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Latest News:

  • Ofcom investigates TikTok over ‘serious doubts’ its age checks work
  • British Steel nationalised as ministers refuse to let it go bust
  • Stonegate faces £16m fine threat over treatment of pub tenants
  • Economy grows 0.1% as Burnham inherits ‘stagflationary’ Britain
  • SpaceX slips below IPO price as UK investors’ £271m bet turns sour
  • Scrap the triple lock and save £60bn, Burnham told
  • West Northants streets to gain 3,000 EV charging sockets in £2.85m rollout
  • Stripe and Advent swoop on PayPal with $53bn takeover bid
  • Half of London firms fear policy will worsen growth, LCCI warns
  • Late payments fall to lowest level on record as landmark bill looms
UK businesses importing steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser or hydrogen products face a new compliance burden from 1 January 2027, when record-keeping requirements for the UK's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) take effect. And in a detail that will catch many smaller firms off guard, using a customs broker or freight forwarder does not pass the responsibility on.

Importers face six-year record rule as UK carbon border tax nears

UK CBAM rules hit importers of steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser and hydrogen from January 2027. What SMEs must do now to avoid HMRC penalties.

TikTok is under formal investigation by Ofcom over whether its age checks actually keep children off the platform, in the clearest signal yet that the regulator's online safety clampdown is moving beyond pornography sites and on to mainstream social media.

Ofcom investigates TikTok over ‘serious doubts’ its age checks work

Ofcom launches an investigation into TikTok’s child age checks, casting doubt on age inference tech. Why the clampdown matters for UK platform owners.

British Steel has been taken into public ownership, with ministers arguing the only alternative was to let the country's last producer of virgin steel go bust. For the thousands of smaller firms that rely on Scunthorpe's output, the move ends years of uncertainty, but leaves taxpayers footing a running bill of about £1.3 million a day.

British Steel nationalised as ministers refuse to let it go bust

British Steel nationalisation secures 2,700 Scunthorpe jobs and the UK’s last virgin steel supply. What public ownership means for SME supply chains.

Small firms that reward staff with share options are set to lose one of their more tedious HMRC chores, after the government published draft legislation scrapping the requirement to notify the taxman separately every time an Enterprise Management Incentive option is granted.

HMRC moves to scrap separate EMI notifications in red tape win

HMRC’s draft Finance Bill scraps separate EMI grant notifications from April 2027, folding them into the annual return. What SME employers need to know.

Britain's biggest pub landlord is under formal investigation over suspicions it mistreated the thousands of small business owners who run its tied pubs, an inquiry that could end in a fine of up to £16 million.

Stonegate faces £16m fine threat over treatment of pub tenants

The Pubs Code Adjudicator is investigating Stonegate over its treatment of tied pub tenants, with fines of up to £16m possible. What tenants should know.

Amidst tumbling energy costs and a fierce price war among supermarkets, food price inflation in the UK has reached its lowest level in almost two years, offering a respite to households grappling with stretched budgets.

Economy grows 0.1% as Burnham inherits ‘stagflationary’ Britain

UK GDP grew 0.1% in May 2026 as services rebounded. Andy Burnham inherits a stagflationary economy: what slowing growth now means for UK SME owners.

The UK-India trade deal came into force this week carrying a £4.8bn-a-year prize. But for Sukhpal Ahluwalia, the entrepreneur who built Euro Car Parts from a single Wembley shop into a business he sold for £280m, the agreement itself is not the achievement. The achievement is what British businesses now build on top of it.

The £4.8bn India deal is the starting gun, not the prize

The UK-India trade deal is in force, but Euro Car Parts founder Sukhpal Ahluwalia argues the real £4.8bn prize depends on what businesses build next.

Elon Musk has launched a $134 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming both companies unjustly profited from his early backing of the artificial intelligence pioneer and abandoned its founding mission.

SpaceX slips below IPO price as UK investors’ £271m bet turns sour

SpaceX shares have fallen below their $135 IPO price for the first time, leaving UK retail investors who spent £271m in the float nursing paper losses.

