After several years of economic uncertainty, the UK’s small business landscape is showing an interesting, and encouraging,  shift in borrowing behaviour. According to the British Business Bank’s latest Small Business Finance Markets Report, fewer SMEs are using external finance – down from around half to just over 40% – yet the total value of lending is on the rise. In other words, smaller firms aren’t borrowing less,  they’re borrowing smarter. The “selective borrower” has emerged, and they’re more cautious, and increasingly focused on investment that drives efficiency and growth rather than short-term survival. Here, Rory Crisp‑Jones of Jones & Co Finance, argues this…

Two fifths of UK employers (40%) are actively hiring people returning from a career break, while around a third are actively hiring (31%) – or looking to retain (37%) – older workers, new research from independent consultancy Barnett Waddingham (BW) reveals. The findings reflect an environment of mounting pressures both within, and outside, of businesses. Internally, a growing number of people are delaying their retirement and choosing to work for longer; earlier this year nearly two fifths (36%) of employees said they had already, or were considering delaying their retirement because they wanted to continue working, or due to financial…

Yaron Rosenblum, co-founder and CEO of Canvas Offices, explores how workplace design has matured from the gimmicks of slides and bean bags into something far more meaningful – spaces built around employee needs, research, and wellbeing. Top Five Must-Haves in Every Office Space  Office space design has moved on substantially over the years, with typical 20th century rows of grey cubicles giving way to media hype around outlandish features like slides and bowling alleys. But thankfully, before all office chairs were replaced with bean bags, we seem to have reached a middle ground, with the rise of spaces which offer amenities based on employee…

New research has revealed an “authority gap”, which could prevent line managers from performing their roles effectively. The survey of over 500 UK line managers, commissioned by HR software provider for small and scaling businesses Breathe HR, found that while line managers are tasked with responsibility, they often lack authentic power and authority within their organisation. This phenomenon, which experts are calling the “authority gap”, might include lacking the power to influence and make key decisions autonomously, control budgets, and shape team  objectives, despite having a managerial role. “Authority gap” creates cohort of “fauxthority” line managers Overall, nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents admitted that, although…

The stalemate over the Employment Rights Bill continues as the House of Commons refused to agree to the key amendments requested by the House of Lords. Among the sticking points is the crucial issue around unfair dismissal rights; the Lords want a six-month qualifying period while the government insists this should be a day one right. And with this having been a key pledge in Labour’s election manifesto, it’s clear that they are not wanting to back down. So, what happens next? For now, the Bill goes back to the House of Lords, with no immediate resolution in sight. Kate…

As reports emerge that the Treasury may consider a pay-per-mile or fuel duty-style tax for electric vehicles, Paul Holland, Managing Director for UK/ANZ Fleet at Corpay (including Allstar), warns that such a move would risk stalling the UK’s transition to cleaner transport. He says the Autumn Budget is the government’s chance to back electric adoption, not burden it, noting that higher running costs would push both drivers and fleets to delay the switch. “The Autumn Budget is where the government sets out its priorities and right now, taxing EV drivers would send all the wrong signals. The idea of a…

Small changes to policies and processes could help SMEs improve their cashflow levels, a senior finance professional has said. Matthew Grant, Yorkshire Head of Accountancy and Business Advisory at international accountancy and business advisory group Azets, is encouraging business owners to think strategically about their terms of trade and customer relationships, and review their debtor days, and payment processes and policies. His five key tips are: Implement robust terms of trade: clearly setting out terms and conditions at the start of a new working relationship puts everyone on the same page and gives the business protection if a client fails…

 By Mim Mogul, UK Managing Director, BauWatch The government’s recent decision to reject blueprints to combat construction theft is deeply concerning. The proposed plans would have seen mandated forensic marking of power tools and compulsory fitting of immobilisers to machinery, but were rejected by the Home Office following a consultation on tool theft. At a time when the construction industry is haemorrhaging around £800 million annually to criminals, and when industrial-scale theft has surged by 67% over the past year alone, according to our research, this inaction sends a troubling message that tackling construction crime isn’t a priority. The Home…

