10 tricks to build your business credit score
In this article we look at what a business credit score is, and reveal some little known hacks to get your business in top shape.
Women in business – the rise of female-led SMEs
8th March 2018 marks International Women’s Day, a moment to reflect and press for progress for gender equality. Therefore we take this opportunity to briefly look at how women are represented across the UK small business population.
Open banking – an introduction
What is Open Banking?
Open Banking is a set of software standards and industry guidelines that aims to drive competition and innovation in UK retail and business banking. Good news for small businesses and consumers!
It is governed by the Competitions & Markets Authority (CMA).
Support for businesses affected by Carillion collapse
The collapse of construction giant Carillion has impacted upon thousands of small business suppliers and sub-contractors.
This week’s news that Carillion has gone into liquidation will have an immediate impact upon suppliers who are owed money or who are currently working on Carillion projects. It will undoubtedly mean impairments for those small businesses, but more pressing is the negative effect it will have upon cash flow, causing severe difficulties for many.
Skills shortages to be biggest barrier for SMEs
Today the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has published its Q4 2017 Economic Survey – Britain’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey – based on more than 7,000 responses from firms across the UK.
The report shows that growth in the UK economy remains subdued, with almost all services indicators down since the EU referendum, and the strong performance of manufacturers has eased slightly.
Compare business finance the easy way
Gym membership, spas & hotels, flights, smart TVs and new phones – these are just some of the purchases many of us will compare prices for. If I find myself in a shop looking at something expensive like a TV, 9 times out of 10 I will also check online to see if I can get a better deal.
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Another bumper year for Small Business Saturday
Saturday 2nd December 2017 marked Small Business Saturday’s 5th birthday in the UK, and local authorities, small business organisations and the public offered huge support, reaffirming its importance as a key day for retailers in the run up to Christmas.
Christmas cashflow – 5 tips for small businesses
It’s not many more ‘sleeps’ until Christmas, and at the top of every business’ Christmas list should be healthy cashflow!
With the festive season well underway we look at:
* why it can be a challenging time for SMEs
* the negative impact the coming weeks can have on cashflow
* our 5 top tips
* short term business finance solutions and their providers
Supporting small businesses – why the fuss?
On Saturday 2nd December it is Small Business Saturday, with 2017 being it’s fifth year running in the UK. With #hashtags flying everywhere, lots of local media noise and even a 5 week Small Business Saturday national bus tour, it would be difficult to miss. But why the big fuss about small businesses?