Shoe Zone: Firm slams Budget tax hikes as it’s forced to close ‘unviable’ stores December 18, 2024 Shoe Zone has said it has been forced to close “a number” of stores following higher costs announced in the Autumn budget. The affordable footwear company said a combination of lower consumer confidence following the budget, plus “significant additional costs” due to the increases in National Insurance and the National Living Wage, have made the stores [...]
Budget sparks 13 per cent jump in business insolvencies December 17, 2024 The number of business insolvencies in England and Wales rose 13 per cent in November, as the impact of the Budget continues to hit firms hard. Experts have also warned that things are not going to get better, with April’s looming Employers’ National Insurance increase leaving firms in a “perilous position”. Nearly 2,000 firms went [...]
Retail jobs slashed as high costs lead to automation and outsourcing December 17, 2024 The number of jobs offered by the UK’s largest private sector employer – retail – has dropped again, as companies shift to outsourcing and automation in an effort to deal with higher costs. This trend has been ongoing for some time, and is responsible for both job loss and a lack of job creation as [...]
UK economy ‘at risk of stagflation’ as growth stalls under Labour December 13, 2024 Latest official GDP figures show the UK economy has stopped expanding since Labour took power, creating a headache for Keir Starmer after putting growth at the centre of his government’s mission. The economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1 per cent in October, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. It missed economists’ expectations [...]
Labour’s tax bombshell for high streets December 11, 2024 The government is rushing through business rates reforms for private schools without considering the wider implications for sectors we all rely on, says John Webber Twelve months ago, the Labour Party was still talking about scrapping business rates if it got into power. Whether that was a genuine plan or whether the £22m blackhole discovered [...]
Change in business rates could cost firms millions, research finds December 10, 2024 A number of sectors could be hit with hundreds of millions of pounds in extra business rates due to “poorly thought-out legislation”, according to new research. The analysis, conducted by property consultancy Colliers, highlighted the impact that the new business rates legislation proposed by the Labour government could have on larger retailers and hospitality businesses. [...]
More companies to follow Homebase and Typhoo Tea into administration following Budget, warns Begbies Traynor December 10, 2024 More UK companies will crash into administration following the tax hikes announced in Labour’s Budget at the end of October, according to Begbies Traynor. Announcing its half-year results to the London Stock Exchange, the Manchester-headquartered group said “UK insolvencies remain at elevated levels” and that it expects “continuing growth” in its business recovery division as [...]
Only the most ‘robust and resilient’ will survive post-Budget blues December 10, 2024 Jennifer Sieg meets Joanna Jensen, serial entrepreneur and founder of family skincare brand Childs Farm, to discuss all things business, investment and start-up trends If you are not prepared to make big personal sacrifices to boost your returns or retain your staff, you might not want to start a business anytime soon. This is the [...]
Domino’s Pizza profit sliced by £3m Budget tax hit December 9, 2024 Domino’s Pizza has forecast a £3m tax hit from the Budget as the firm targets a push to open hundreds of new stores across the UK. “As with other major employers in the UK, the recent UK budget has significantly increased the cost of labour for both Domino’s Pizza and our franchise partners, who are [...]
OakNorth boss says ‘wealth creators’ leaving UK over tax hikes December 9, 2024 The co-founder and chief executive of challenger bank OakNorth has warned that “wealth creators” are fleeing the UK over tax hikes as he accused the new government of falling short on entrepreneurship. Rishi Khosla, whose start-up bank has lent more than £10bn to businesses since launching in 2015, told City AM that “even when you [...]