The government has agreed to invest up to £100 million to reopen the mothballed Ensus plant on Teesside as part of a contingency plan against possible carbon dioxide shortages linked to the Iran war. That…
UK inflation did not get worse in February, but this is not the kind of update most small firms can relax over. The headline Consumer Prices Index stayed at 3.0%, unchanged from January, according to…
For a lot of small firms, switching work vehicles from diesel to electric still feels easier to talk about than to actually do. The running-cost case can look attractive on paper, but the upfront price…
Winning government work has often felt like a big-company game. The paperwork can be heavy, the buying frameworks can look intimidating, and many smaller firms assume Whitehall contracts are meant for larger suppliers with full…
The British Business Bank is set for a major increase in firepower from April, with its total financial capacity rising to £25.6 billion. For small businesses, that does not mean a cheque will suddenly land…
Fresh warnings from British Gas and the wider oil market point to another cost squeeze for UK small businesses. The fastest pain may show up at the pump, but utility contracts, delivery costs and customer demand could all come under pressure if higher prices stick.
Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector is seeing tourists return, but jobs still fell by about 2,000 over 2025. For small businesses, that gap matters: fuller streets do not automatically mean healthier margins, steadier rotas or easier hiring.
A new government business rates support package for retail, hospitality and leisure firms has moved a step closer after the Subsidy Advice Unit published its report on HM Treasury’s proposed scheme. For small businesses, that…
England-based small businesses with enough land or yard space may soon have a simpler route to generating some of their own electricity. The government has opened a consultation on new planning rules that would let…
HMRC has quietly posted a practical warning that could matter for thousands of small firms doing VAT checks next week. From 9am on Monday 16 March until 5pm on Friday 20 March 2026, new VAT…