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…
The government’s latest energy-security package will not cut bills overnight, but it could matter for SMEs watching utility costs, customer demand and the potential arrival of plug-in solar.
Ministers are pressing fuel retailers over pump prices and signalling support for heating oil users. Here is what UK small businesses should watch on costs, margins and local demand.
HMRC will require CIS nil returns again from 6 April 2026 unless contractors tell it in advance that no subcontractor payments will be made. Here is what UK construction SMEs should do now.
HMRC has refreshed its Making Tax Digital for Income Tax guidance, including sign-up details and penalty rules. Here is what UK small businesses should do before April.
The UK economy showed no growth in January, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics, and that matters to small businesses even before you add the latest energy market shock on top.…