By: Jennifer Sieg

SME Correspondent Jennifer Sieg is an SME correspondent and editor of Ambition A.M., City A.M.'s weekly newsletter for all things entrepreneurship. She is also the host of Founder Favourites podcast, interviewing some of the UK's most interesting and up-and-coming founders. Email: jennifer.sieg@cityam.com

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Rise in National Insurance and Minimum Wage delivers ‘ big blow’ to struggling firms

October 30, 2024

Rachel Reeves’ increase to employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NIC) will be a “big blow” to sectors already suffering from higher costs, a number of businesses have warned. While delivering the Autumn Budget this afternoon, the Chancellor announced a number of “very difficult decisions” in order to fill the £22bn “black hole” inherited by the Conservatives. [...]
Autumn Budget 2024: Reeves extends rates relief for retail and hospitality

October 30, 2024

Rachel Reeves has extended business rates relief for the UK’s hospitality and retail sectors. In her highly-anticipated Autumn Budget statement today, the Chancellor announced a 40 per cent business rates relief for the industry, which is down from the current 75 per cent rate set to expire on 31 March. The 40 per cent rates [...]
Nearly half of fintech founders mull leaving UK ahead of crunch Budget

October 29, 2024

Growing frustrations with new government policies and regulatory concerns could further drive an exodus of UK fintech founders, a grassroots industry group has warned. According to an annual report conducted by industry group Fintech Founders, some 39 per cent of the 450 leading entrepreneurs surveyed had expressed concerns over a “poor” and “awful” regulatory environment. [...]
How we morphed a party outfit into a multi-million pound costume business

October 29, 2024

How I turned an impromptu party outfit into a multi-million-pound business
John Lewis set for Black Friday and Christmas hiring spree

October 28, 2024

The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is gearing up for a hiring offensive in the coming months as the retail group looks to bring in thousands of temporary staff for the festive season. Some 12,500 new workers are set to join its John Lewis department store and Waitrose grocery arm, up 4,100 on the same period [...]
Budget tax grab will put hospitality jobs at risk, trade groups warn

October 28, 2024

UK business leaders have threatened to scale back on jobs growth and investment if business rates relief is not extended in the upcoming Budget.
Calls grow for Reeves to step back from capital gains tax raid on entrepreneurs

October 28, 2024

Over a thousand entrepreneurs have signed an open letter to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves warning of the punitive effect of a potential hike in capital gains tax at the Budget on 30 October. Nearly 1,200 entrepreneurs have now warned of the risks that could follow the rumoured rise in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and restriction [...]
Rocco Forte: Labour’s ‘ideological approach’ risks hammering private sector investment

October 27, 2024

Luxury hotelier Sir Rocco Forte has said Labour’s rumoured tax raid at the Budget this week will discourage investment from the private sector and unnerve businesses looking to come into the country. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the English businessman said Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer are taking an “ideological approach” and [...]
If we can’t ‘eradicate the bias’ — how do we close the funding gap?

October 25, 2024

Join Ambition AM for a powerful event on closing the gender funding gap, where female entrepreneurs share their experiences, challenges and insights.
Budget uncertainty threatens to freeze growth at small businesses

October 22, 2024

A significant number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have warned their growth ambitions may be at risk if Rachel Reeves doesn’t prioritise their concerns in the upcoming Autumn Budget. According to a survey of over 500 SME leaders on behalf of specialist lender Simply Asset Finance, 74 per cent said the outcomes of the [...]

Kemi Badenoch can still woo the City

Hydration breaks: World Cup ad cost could eclipse Super Bowl’s $7m price tag

Bowls Club is the City’s most eccentric (and brilliant) pop-up

By: Jennifer Sieg

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