The Thames Valley Business & Community Awards 2026 have announced their shortlisted nominees after a record-breaking year, with over 1,460 nominations received from across the region. The awards celebrate excellence, innovation, leadership and social impact across businesses, charities and individuals operating throughout the Thames Valley. This year’s nominations reflected the strength, diversity and resilience of the region, spanning sectors including technology, professional services, hospitality, manufacturing, education, charity and social enterprise. Judges commented on the exceptionally high standard of submissions, noting that the volume and quality of nominations made the shortlisting process one of the most competitive in the awards’ history.…

Good Food, the UK’s number one food media brand, has launched the inaugural Good Food SME Awards celebrating the small and medium-sized businesses, whose innovation, creativity and commitment are making an impact in the food, drink and health industry. The Good Food SME Awards want to hear from the best producers, innovators and creators in the industry. There are 9 categories to enter recognising the best Disruptors, Founders, Innovators, Storytellers, Health producers, Family-Run businesses, Creatives and those businesses making a positive impact on the world. Plus two judges’ choice awards, including the overall winner who wins £25k of promotional media spend on Good Food platforms, including print, podcasts and digital, reaching 16m food lovers a month. The prize also includes a stand at one of the UK’s biggest Christmas food events,…

Small businesses across the UK are being warned about a growing scam in which fraudsters pose as dissatisfied customers, sending fake complaints via text message and WhatsApp in an attempt to pressure owners into issuing refunds or compensation. The scam typically involves messages claiming serious issues with products or services, such as hair or plastic found in food, spoiled pet treats, or food allegedly “being off.” The sender presents themselves as a customer but refuses to speak by phone, insisting that all communication takes place via text or WhatsApp. Messages are often written to sound urgent or alarming, encouraging businesses…

According to recent research from YouGov, 1 in 10 bosses say they avoid meeting junior workers because they fear false allegations, with some changing how they manage staff or avoid normal interactions because of concerns about legal, reputational and personal risk. Senior Solicitor in Harper James’ Employment team, Helen Dyke, sets out what employers are getting stuck on, and what “getting it right” looks like when allegations arise: “Recent YouGov research suggests that a growing number of business leaders are changing how they manage and interact with staff because of concerns about false allegations. For many employers, particularly in SMEs, this anxiety…

For years, people living with allergies have said the same thing: the system hasn’t kept up. In 2025, that finally began to change. Across the UK, allergy safety moved higher up the public health agenda, with clearer standards, improved treatment options and growing recognition of the scale of allergies. For Surrey-based entrepreneur and allergy campaigner Julianne Ponan MBE, 2025 marked a year where long-called-for change began to take shape, both nationally and through her work at allergen-free food brand Creative Nature. Five ways allergy safety began to shift in 2025 1/ Allergy care moved beyond symptom management In 2025, new…

There has been intensified scrutiny in the media of “phoenixism”, which is where a company is placed into insolvency and a substantially similar business is then re-established free of historic debts and unpaid taxes. Phoenix activity is not, of itself unlawful.  UK insolvency law acknowledges that in appropriate circumstances, rescuing a viable business through insolvency and as a genuine last resort may safeguard both its value and its employees. However, if insolvency is exploited deliberately to avoid paying creditors—especially HMRC—directors may incur significant personal, regulatory, and financial liability. Disqualification and regulatory action Director conduct following insolvency is routinely reviewed by the Insolvency…

As the owner of The Manchester Screen, now the second-largest digital billboard in Europe and arguably the most impactful combined static-and-digital site in the UK, Katie Smith is one of the few independent operators transforming regional OOH into a national talking point.  Katie talks to SME Today and comments on 2026 industry trends, the rise of experiential, and why her “Beyond the Billboard” approach is redefining what OOH can be. Q: You’ve taken full ownership of The Manchester Screen this year. What does 2026 look like for you and for the site? 2026 is about scale, creativity and smarter integration.…

By Harry McDonough, UK Senior Manager of the Blue Factory startup incubator and Co-Founder of Startup Networks As digital transformation accelerates across every industry, many founders are feeling pressure to adopt new tools, embrace automation, and scale at speed. But amid the hype, one truth often gets buried: technology doesn’t build companies, people do. The global digital transformation market is projected to grow rapidly through 2030, reshaping how organisations operate and compete. Yet early-stage startups, in particular, are struggling to distinguish which technologies genuinely support sustainable growth and which simply add noise. Through our work with founders and corporate innovators, we’ve identified the core…

