Britain’s SMEs must get over their aversion to debt to ramp up growth May 8, 2025 Britain's small businesses can power growth, but only with a rebooted SME finance market, writes Allica Bank CEO Richard Davies.
Ministers call in HSBC, Natwest and Lloyds bosses for small business lending talks May 6, 2025 Top bank bosses were summoned for talks with ministers on Tuesday after a government report revealed that small businesses were having difficulty securing loans. Senior executives from HSBC, Natwest and Lloyds will be in attendance for the meeting, which will be chaired by minister for small business Gareth Thomas. A report from the Department of [...]
Private capital investment into UK business jumps 44 per cent May 6, 2025 The volume of private equity and venture capital cash flowing into UK businesses jumped by 44 per cent last year as investors increasingly look outside of London for opportunities. Private capital firms invested £29.4bn into UK businesses over 2024, compared to £20.4bn in 2023, research from the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association revealed. [...]
UK businesses warn of financial strain ahead of digital tax rules April 29, 2025 A majority of UK small business owners are concerned about the financial and operational pressures of HMRC’s upcoming ‘making tax digital‘ (MTD) reforms to income tax. MTD for income tax, set to take effect from April 2026, will require self-employed individuals and landlords earnings over £50,000 to maintain digital records and submit quarterly updates using [...]
Iniesta face of FedEx-backed Champions of Business list April 22, 2025 Former Barcelona great Andres Iniesta has thrown himself into the corporate world, as face of the FedEx-backed Champions of Business list. Spaniard Iniesta, who played for Barcelona over 400 times and is an international centurion, is part of the campaign which aims to thrust SMEs into the spotlight. The complete FedEx list includes grassroots football [...]
The UK’s fastest growing fintech Allica Bank delivers another record year April 16, 2025 Allica Bank, the UK’s fastest growing fintch, nearly doubled its profit in the last year after another period of rapid growth. The digital bank, which caters towards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), increased pre-tax profits 86 per cent to £29.9m. Lending activity grew over £1bn in 2024 and revenue shot up 68 per cent to [...]
Small firm owners are leaving the UK en masse, survey finds April 15, 2025 Small business owners up and down the country are packing their bags to escape a flurry of higher taxes, soaring costs and red tape, fresh data has found. Nearly two in five owners of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) have either left the UK or are considering an imminent departure, according to a new survey, [...]
MintStars: ‘Ethical’ OnlyFans rival more than doubles in value March 25, 2025 MintStars, a start-up launched as an ‘ethical alternative’ to OnlyFans, more than doubled in value during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The challenger was established by Jessica Van Meir and Daniel Sargent, who serves as its chief executive, in 2022. In an interview with City AM last year, Van Meir said the [...]
What the Online Safety Act means for UK tech March 23, 2025 New rules under the Online Safety Act came into force on Monday, requiring tech firms to find and remove illegal content, or risk facing heavy fines. The law applies to around 100,000 online services including social media platforms, online forums and messaging apps. It has given the UK watchdog the power to enforce stricter content [...]
Fintech boss outlines industry’s Spring Statement needs March 20, 2025 With the Chancellor’s Spring Statement under a week away, a fintech boss has laid out how the government must support the industry. Laurent Descout, co-founder and chief executive of payments platform NEO, said Rachel Reeves must prioritise support for the fintech sector through two key areas: university funding and helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). [...]