Andy Burnham has been warned he must complete England's devolution map at speed or preside over a "two-tier England" in which a firm's prospects depend on whether it happens to sit inside a mayor's boundary.

Burnham told to move fast on devolution or risk a two-tier England

IPPR North warns Andy Burnham risks creating a two-tier England unless devolution reaches every region. What faster fiscal devolution means for SMEs.

  1. Importers face six-year record rule as UK carbon border tax nears
  2. Ofcom investigates TikTok over ‘serious doubts’ its age checks work
  3. British Steel nationalised as ministers refuse to let it go bust
  4. HMRC moves to scrap separate EMI notifications in red tape win
  5. Stonegate faces £16m fine threat over treatment of pub tenants
  6. Economy grows 0.1% as Burnham inherits ‘stagflationary’ Britain
  7. The £4.8bn India deal is the starting gun, not the prize
  8. SpaceX slips below IPO price as UK investors’ £271m bet turns sour
  9. Burnham told to move fast on devolution or risk a two-tier England

Latest News…

TikTok is under formal investigation by Ofcom over whether its age checks actually keep children off the platform, in the clearest signal yet that the regulator's online safety clampdown is moving beyond pornography sites and on to mainstream social media.

Ofcom investigates TikTok over ‘serious doubts’ its age checks work

Ofcom launches an investigation into TikTok’s child age checks, casting doubt on age inference tech. Why the clampdown matters for UK platform owners.

British Steel has been taken into public ownership, with ministers arguing the only alternative was to let the country's last producer of virgin steel go bust. For the thousands of smaller firms that rely on Scunthorpe's output, the move ends years of uncertainty, but leaves taxpayers footing a running bill of about £1.3 million a day.

British Steel nationalised as ministers refuse to let it go bust

British Steel nationalisation secures 2,700 Scunthorpe jobs and the UK’s last virgin steel supply. What public ownership means for SME supply chains.

Britain's biggest pub landlord is under formal investigation over suspicions it mistreated the thousands of small business owners who run its tied pubs, an inquiry that could end in a fine of up to £16 million.

Stonegate faces £16m fine threat over treatment of pub tenants

The Pubs Code Adjudicator is investigating Stonegate over its treatment of tied pub tenants, with fines of up to £16m possible. What tenants should know.

Amidst tumbling energy costs and a fierce price war among supermarkets, food price inflation in the UK has reached its lowest level in almost two years, offering a respite to households grappling with stretched budgets.

Economy grows 0.1% as Burnham inherits ‘stagflationary’ Britain

UK GDP grew 0.1% in May 2026 as services rebounded. Andy Burnham inherits a stagflationary economy: what slowing growth now means for UK SME owners.

Elon Musk has launched a $134 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming both companies unjustly profited from his early backing of the artificial intelligence pioneer and abandoned its founding mission.

SpaceX slips below IPO price as UK investors’ £271m bet turns sour

SpaceX shares have fallen below their $135 IPO price for the first time, leaving UK retail investors who spent £271m in the float nursing paper losses.

Exclusive research finds more than 80% of 2,000 UK SME owners are fearful about what an Andy Burnham premiership would mean for their business after his Makerfield by-election win.

Scrap the triple lock and save £60bn, Burnham told

OECD tells Andy Burnham scrapping the pension triple lock would save £60bn, urging broader taxes and deeper devolution. What it means for UK SMEs.

The humble lamp post is about to start paying its way. West Northamptonshire is to host one of the UK's largest local on-street electric vehicle charging programmes, with more than 3,000 sockets, most of them fitted to existing lamp columns, due to start appearing on residential streets from mid 2026.

West Northants streets to gain 3,000 EV charging sockets in £2.85m rollout

West Northamptonshire will install over 3,000 on-street EV charging sockets via lamp posts under the LEVI fund. What the rollout means for local firms.

