Starling Bank snaps up UK fintech firm in small business push August 19, 2025 Starling Bank has snapped up its UK fintech peer Ember in a bid to ramp up its services for small business customers. The London-based firm said as part of the takeover, Ember’s tax and bookkeeping software will be built into Starling’s app and online bank. The deal, which Starling did not disclose the price of, [...]
Training investment has dropped by £10.9bn since apprenticeship levy introduced August 14, 2025 Investment in training has dropped by £10.9bn since the apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017, fresh analysis has shown, with calls growing for Labour to speed up its overhaul of skills programmes. In a new report by the Fabian Society, which is affiliated to the Labour Party, the government has been warned that the apprenticeship [...]
Bank of England interest rate cut offers modest boost for UK SMEs August 11, 2025 The Bank of England’s recent decision to reduce its base interest rate from 4.25 per cent to four per cent marks the first time borrowing costs have fallen to this level since March 2023, offering a modest reprieve for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) after two years of elevated rates. According to new analysis [...]
Shawbrook expands loan book ahead of mooted London float August 7, 2025 Specialist lender Shawbrook expanded its loan book in the first half of the year helping profit soar. The bank – which is owned by private equity firm Pollen Street Capital – recorded a 35 per cent jump in profit before tax to £168.6m as its loan book grew 14 per cent to £17bn. Deposits were [...]
Firms face fresh fines for making late payments to small businesses July 31, 2025 Firms could be slapped with million-pound fines for late payments to small businesses in a new government effort to boost growth in local economies. As part of reforms aimed at supporting businesses with fewer than 50 employees, Keir Starmer has vowed to crack down on delayed payments “holding Britain back”. The Prime Minister said the [...]
UK SMEs paralysed by fear despite ‘sitting on piles of cash’ July 17, 2025 Small-to-medium sized companies in the UK (SMEs) are “paralysed by fear” because of geopolitical uncertainty and a lack of clear economic policy, according to new research. Accounting and advisory group Azets said a large number of SMEs are “sitting on significant piles of cash” but are nevertheless holding back on investment. The warning, issued by [...]
Companies House reforms: 1 in 5 firms shift addresses July 16, 2025 More than one in five UK companies changed their registered address between January 2022 and February 2025, highlighting the extent of internal corporate changes taking place ahead of major Companies House reforms. Moody’s data, shared exclusively with City AM, also found that nearly 14 per cent of companies changed legal status during the same period. [...]
Three big opportunities for SMEs in 2025 July 14, 2025 We've heard enough about the tough times for small businesses, here are three big opportunities all SMEs can go for, writes Emma Jones.
Personal guarantees ‘overuse’ holding UK growth back July 7, 2025 The “overuse” of personal guarantees in borrowing arrangements is holding businesses back and stifling UK growth, innovators have warned, with only a small minority of companies claiming they would borrow from banks with their personal savings or assets on the line. A new survey of some 1,400 small business owners by the Federation of Small [...]
New Companies House filing rules risk ‘own goal’ for UK start-ups and SMEs June 30, 2025 Thousands of UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are bracing for sweeping changes to Companies House rules that will force them to disclose detailed profit and loss (P&L) statements from April 2027 – a shift that founders and investors say could hurt competitiveness, innovation and growth. “This is just making it harder than it [...]