Made Smarter Adoption North West, the trailblazing digital technology adoption programme, has secured an additional £230,000 to help more SME manufacturers access transformational technology. The allocation from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will fund at least 10 new companies to adopt technologies such as sensors, robotics and 3D printers to increase productivity, growth, […]
In the aftermath of the new Labour Government’s first Budget, businesses are looking to how best mitigate the impact of the announced rise in employee National Insurance. Half of UK SMEs (50%) expect the policy to hinder business growth, with 31% saying it will hinder their own business specifically, according to new research from Simply […]
Almost a quarter of landlords accessing loans through a specialist business bank already have energy-efficient properties. Residential and commercial portfolio owners with assets falling in the A-C EPC category have been able to take advantage of Redwood Bank’s Green Reward launched at the end of last year. The cashback product has accounted for 22% of […]
Trade finance professionals are being urged to share their insights and perspectives in a global survey aimed at uncovering key trends and challenges in the sector. Hosted by Demica, a leading fintech specialising in working capital solutions, the survey will inform the 2025 Benchmark Report for Banks in Trade Finance – a widely recognised resource for the industry. […]
United Trust Bank (UTB), a leading UK specialist bank, has announced that an agreement has been reached between its majority shareholders and Warburg Pincus, the pioneer of private equity global growth investing, whereby Warburg Pincus will acquire a minority equity interest in UTB. This agreement, which is subject to the relevant regulatory approvals, will support the […]
Smaller businesses backed by the government’s Start Up Loans programme have higher survival rates than other businesses, finds an independent evaluation, conducted by SQW working in partnership with Professor Mark Hart, Qa Research and The Data City. The programme also supports a significantly greater proportion of smaller businesses outside London and the South East, as […]
Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown: “The FTSE 100 has opened a touch higher this morning, with investors keeping a close eye on interest rate dynamics across the globe. The European Central Bank is widely tipped to trim rates by 25 basis points and update its growth and inflation forecasts. Over in Switzerland, another rate […]
A recent survey conducted by Chargebacks911, the global chargeback technology leader, revealed that on average, 45% of all chargebacks filed against merchants stem from misuse or outright abuse – a practice commonly referred to as “friendly fraud.” Major card networks like Visa and Mastercard say this number can be as high as 75% for some merchants. […]
In 2025, the continental European P2P market may renew its historical maximum in volumes. Long-term investors will be the main driver of growth, and the average annual rate of return will reach a plateau of 11.6%. Robocash analysts forecast that the European P2P market could grow by 4.4% in 2025, setting a historical record from […]
The number of growing UK sectors held steady in November, according to the latest Lloyds UK Sector Tracker. Six of the 14 UK sectors monitored reported output growth, the same number as October, albeit four of the six sectors grew at a slower rate than the month before. Four sectors – food and drink manufacturing […]