The billionaire Irish brothers behind Stripe have teamed up with American private equity firm Advent International in a $53 billion-plus bid for PayPal, a deal that would put two of the payment platforms most relied upon by UK small businesses under the same roof.

Stripe and Advent swoop on PayPal with $53bn takeover bid

Stripe and Advent International have made a $53bn takeover bid for PayPal. What the deal could mean for the fees and payment tools UK SMEs rely on.

London's business community has given the Chancellor's Mansion House speech a warm reception on paper and a stark warning in the small print: almost half of the capital's firms believe the Government's current approach will make economic growth worse, not better.

Half of London firms fear policy will worsen growth, LCCI warns

Mansion House speech 2026: LCCI welcomes SME finance boost but 49% of London firms fear policy will worsen growth. What Reeves’ plans mean for SMEs.

Previous Next

Business

UK businesses importing steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser or hydrogen products face a new compliance burden from 1 January 2027, when record-keeping requirements for the UK's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) take effect. And in a detail that will catch many smaller firms off guard, using a customs broker or freight forwarder does not pass the responsibility on.

Importers face six-year record rule as UK carbon border tax nears

UK CBAM rules hit importers of steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser and hydrogen from January 2027. What SMEs must do now to avoid HMRC penalties.

Small firms that reward staff with share options are set to lose one of their more tedious HMRC chores, after the government published draft legislation scrapping the requirement to notify the taxman separately every time an Enterprise Management Incentive option is granted.

HMRC moves to scrap separate EMI notifications in red tape win

HMRC’s draft Finance Bill scraps separate EMI grant notifications from April 2027, folding them into the annual return. What SME employers need to know.

Andy Burnham has been warned he must complete England's devolution map at speed or preside over a "two-tier England" in which a firm's prospects depend on whether it happens to sit inside a mayor's boundary.

Burnham told to move fast on devolution or risk a two-tier England

IPPR North warns Andy Burnham risks creating a two-tier England unless devolution reaches every region. What faster fiscal devolution means for SMEs.

Alvin, Simon and Theodore are heading back to work, and the deal behind their return is a quiet masterclass in how a family business should treat its most valuable asset.

Chipmunks return: why waiting a decade for the right deal paid off

Alvin and the Chipmunks return in a digital-first reboot with a 2028 film. What the family-owned franchise teaches UK SMEs about IP and licensing.

British business travellers could be boarding a direct train from London to Cologne by 2030, after start-up operator Gemini Trains vowed to break Eurostar's 32-year grip on the Channel Tunnel with new routes, new stations and introductory Paris fares of about £59.

Cologne in four hours: the start-up taking on ‘lacklustre’ Eurostar

Gemini Trains plans direct London-Cologne services and £59 Paris fares by 2030, challenging Eurostar’s Channel Tunnel monopoly. What it means for SMEs.

The small businesses behind Britain's live music industry have been handed a rare piece of good news, as the government's first long-term music strategy promises a £45 million growth fund, lighter-touch festival licensing and a two-year freeze on business rates bills for venues.

Festivals get longer licences and red tape cut in £45m music plan

The government’s new UK music plan promises festival licensing reform and a £45m growth fund. What Turn It Up means for venues, clubs and small firms.

Dame jayne anne gadhia

Banker who bought Northern Rock named to lead audit watchdog

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, ex-Virgin Money chief, is the government’s pick to chair the FRC. What the audit watchdog’s new leadership means for UK firms.

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Profiled…

The founders of UK fintech GoCardless are set for a significant financial windfall after the payments company agreed to be acquired by Dutch rival Mollie in a deal valued at €1.05bn (£920m).

Monzo founder Blomfield joins Anthropic as AI talent war escalates

Monzo founder Tom Blomfield has joined Anthropic’s compute team, the latest coup in the AI talent war. What his move signals for UK founders and SMEs.

Dame jayne anne gadhia

Banker who bought Northern Rock named to lead audit watchdog

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, ex-Virgin Money chief, is the government’s pick to chair the FRC. What the audit watchdog’s new leadership means for UK firms.

