New research from global SME funder, Bibby Financial Services, reveals that 2023 is the worst economic environment for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in 15 years. Findings from the 2023 Global Business Monitor, which surveyed SME owners and decision makers from nine countries, show inflation (55%), energy costs (49%) and uncertainty over local economies […]
There was a fresh expansion in permanent placements across Scotland at the start of the third quarter, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Report on Jobs survey. The upturn marked the first rise since January amid reports of improved confidence at clients and business expansion plans. However, recruitment consultancies recorded a contraction in […]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) UK Residential Survey for July 2023 paints the picture of a housing market continuing to lose ground to the effects of higher mortgage rates. At the national level, new buyer enquiries posted a figure of -45%, like last month’s figure of -46%. As a result, this metric continues […]
The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has backed proposals to remove tax deductions made on payments by landlords to tenants for construction works on properties. The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) is a revenue protection scheme that requires a contractor to deduct money from payments made to subcontractors in relation to construction work, which is then […]
Susanah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown: “Worries about deeper cracks appearing in the Chinese property sector kept the FTSE 100 on a losing streak in early trade, as concerns continue to swirl about the health of the world’s second largest economy. Problems are piling up at real estate giant Country Garden, which […]
Almost 100,000 rural microbusiness have been started in the past 12 months, with female entrepreneurs at the heart of the booming countryside economy. Data from Venture Forward, an annual international research initiative by GoDaddy that analyses data from more than British 2.3 million microbusinesses, shows that 25.9% of Britain’s microbusinesses are based rurally, up from […]
This week’s good news was brought to us by the used car sector, recovering well and delivering growth every month this year. The latest quarterly figures reveal that transactions topped 1.8 million during the year’s second quarter, growth driven by the continued easing of supply chain disruptions that have helped recharge the new car sector. […]
The size of the recent drop in UK inflation, from 8.7% in May to 7.9% in June, surprised many. However, this decline was far from unexpected for keen observers tracking broad money fluctuations. Indeed, further significant reductions are inevitable into this year-end and next. The Bank of England’s mismanagement of inflation has attracted intense scrutiny […]
From today, TSB is taking applications for fintechs to participate in its third annual TSB Innovation Labs programme – as the bank and Fintech Scotland encourage a new round of fintech collaboration. Under the programme, winning fintechs will officially partner with TSB to offer innovative services and money-saving solutions to customers, as the Bank expands […]
The big brands absolutely have a leg up on the little guys. They have far larger pockets for product development, customer service, and, of course, marketing. It’s enough to make small businesses feel like they don’t even have a chance — but that’s the furthest thing from the truth. People are increasingly looking elsewhere for […]
