The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is calling for ‘real consequences’ to help address the ‘endemic culture’ of late payment within the UK construction industry. The NFRC’s latest State of the Roofing Industry report has revealed that 45% of respondents experienced delays getting paid in quarter three of 2024. The proportion of those not…
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A review by the Lending Standards Board (LSB) of its registered firms’ application of the Standards of Lending Practice for business customers has identified 102 areas where action has been needed to bring firms into compliance with the Standards’ requirements. The business standards set the best practice framework for SME lending and are the only…
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New research from SME lender ThinCats shows significant confidence in growth but an even split for those believing the Government is creating the right environment. The research which was conducted after the Chancellor’s Budget among more than 2000 UK SMEs shows that 81% of businesses are confident that their business would grow next year. Confidence…
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New research by by Sidetrade and PwC France and Maghreb hs found that 80% of companies are investing in Artifical Intelligence (AI) to improve cash flow despite budget cuts. The research revealed a significant shift in investment and renewed boldness within the finance function, driven by a sharpened emphasis in 2024 on cash flow generation…
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A company director moved £100,000 in fraudulent Covid loans through family bank accounts Muhammadh Chaudhry, who previously went by the name of Masood Jamati, secured a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for a media business in July 2020. The 41-year-old then fraudulently obtained another £50,000 loan for UK Media Kit Hire Ltd in September 2020, which…
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Gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.1% month on month in October for the second consecutive time and below expectations of 0.1% growth. GDP is estimated to have fallen largely because of a decline in production output; this follows a fall of 0.1% in September 2024. Real GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.1%…
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In the aftermath of the new Labour Government’s first Budget, businesses are looking to how best mitigate the impact of the announced rise in employee National Insurance (NI) with half of UK SMEs (50%) expecting the policy to hinder business growth, with 31% saying it will hinder their own business according to new research from…
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UK Debt Expert has warned that self-employed people and small business owners are facing mounting financial challenges as debt levels rise and expensive winter months approach. The recent Autumn Statement introduced changes that may add strain to small business finances, particularly with an increase in National Insurance contributions and Maxine McCreadie from UK Debt Expert has raised…
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A decorator has been banned and ordered to pay more than £100,000 in compensation after obtaining three Covid loans. The decorator secured three Covid Bounce Back Loans worth a combined £145,000 has been banned as a company director and ordered to pay compensation. Ruxanda Guja claimed £100,000 more than she was entitled to for her…
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UK business confidence has reached its lowest point in nearly two years, according to the latest Business Trends Report by BDO. The BDO optimism index fell by 5.81 points to 93.49 in November, marking the steepest month-on-month decline since 2021. Firms are grappling with rising costs, reduced customer confidence, and falling orders, leading to a…
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The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that the Government should step in to provide small firms with personal guarantee protection following from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s investigation into personal guarantees, Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said “The FCA’s investigation was severely undermined even before it got underway…
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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) grew in October 2024 by 4% compared with the same month in 2023. In the ten months to October 2024, new business was also 4% higher than in the same period in 2023.…
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Energy company, Maxen Power has paid £1.65 million for customer service failures. Maxen Power supplies more than 10,000 non-domestic energy customers. A recent investigation carried out by energy regulator Ofgem found that Maxen Power breached its licence conditions by not having robust systems in place to protect its customers. This allowed third-party reps to sign…
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