Marketing & Social Media

For decades, television advertising has been the preserve of brands with deep pockets and a media agency on retainer.

Small firms can buy ITV, Sky and Channel 4 airtime in minutes as Universal Ads launches in the UK

The owner of Facebook and Instagram will cut another 10,000 jobs, months after laying off 11,000 staff, as the technology group prepares for years of economic disruption.

Meta launches high court challenge against Ofcom over online safety act fines

Mark Zuckerberg

Meta to axe 8,000 jobs in May as Zuckerberg bets the house on AI

Get Funded

Elon Musk has launched a $134 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming both companies unjustly profited from his early backing of the artificial intelligence pioneer and abandoned its founding mission.

SpaceX slips below IPO price as UK investors’ £271m bet turns sour

SpaceX shares have fallen below their $135 IPO price for the first time, leaving UK retail investors who spent £271m in the float nursing paper losses.

The billionaire Irish brothers behind Stripe have teamed up with American private equity firm Advent International in a $53 billion-plus bid for PayPal, a deal that would put two of the payment platforms most relied upon by UK small businesses under the same roof.

Stripe and Advent swoop on PayPal with $53bn takeover bid

Stripe and Advent International have made a $53bn takeover bid for PayPal. What the deal could mean for the fees and payment tools UK SMEs rely on.

Monumental has raised $32m led by Khosla Ventures to scale its robot bricklayers in the UK, where builders are 20,000 bricklayers short of housing targets.

Khosla backs robot bricklayers with $32m as UK trades shortage bites

Monumental has raised $32m led by Khosla Ventures to scale its robot bricklayers in the UK, where builders are 20,000 bricklayers short of housing targets.

More than 600 senior investors from around 350 firms, including Goldman Sachs, Blackstone and the Qatar Investment Authority, will descend on Hampshire this month for a new Finance Summit at the Farnborough International Airshow, and for once the guest list is not reserved for the primes.

600 global investors head to Farnborough with capital to let fly

Farnborough Airshow 2026 launches a Finance Summit bringing 600 global investors to meet aerospace, defence and space firms, from primes to start-ups.

Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, is in advanced talks to pump $500 million (£400m) into Wayve, a UK-based self-driving car start-up.

Wayve staff cash in $85m in UK’s first private market share sale

Wayve’s $85m employee share sale on the LSE Private Securities Market is a UK first and the biggest PISCES deal yet. What it means for staff equity.

French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel is to become the largest shareholder in Vodafone, the group behind the UK's biggest mobile network, after agreeing a £4.4 billion deal to buy out Emirati giant e&'s entire stake.

Xavier Niel seizes top spot at Vodafone with £4.4bn stake swoop

Xavier Niel is set to become Vodafone’s largest shareholder after a £4.4bn deal with e&. What the French billionaire’s arrival means for UK firms.

Rubrik, the security and AI operations company, is to invest more than £375 million ($500 million) in the UK over the next five years and has named London as its headquarters for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in a move ministers are hailing as a vote of confidence in British tech.

Cyber giant Rubrik picks London for EMEA HQ with £375m pledge

Rubrik’s £375m UK investment makes London its EMEA HQ. What the cyber resilience giant’s move means for British business owners, jobs and SME security.

Athena, the poster retailer that decorated a generation of British bedrooms and gave the world the Tennis Girl, is up for sale, offering entrepreneurs and investors a rare chance to buy one of the high street's most recognisable names outright.

Athena, the brand behind Tennis Girl, goes up for sale

The Athena brand, famous for the Tennis Girl poster, is up for sale as its UK and EU trademarks come to market. What the deal means for brand buyers.

NatWest has opened a new business Accelerator at Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham, handing West Midlands founders direct access to capital, coaching and investor networks in a region whose advanced engineering and manufacturing sector already generates £22 billion a year and supports 273,000 jobs.

