The government says it wants to weaken the link between gas and electricity prices, using voluntary fixed-price contracts for older low-carbon generators. For small firms, the practical point is not instant bill cuts, but a possible reduction in future pricing shocks.
New PAYE figures show retail and wholesale lost 57,000 payrolled employees over the past year, while overall pay growth softened. For smaller firms, that points to a labour market that is loosening in places but still awkward on costs.
Brent crude climbed back towards $96 a barrel after fresh disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, and while the UK is not facing an immediate fuel shortage, small businesses have another reason to stress-test transport, pricing and cash-flow plans.
Nearly 160,000 uninsured vehicles were seized on UK roads last year, and that is a timely warning for small firms to check named drivers, business use, temporary cover and any van or car that might be slipping through the cracks.
A government expansion of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme could cut electricity bills by up to 25% for more than 10,000 manufacturing businesses from 2027, with a backdated support payment planned in the same year.
A new £50 million defence growth deal for Plymouth aims to expand marine autonomy testing, skills and innovation support, giving smaller engineering, manufacturing and specialist supply-chain firms across the South West a fresh opportunity to win work.
HMRC has published fresh CBAM materials and a new consultation stage, giving UK small importers and manufacturers a clearer signal to start checking products, suppliers and carbon data before the 2027 start date.
South Yorkshire has landed a major hydrogen investment that could matter well beyond the region’s biggest factory gates. The government and Great British Energy say they will back Sheffield-based ITM Power with a combined £86.5…
Hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland are warning that the VAT gap with the Republic of Ireland is making it harder to compete for customers, functions and visitor spend. For small hotels, cafes, pubs and restaurants…
Northern Ireland has become the first part of the UK to introduce paid leave after miscarriage at any stage of pregnancy. For small employers, the immediate issue is not politics but policy: knowing who is covered, what pay applies and how to handle a deeply sensitive situation well.