New regulation is exciting – and yes you have read that correctly. It’s the infrastructure that defines how markets work and how companies grow. What was once vague or a legal grey area comes into focus with rules, responsibilities, and real commercial opportunity. Businesses need this structure. It enables new markets, drives innovation, and supports the development of services, standards and technology that can be exported globally. But for the full potential to be realised, regulation has to be clear, practical, and – most importantly – grounded in reality. Momentum stalls when poorly defined rules create friction and misaligned policy…
Author: Greg Robinson
Finance Director Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam has once again been invited to join the judging panel for the prestigious Best Businesswomen Awards 2025 – a nationwide programme recognising the UK’s most outstanding female entrepreneurs. Now in its eleventh year, the awards celebrate the drive, passion and resilience of women running successful businesses across a wide range of sectors. Romesh, founder of The FD Consultant, based in London and supporting businesses across the UK, first joined the judging panel in 2024. As a returning judge, he says it’s a privilege to be part of the process. “I’m honoured to be back on the…
Greater London dentist and entrepreneur has expanded his business with the help of a £7.2m loan from Unity Trust Bank, snapping up four new practices — including Angel Dental Practice in Enfield and three Dental Art Studio clinics in the City of London. The acquisitions take Mani’s portfolio to nine – with his Smile Studios chain already operating in Richmond, Heston Hounslow, Palmers Green, Muswell Hill and Cockfosters. Unity has provided finance for seven of Mani’s practices, and the former Royal London St Bartholomew’s Dental School honours graduate says he has plans to grow further. Mani said: “I always knew that I wanted to build my own brand; a brand that is recognisable for its clinical excellence and…
Twenty years ago, shopping on the high street was part of our weekly routines. You could pop into Wilkinsons for a tin of paint, swing past Woolworths for some pick and mix, and dive into HMV for that new album before posting back your Blockbuster DVD. Now, you rarely have to leave your bathtub for any of that. I guess that’s partly why these ‘household names’ will one day fade from memory. To many people, it must have seemed like one minute they were thriving brands, and the next, they just fell apart. Or perhaps they had a rough few…
We are phasing in identity verification over 12 months to make things simpler for companies and business owners. Companies House confirms that from Tuesday 18 November 2025, legal requirements for directors and people with significant control (PSCs) of companies to verify their identities will begin. From 18 November 2025: new directors will need to verify their identity to incorporate a company or be appointed to an existing company. existing directors will need to confirm they have verified their identity at the same time as they file their next annual confirmation statement, during a 12-month transition period. existing PSCs will need…
As the EU prepares to introduce regulation which will require products exported into the EU to have a Digital Product Passport, GS1 UK warns that many UK businesses are not prepared, which could cost them an average of £1.5 million per year in revenue from lost trade with the EU, which remains the UK’s biggest bilateral trading bloc even after Brexit.1 The Digital Product Passport, or DPP, which is set to be first introduced in 2027, is a new regulation from the EU which will require brands and retailers to provide detailed information on products entering the EU, in an…
As Operations Director, Sally will oversee all internal operations, processes, systems, and delivery — with a clear focus on scalability, professionalism to deliver exceptional client experiences. Sally brings over 15 years of business finance experience with businesses such as Metro Bank Asset Finance, InterBay Asset Finance and Shawbrook Bank. Her most recent role was Sales and Operations Director at Love Finance Limited, where she was responsible for 80 sales and admin staff, plus compliance. Sally Chesterton, Operations Director of Millbrook Business Finance said: “I am delighted to join the Millbrook team, and I’m eager to contribute to their continued success…
The UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises are the engine room of the economy, accounting for 99.8% of the business population according to government statistics and generating over £2 trillion in turnover. But that engine is under strain. The recent spike in consumer-price inflation to 3.5% has piled fresh pressure on operating costs, reinforcing the longer-term cost surges that began with Covid-19 and were compounded by geopolitical shocks, supply chain disruption and wage inflation. Now, with over a third of SME leaders citing rising costs and inflation as direct barriers to growth, businesses must rethink their approach to finance. It’s no longer sufficient to treat raising capital as an…
Ben Knight, former trader-turned Wealth Strategy Expert and founder of Hertfordshire-based The Trade Tribe, reveals the six biggest money mistakes he sees business owners most frequently make – and outlines his tips for avoiding them. Running a small business demands focus, resilience and careful financial management. But even the most capable owners can fall into common money traps when it comes to their personal finances. These mistakes don’t come from recklessness, but often from following outdated advice or feeling too overwhelmed to make strategic changes. Since founding The Trade Tribe, I’ve worked with hundreds of business owners across the UK.…
New research from Vistra, reveals that only 28% of UK directors are ready for the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) despite the risk of unlimited fines. The smallest firms are most exposed, with none stating they are ready to meet ECCTA deadlines. While larger firms show greater readiness, just 37% of the largest are very prepared. The ECCTA is the UK’s most significant Companies House reform since 1844. By autumn 2025, all directors, persons of significant control (PSCs), and company filers must verify their identity. Yet, only 250,000 of an estimated 7 million or under 4% have done so. Another…