NatWest picks 300-year-old wire maker’s site for new accelerator

NatWest Accelerator opens at Tyseley Energy Park, giving West Midlands SMEs access to capital, coaching and investor networks to turn ideas into growth.

Previous Next

Legal

Alvin, Simon and Theodore are heading back to work, and the deal behind their return is a quiet masterclass in how a family business should treat its most valuable asset.

Chipmunks return: why waiting a decade for the right deal paid off

Alvin and the Chipmunks return in a digital-first reboot with a 2028 film. What the family-owned franchise teaches UK SMEs about IP and licensing.

Prince Harry and his fellow claimants could be facing one of the largest costs bills ever seen in British privacy litigation, a former Costs Judge has warned, after the High Court dismissed their claims against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, in full.

Prince Harry and fellow claimants face ‘eye-watering’ legal bill after Daily Mail court defeat, warns former Costs Judge

A former Costs Judge warns Prince Harry and his fellow claimants could face an eye-watering legal bill after losing their privacy case against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers.

A Northamptonshire couple who run a fairytale-style glamping retreat are taking soft drinks giant Britvic to court, claiming the J2O maker used a photograph of their cabin without permission to promote a national competition.

Glamping couple take Britvic to court over Magic Mushroom Cabin photo

A Northamptonshire glamping couple are suing J2O maker Britvic over the unauthorised use of a photo of their Magic Mushroom Cabin, in a case every SME should watch.

Chinese bubble tea chain Molly Tea must pay Louis Vuitton £1.1m after a court ruled its logo copied the luxury house's four-petal flower trademark, sparking a fierce online backlash.

Backlash in China as bubble tea chain Molly Tea ordered to pay Louis Vuitton £1.1m over logo

Chinese bubble tea chain Molly Tea must pay Louis Vuitton £1.1m after a court ruled its logo copied the luxury house’s four-petal flower trademark, sparking a fierce online backlash.

HMRC has confirmed it will not appeal the tribunal decision that football referees engaged by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) are self-employed rather than employees, drawing a line under one of the longest-running employment status disputes the tax authority has pursued.

HMRC concedes defeat on referees as decade-long IR35 fight ends

HMRC will not appeal the PGMOL ruling that football referees are self-employed. Dave Chaplin says the decade-long case lays bare flaws in the CEST tool and mutuality of obligation.

The UK's 100 largest businesses are made up of more than 37,000 individual entities registered with Companies House, new analysis has found, laying bare just how hard it has become to see the full shape of Britain's biggest firms through the corporate registry alone.

The UK’s 100 biggest businesses hide behind 37,000 company registrations

Beauhurst analysis reveals the UK’s 100 largest businesses are built from more than 37,000 Companies House entities, with one registered over 3,800 times, obscuring the true picture.

New research from Allentra USA and Mathys & Squire reveals a consistent pattern of intellectual property exposure among growth-stage UK businesses planning, or already trading in, the United States.

Three in four UK firms heading for America have no US trademark protection, research finds

New research reveals 76% of UK companies expanding into the US have no USPTO trademark protection, leaving brands and patents dangerously exposed.

HM Revenue & Customs has fired a fresh warning shot at Britain’s flexible workforce, urging an estimated 700,000 umbrella workers, and the agencies and end-clients that engage them, to steer well clear of a rapidly growing scheme that claims, falsely, that personal IOUs can be used to settle a tax bill.

HMRC warns 700,000 umbrella workers over ‘bills of exchange’ tax avoidance scam

Promoters in the recruitment and temporary labour sector are pushing a bogus payment ‘trick’ that HMRC says has no legal foundation — and SMEs further down the supply chain risk being dragged in.

The chief executive of US fintech Bolt has mounted a robust defence of his decision to sack the company's entire human resources department, telling a Fortune audience that the team "created problems that didn't exist" and that those issues "disappeared" the moment he showed them the door.

