A new study of over 1600 larger UK retailers with total assets of £5 million or over by Company Watch, the financial analytics firm, found over a quarter were financially vulnerable to rises in interest rate costs this year. Company Watch reviewed the latest published full-year financial accounts of 1625 UK retailers. It found that 392 (24.1%) companies…
Read moreScotland has the lowest proportion of firms at greater than average risk of insolvency of anywhere in the UK, although the percentage of Scottish companies at elevated risk has risen sharply over the last six months, according to research from insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. In the April figures, Scotland has the lowest overall…
Read moreZopa has announced a governance restructure in advance of launching its next-generation bank. The re-structure will establish separate boards for the Zopa P2P business, proposed bank (subject to banking licence approval) and Group in order to facilitate the increasing scale of the business, ensure good corporate governance and protect the interests of its customers. The…
Read moreSixteen shops are closing on the high street every day. The rate has doubled in a year, with the retailers blaming a perfect storm of rising prices, online competition and a slump in consumer confidence according to research by PwC. New figures compiled by PWC and Local Data Company, a retail analytics company, have shown…
Read moreA financial controller has received a lengthy bankruptcy restrictions order following a trial for diverting funds from her employer to herself. The 13-year Bankruptcy Restriction Order made on 15 February 2018 against Chasjit Verma of Romford, Essex, followed an investigation by the Insolvency Service. Chasjit Verma was made bankrupt on 4 March 2016, having presented her…
Read moreMore than a quarter (30%) of finance professionals believe that blockchain technology has the ability to offer enhanced data security in their organisation, while over half (51%) are confident that their organisation will be working with smart contracts incorporated in blockchain by this time next year. These findings come from a study of more than…
Read moreThinCats, the alternative funding specialist, has announced a senior hire to cover the North West region. Richard Lamb joins ThinCats to lead new business origination throughout the North West, after nearly a decade as Relationship Director at NatWest, and having been in corporate banking since 1992. He joins the company’s growing team of experienced bankers who…
Read moreA new report by Aldermore titled Future Attitudes has revealed that just under a quarter (23%) of SMEs, representing 1.27million small and medium-sized businesses across the UK, are missing out on new business opportunities due to a lack of available funding a 4% increase on the previous year. The report, which surveyed over a thousand business…
Read moreCriminals are launching more online attacks on UK businesses than ever before, it has been revealed in a new report by The National Cyber Security Centre. The report details some of the biggest cyber attacks from the last year and notes that risks to UK businesses continue to grow. Emerging threats are also highlighted, such…
Read moreShire Leasing has announced structural changes to their leadership team. Mark Picken is to move to CEO with Helen Lumb taking the CFO role and Malcolm Workman to be COO. This new structure will see the various business disciplines report through Lumb and Workman and provide a broader management spread and greater focus on the…
Read moreThe Credit Services Association (CSA), has announced the first of the major sponsors for the 2018 UK Credit and Collections Conference (UKCCC), which this year moves to Crowne Plaza, Stratford Upon Avon. Conexus Recovery and Field Services, which has clients across the banking, utilities, retail and debt purchasing sectors, is returning as a sponsor and…
Read moreThe government has announced tough new measures to level the playing field for smaller businesses bidding to win government contracts. Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden has announced proposals to exclude suppliers from major government procurements if they cannot demonstrate fair and effective payment practices with their subcontractors. Other plans include allowing subcontractors to have greater access…
Read moreNew figures released by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) show that asset finance new business (primarily leasing and hire purchase) for deals of up to £20 million fell in February by 1%, compared with the same month last year. The plant and machinery finance and IT equipment finance sectors reported new business growth in…
Read more