As the Autumn Budget approaches on 26 November, speculation is mounting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could target pensions as part of a wider fiscal reset.  Rumours suggest potential reforms to pension tax relief, salary sacrifice schemes, and even the long-standing 25% tax-free lump sum may be heading toward the UK pension sector, prompting concern among savers and employers alike. This is according to pensions specialist, Penfold.   According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the government faces a £22 billion funding gap. With the Chancellor having ruled out increases to income tax, VAT, or National Insurance, attention is turning to more technical areas of the tax system – including the generous reliefs that…

Radius Group has grown into a trusted partner for UK businesses. Supporting businesses of all sizes, Radius is geared towards driving convenience when it comes to fleet management, offering offer fuel cards, telematics, vehicle leasing, EV charge points, telecoms and more to businesses globally. SME Today spoke to Sam Eggington, Head of Specialist Sales at Radius. With over a decade of experience in technology sales, Sam is passionate about helping businesses harness technology to solve real challenges. He is driven by making a genuine difference for customers, focusing on solutions that deliver value, simplify operations, and enable growth. What inspired…

Ben Schilz, CEO at Wire, predicts movements towards a sovereign Europe, quantum-ready encryption and a slow goodbye to Big Tech The digital tug-of-war between open-source and proprietary software is not only underway but determined to accelerate in 2026. After years of loud promises but lacking delivery, the world has woken up. Privacy, sovereignty and security aren’t just firmly on the agenda, they are a long-term necessity to ensure companies and nations secure and control their data. However, not everyone is on the same page and frankly, many have competing interests. In the name of safety, governments continue to push for deeper…

Dentsu B2B, dentsu’s specialist business-to-business marketing services organisation, today announced the launch of The Superpowers Index 2025, the largest and most systematic global study of B2B buying behaviour. Now in its fifth edition, the Superpowers Index draws on over 16,000 interviews since 2021, including 6,107 B2B decision-maker interviews this year alone, spanning 21 markets and four major industries: Financial Services, Technology, Professional Services, and Manufacturing. It also ranks over 170 B2B brands, showing how they are performing against a wide range of buyer criteria. The report identifies three defining trends for 2025: Getting Back to Business: Buyers are balancing personal and…

On average, international business visitors to the UK spend 15% more than holidaymakers per day.  With this in mind, Nicole Kerr, CEO at airport transfer platform Mozio, has shared the following advice on how businesses can reduce the cost of business travel trips. 1 – Pre-book an airport transfer “For most business travelers, the preferred method of transport to get from the airport to their destination is to pay for a taxi outside the airport. However, this can be costly, as taxis from an airport are renowned for being expensive, which can considerably add to the cost of the trip.” “To…

The majority of UK estate agents may now be at risk of breaching anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations following major changes introduced by HMRC last month, according to compliance technology specialist, Coadjute. On 9 September, HMRC published revised AML guidance that fundamentally redefines what is mandatory. The word “must” appears 212 times in the document, turning dozens of previously advisory checks into legal obligations. The update introduces a new checklist of 34 named risk indicators that must be addressed within every agency’s Business Risk Assessment (BRA) and Policies, Controls and Procedures (PCPs). Any business that has not updated its documentation and onboarding…

Meta just changed how their algorithm works, and it’s got 30% of marketers calling it the most difficult to navigate, citing major visibility and engagement issues. Most of them are doing the same thing, which is posting more content, thinking that’ll fix their reach problems but unfortunately it won’t. A participant, whom we’ll call Czy, a fitness influencer, shared that she lost 8 million views in a span of a month, “From 12 million views to 4 million quickly in a month, which leads me to want to post more. This hasn’t drastically affected partnerships yet, but I’ve noticed fewer…

Cyber criminals are stepping up their surveillance of British businesses, scanning online devices more than 4,000 times a day to identify gaps in security, BT network data reveals.  Malicious scouting raids, which increasingly use automated ‘bots’ to look for weaknesses across organisations’ networks, have risen 300% in the last 12 months as hackers zero in on web-connected devices. This can range from company laptops and mobile phones through to IoT devices such as office security cameras. Once a system vulnerability has been identified, it can lead to the launch of a cyber-attack such as ransomware, which can compromise an entire…