Where are the UK’s strongest – and weakest – local economies?

The Gloucestershire town of Tewkesbury is best-placed to recover from Covid-related challenges according to new research from financial services firm Raisin. This is due to a positive mixture of employability and business prosperity, with 80 per cent of residents in work and local businesses having seen a 10 per cent rise in growth since 2015.  … Read more

Female CEO of £100m business launches 12-week course to get more women into tech jobs

Few companies make promises to get people employed after they sign up to their courses, particularly during a pandemic.  But that’s exactly what Amy Golding, chief executive of Opus Talent Solutions and founder of _nology says she’ll do. The straight-talking businesswoman, who became CEO of tech recruitment company Opus Talent Solutions at just 31, says she’s … Read more

Seven Dragons’ Den success stories

The five business titans of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den haven’t always got it right over the past years. Just think of when they turned down a request for £100,000 from Brewdog’s co-founders in 2008 that would now be worth £360million. Or when they refused to give James Nash £250,000 for his Cup-a-wine idea, which was later picked up by … Read more

Seven Dragons’ Den success stories

The five business titans of the BBC’s Dragons’ Den haven’t always got it right over the past years. Just think of when they turned down a request for £100,000 from Brewdog’s co-founders in 2008 that would now be worth £360million. Or when they refused to give James Nash £250,000 for his Cup-a-wine idea, which was later picked up by … Read more

British tech start-ups had a record year for investment

The British technology industry had a solid 2020, despite the pandemic and fears over Brexit, an annual study shows.  Tech start-ups and scale-ups in the UK have more than doubled their collective value since 2017, according to Tech Nation.  Collectively, they are valued at $585billion (£422.55billion) which is more than double the next most valuable … Read more

The small businesses breaking sales records thanks to ‘WFH renovating’ and the stamp duty cut

Along with Zoom quizzes, baking banana bread and a constant loop of TikTok videos, home improvements have been on the rise during the course of the pandemic. This is largely a result of more people working from home and having more time to redecorate while being keen to improve their new work spaces. Meanwhile, some … Read more

Plum Play: The family-run business which has seen sales rocket

Active garden sets such as climbing frames and trampolines have surged in popularity as parents have been forced to find ways to keep children active at home thanks to lockdown restrictions and limited access to outdoor and indoor play areas. One Lincolnshire-based family company says that the new-found popularity garden play sets has seen sales … Read more

Plum Play: The family-run business which has seen sales rocket

Active garden sets such as climbing frames and trampolines have surged in popularity as parents have been forced to find ways to keep children active at home thanks to lockdown restrictions and limited access to outdoor and indoor play areas. One Lincolnshire-based family company says that the new-found popularity garden play sets has seen sales … Read more

The ins and outs of intellectual property and how small business owners can protect theirs

There are more than six million privately owned businesses in Britain, ranging from restaurants to independent financial advisers and from fashion brands to pet groomers. While many will sell similar products or services, others may have a more unique offering and these types of businesses have been launching aplenty over the past 12 months to … Read more