Latest news and industry insights

If you are a female entrepreneur in the UK, you can now access a new resource designed to help you access the finance you need to start, grow, and scale your business. The new hub is designed as a one-stop shop that provides the resources and information you need.

The latest labour market report from the Office for National Statistics shows a few important trends that might affect your business.

Shawbrook Bank recently conducted research that indicated that half of small business owners have had to raid their savings to fund their businesses.

The Charity Commission has recently concluded its regulatory compliance case into the Actors’ Benevolent Fund and has drawn out some lessons that can benefit all charities.

The Bank of Canada announced a cut of a quarter of a percentage point to its key interest rate last week, bringing the rate down to 4.75%.

The news is currently full of reports on the general election, so much so that you may be inclined to switch off rather than hear any more about it!

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act has become law and will affect owners of freeholds for leasehold properties as well as house builders.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued guidance to help developers, engineers, decision makers and risk owners in creating and using machine learning systems.

The Office for National Statistics conducts a fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS). The voluntary responses received from the latest survey revealed the following insights.

Both Apple and Microsoft have announced updates to their product lines in recent weeks. Apple unveiled updates to their iPad Air and iPod Pro lines, and Microsoft have introduced Copilot + PCs as showcased by their new Surface Pro and Laptop.

Official figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics show that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) dropped to 2.3% for the 12 months to April 2024. This is down from 3.2% for the 12 months to March 2024.

For businesses that run as a partnership, there often comes a time where you need to consider admitting a new partner into the partnership.

While commenting on the GDP growth and what it indicates about the economy, the Prime Minister again drew attention to National Insurance.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have released figures showing that 295,250 Self Assessment tax returns were filed in the first week of the new tax year. Almost 70,000 were filed on the first day – April 6th.

Data releases in recent weeks from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) coupled with Bank of England decisions might make recent news about the economy seem a bit confusing. Understanding how this news affects businesses is important so let’s break it down.