role, he will report to Alex Upton,…
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