0.1% ‘Growth’? Britain’s Small Firms Left on Economic Life Support My take on our bloodless (never mind anaemic) growth The UK economy essentially flatlined in the last quarter. 0.1% growth may technically be ‘growth’ but in effect it’s stagnation. For small and micro businesses that means they’re on life support. There’s no growth in the services sector. We’re a services sector lead country and services is the sector most small businesses operate in. ManufacturingContinue reading “Flatlining Britain: No Boom, No Bounce — Just Survival Mode for Small Business!”
Category Archives: Liz Barclay
Small Firms Squeezed as Rate Cut Hopes Go Cold
Small business owners will be watching the Bank of England at midday with growing frustration. Many rely on borrowing just to keep trading, and with margins already squeezed, they need interest rates to come down. Instead, a cut now looks unlikely after inflation ticked up again last month. Hopes that rates might fall from 3.75% following the Budget are fading fast. Mortgage holders will still be crossing their fingers, while savers — many ofContinue reading “Small Firms Squeezed as Rate Cut Hopes Go Cold”
E-Invoicing Is Coming. Ignore It Now, Scramble Later
to help businesses as rates relief is phased out. E-invoicing: what is it and what will it mean for me? One of the announcements in the budget that you might have missed was the one about e-invoicing. It’s going to happen by 2029. If that doesn’t excite you, let me tell you more. E‑invoicing is short for Electronic Invoicing. It is the direct digital exchange of structured invoice data between a supplier’s finance systemContinue reading “E-Invoicing Is Coming. Ignore It Now, Scramble Later”
Government Throws Pubs a Bone With Two-Year Rates Shield
Pubs and Music Venues Get Rates Freeze in Cost-of-Living Lifeline Pubs and music venues in England will be given a 15% discount on their business rates bills from April and will not see increases for two years, the government has announced. There’s nothing in the bank for any other hospitality businesses, and many pubs will still face increased business rates bills despite the discount. After weeks of being told that they would get helpContinue reading “Government Throws Pubs a Bone With Two-Year Rates Shield”
Tell Me Your Story — and I’ll Remember Your Business
Once upon a time…. It was a dark and stormy night but I was thrilled to be judging again for the Elite 100 Business Awards so I hunkered down and snuggled up. I spent a large part of the weekend reading about a group of wonderful businesses: how they were set up, what they do, how they support their communities and charities; their ambitions for the future and how they embrace technology and innovate. IContinue reading “Tell Me Your Story — and I’ll Remember Your Business”