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). [...]
Instead of allowing SMEs to thrive, Labour is punishing them February 21, 2025 From day one, this Labour government has prioritised the interests of unions and the public sector over the businesses that actually generate jobs and growth, says Danielle Dunfield-Prayero Labour’s true colours are now on full display. Despite years of warm words to business in the run-up to the General Election, their instincts remain unchanged: the [...]
Small business confidence plunges to post-Covid low February 17, 2025 Small business's confidence in London has plummeted to record post-Covid lows, with some sectors standing an all-time low
If we want growth, we should listen to the small businesses that create it February 12, 2025 Small business owners are creative and impactful entrepreneurs, adept problem-solvers with a natural optimism. If we want answers on driving growth, it’s worth asking: what would they do? Says Charlotte Keenan It’s no secret what this government is focused on: achieving growth. It’s a mission that is essential but challenging to put into practice, and [...]
UK’s small businesses underestimating risk of cyber attacks January 30, 2025 Small businesses (SMEs) consider themselves too small to be targeted for data theft, severely exposing themselves to cyber attacks. According to a new Association of Business Insurers (ABI) report, SMEs generally consider themselves too small to be targeted by cyber criminals and, as a result, are not using cyber insurance to help mitigate these risks. The [...]
Small businesses gear up for growth despite Budget pressures December 29, 2024 Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are gearing up for expansion in 2025 despite fears about the state of the economy. In a survey of over 2,000 SMEs conducted directly after Labour’s Autumn Budget, 81 per cent said they were confident their business would grow next year, with confidence among those employing more than 50 [...]
Shoppers urged to support small businesses as confidence wobbles December 7, 2024 The public is being urged to show support for small businesses as part of an annual event on Saturday, following signs that tax hikes have dented confidence across the sector. Organisers say Small Business Saturday could provide a “lifeline” for smaller companies in the important run-up to Christmas The campaign group said the public is [...]
Black Friday is letting small retailers suffer November 29, 2024 Consumers say they want to support small businesses, but Black Friday tells a different story, writes Holly Tucker in today's Notebook.
Iwoca: Fintech lender secures £200m debt to support larger SMEs November 11, 2024 Small business lender Iwoca has secured £200m of debt funding as the fintech looks to grow its market share through bigger loans.
UK resumes tech-focused trade talks with South Korea November 5, 2024 The UK is resuming trade talks with South Korea with discussions focused on boosting tech and digital services. British negotiators have flown to Seoul to meet South Korean counterparts today as talks restart in a bid to secure a modern, digital-focused trade agreement. It is the first time the discussions have recommenced under the Labour [...]