A temporary VAT cut on family attractions and children’s meals has begun for the summer holidays. Small hospitality and leisure firms should check eligibility, systems, pricing and records before changing offers.
The government is accelerating low-value import duty changes and consulting on wider online marketplace VAT liability. For UK small retailers, the key question is whether the reforms make competition fairer without adding new admin shocks.
The Bank of England has held Bank Rate at 3.75%, but energy price uncertainty means small businesses should still stress-test borrowing, cash flow and costs.
UK borrowing came in above expectations in May. For small businesses, the practical issue is what tighter public finances and uncertain interest rates mean for cash flow, borrowing and costs.
The Competition and Markets Authority has cleared Associated British Foods’ planned acquisition of Hovis, a decision that matters beyond the supermarket bread aisle. For small food businesses, independent retailers, cafes and local suppliers, the ruling…
April’s GDP dip is a useful prompt for small firms to check demand, cash flow and customer behaviour, especially in retail, services and local B2B markets.
More than 50 Nantwich hospitality businesses have backed a call for extra government support, including a lower VAT rate. For small firms, the useful point is practical: review margins, staffing, supplier costs and cash flow before cost pressure forces rushed decisions.
The Universal United Kingdom Resort announcement is not just a tourism story. For small businesses in Bedfordshire and the wider Oxford-Cambridge corridor, it is a long runway of possible work, staffing pressure and local demand…
Leading UK chefs have renewed calls for a lower VAT rate for pubs and restaurants, adding fresh pressure to a debate that many small hospitality businesses will recognise immediately: how to price fairly while food,…
Next chief executive Lord Wolfson has warned of a “dramatic fall” in entry-level job opportunities in the UK, saying the retailer is now seeing far more applicants for each shop role than it did two…