British SME topic
Business policy, investment and opportunities affecting SMEs across the UK nations, regions and local economies.
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…
Small poultry businesses in England and Wales have been given a date to work towards. The government has confirmed that mandatory bird flu housing measures will be lifted from Thursday 9 April, meaning birds can…
Scottish small businesses heading into the Easter weekend may need to plan for a rougher few days than usual. Storm Dave is expected to bring strong winds across much of Scotland, with some exposed areas…
A new government-backed push to keep more people in work is gathering pace across the UK, and small employers should pay attention even if the first wave is full of big names. The latest update…
A fresh procurement push in England will not put a public-sector contract on anyone’s desk overnight. But for small growers, wholesalers, caterers and local food producers, it is one of the clearer signals in a…
Welsh Labour says it would freeze Welsh income tax rates in the next Senedd term if it wins May’s election. For many small business owners, that may sound like background politics. It is not a…
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…