By Dr Glenn Mason, Head of Adult Psychological Therapies and Consultant Counselling Psychologist at Onebright For many people, the new year does not arrive with a sense of renewal. Instead, January quietly carries the weight of financial worry with bills landing, savings stretched, and the wait for pay day longer than any other time of the year. Almost half of adults expected to spend more than planned at Christmas and only a minority anticipated having those costs fully cleared by the end of December 2025.* For many households, and especially parents, repayments stretch well into the new year, meaning financial pressure…

More than 1 in every 5 UK business owners are unsure how to reduce energy bills. With this in mind, business energy experts, Utility Bidder, have shared 8 tips businesses can implement to help this year. Mark Gamble, Head of Supplier Relations at Utility Bidder comments: “The new year brings a new start for some businesses, while others will be optimising new money-saving strategies to be in place for the new financial year starting in April. Already in 2026, we’ve been treated to country-wide cold snaps and storms, and it is a vital time to be utilising energy and heating effectively, whilst also…

Small businesses such as cafes, shops and hairdressers are facing three years of business rates misery with an average 52 per cent hike in bills being piled on in three instalments, new analysis from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has revealed. The controversial slashing of relief for 230,000 small firms across the retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) sectors in England, combined with other business rates changes being introduced by the Government from this April, leaves many having to pay thousands of pounds extra. In a letter to the Government, FSB has urged ministers to deploy the full relief available to them for small…

2026 will bring the biggest employment law changes in a generation. With the 2016 “golden era” trending on social media right now, the leading HR and employment law experts at Peninsula are participating in the #throwback, taking stock of just how much has changed in the HR landscape over the past decade. Alan Price, Peninsula Group Global Chief Operations Officer, who has worked at Peninsula since 2003, says: “2016 was a challenging year for UK employers with the main headline being the Brexit referendum. Although the changes weren’t formalised for some time after, many of our clients told us that…

By Emily Coltman FCA, Chief Accountant at FreeAgent Starting from April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax will begin to replace Self Assessment for most self-employed individuals and unincorporated landlords in stages. Instead of filing a tax return on paper or online once a year, affected taxpayers will need to keep digital records and send updates to HMRC every quarter, as well as complete an annual final declaration. While it may seem daunting at first, understanding what’s required and preparing early will help make the transition as smooth as possible. What’s changing from 2026? If you’re a sole trader or landlord with…

 Washroom technician John ‘Badger’ Heritage from Carlisle Support Services has been recognised on the national stage after winning Individual Technician of the Year at the 2025 Loo of the Year Awards. John collected the trophy at the annual awards ceremony, held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull. John cleans and maintains public toilets in the City of Westminster in London. His bosses nominated him saying: “John’s work ethic is exceptional. He consistently delivers immaculate, safe, and welcoming washroom environments, demonstrating meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment. In the fast-paced and high-demand setting of Westminster, his reliability and consistency…

Marcin Pichur, Regional Vice President, Sales of Docuware comments on the critical role of invoice reconciliation for SME finance teams here in the UK.  UK SMEs are under more pressure than ever. Rising costs, tighter margins and increasing regulatory scrutiny mean finance teams are expected not only to keep the business running, but to provide clarity, control and strategic insight. Yet one of the most important levers for achieving that, invoice reconciliation, is still treated by many organisations as a routine administrative task. It’s time to rethink that. Reconciliation shouldn’t just be seen as an end‑of‑month tick‑box exercise, but as…

Trent Scanlen, CEO and co-founder of KURK, on why backing homegrown entrepreneurs matters more than ever KURK is one of the UK’s fastest growing UK pharma-wellness ventures, on a mission to redefine conventional approaches to pain management, inflammation and recovery. Founded in Twickenham in 2022 by Trent Scanlen and Dr Harrison “Harry” Weisinger – two long-time friends and cancer survivors – KURK has since grown well beyond its London beginnings. For co-founder Trent, KURK’s success story is proof of a how growing interest in plant-based wellness and preventative health is fuelling demand, and why supporting UK startups is crucial for…