Bolt boss defends sacking entire HR team, claiming staff ‘invented problems that didn’t exist’

Bolt chief executive Ryan Breslow has defended axing the fintech’s entire HR department, claiming the team “created problems that didn’t exist” as the firm slashes headcount and pivots to an AI-first model.

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Made in Britain

An Argyll-based manufacturing firm is targeting 20 per cent year-on-year growth in the global awards sector after investing nearly half a million pounds in new production technology.

Custom acrylic manufacturer Midton targets 20% annual growth after £429,000 tech investment at Argyll foundry

Argyll-based Midton is expanding its acrylic awards manufacturing capacity following a £429,000 investment in new biomass-powered technology.

The Made in Britain organisation has raised concerns over Reform UK’s alleged use of a logo resembling its own, stressing political neutrality and lack of authorisation.

‘Made in Britain’ body challenges Reform UK over alleged unauthorised logo use

The Made in Britain organisation has raised concerns over Reform UK’s alleged use of a logo resembling its own, stressing political neutrality and lack of authorisation.

As the Labour Party Conference kicks off this weekend, Made in Britain, a trade association that unites domestic manufacturers through the official Made in Britain Trademark, has issued a cross-party call for MPs to actively support local manufacturers.

Made in Britain applications surge following Trump tariffs as businesses embrace UK-made goods

The UK’s leading manufacturing trade organisation, Made in Britain, has reported a 20% surge in membership applications in the wake of President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs on imported goods, as interest in “buying British” grows among businesses and consumers alike.

Made in Britain, the not-for-profit organisation behind the official trademark for UK manufacturing, has forged a new partnership with Lincoln-based digital marketing agency Carrington.

Made in Britain teams up with Carrington to drive UK manufacturing growth

Made in Britain, the official trademark for UK manufacturers, has appointed digital marketing agency Carrington to boost visibility for 2,100+ members, championing British-made products and sustainable growth.

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Newswire

Bitcoin has endured its worst week since the implosion of the FTX exchange in 2022, with the world's most heavily traded cryptocurrency rattled by a leading bitcoin treasury company's decision to trim its holdings.

Bitcoin suffers worst week since FTX collapse as strategy breaks its ‘never sell’ vow

Amy Ingham
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This months magazine

Business Matters 4th anniversary cover - February 2026

Opinion

The UK-India trade deal came into force this week carrying a £4.8bn-a-year prize. But for Sukhpal Ahluwalia, the entrepreneur who built Euro Car Parts from a single Wembley shop into a business he sold for £280m, the agreement itself is not the achievement. The achievement is what British businesses now build on top of it.

The £4.8bn India deal is the starting gun, not the prize

Brown and pleasant land: will 2026 out-drought 1976 for UK farmers?

Would you renew this supplier? Burnham and the Hillsborough Law

Technology

TikTok is under formal investigation by Ofcom over whether its age checks actually keep children off the platform, in the clearest signal yet that the regulator's online safety clampdown is moving beyond pornography sites and on to mainstream social media.

Ofcom investigates TikTok over ‘serious doubts’ its age checks work

Apple has announced a delay in the launch of three new artificial intelligence (AI) features in Europe due to regulatory challenges posed by the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

‘Rotten to its core’: Apple accuses OpenAI of stealing its secrets

Small firms were meant to be the biggest winners from Britain's shift to paperless trade. Three years on, government-commissioned research has found them "untouched" by the reforms, while large companies and shipping carriers quietly pocket the savings.

Digital trade revolution passes small firms by as big business banks the savings

Business

Electric Scooter

Things to Know Before You Buy an Electric Scooter in the UK

Electric scooters have become one of the fastest-growing modes of urban transport in Britain — but the UK market comes with legal nuances, technical specs, and buying pitfalls that trip up first-time owners.

Business Champion Awards

Business Champion Awards | Finalists at Awards Awards 2023 | Cherry Martin

Business Champion Awards is a finalist in the Awards Awards 2023

Two years of rewarding SMEs across the country and The Business Champion Awards are finalists themselves

The Capital Business Media Group

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