Late payment of invoices remains one of the most persistent problems facing UK small businesses, and recent research suggests the situation is becoming increasingly difficult. 60% of UK small and medium-sized businesses report that customers are

Business confidence across the UK is showing signs of improvement, although many smaller businesses remain reluctant to commit money to new investment. The latest British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey, published in October 2026,

A new system for recording waste movements came into operation on 1 October 2026. The first phase of mandatory digital waste tracking applies to permitted or licensed sites receiving controlled waste in England and Wales. Affected organisations

A business may have the finance, premises and customers for an expansion project, yet still face another obstacle: obtaining enough electricity. The Government has announced Great British Grid, a new publicly owned organisation intended to help

When an employee develops a health problem, the consequences can extend far beyond a few days of absence. The Government published an update to its Keep Britain Working programme on 23 September, setting out plans for what it describes as Britain’s

Businesses waiting for cheaper borrowing may need to reconsider their plans. The Bank of England kept Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75% in September, but three members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted for an immediate increase to 4%. The concern

Cyber security is sometimes treated as a problem for large organisations with specialist IT departments. In reality, smaller businesses can be particularly vulnerable because they often have fewer resources available to detect an attack and recover

The British Business Bank has launched a £210 million investment fund to help smaller businesses in the South East of England start, develop and grow. The South East Investment Fund will offer loans ranging from £25,000 to £2 million, together with

Making a trading loss whilst not ideal can sometimes generate a tax refund. If you are a self-employed individual or a member of a trading partnerships, a trading loss can potentially be set against other income or capital gains. This can reduce the

The Government has announced plans to consider major changes to the rules governing when companies can make distributions to shareholder. As part of a wider corporate reporting overhaul announced on 6 September 2026, the Government is considering