SMEs dream about the things they might be able to achieve, from expansion into new markets to delivering profitable growth, every SME has an ambitious goal that they go to bed thinking about at night. Now, however, thanks to agentic AI, SMEs can put that time to work and progress business-critical workstreams that help them get one step closer to delivering their business objectives – particularly if they are related to saving time, driving margins, or bringing new products to markets. One solution Is Accio Work , Alibaba.com’s 24/7 agentic business team that helps SMEs automate end-to-end business tasks, moving…

London, UK — 20 July 2026 — Small and medium-sized businesses across the UK are being urged to get to grips with “Shadow AI” — the unapproved, unmanaged use of tools like ChatGPT and Gemini by their own staff — before it becomes a serious data and compliance headache. UK-based AI consultancy Cloud & Clear says the trend is now so widespread that most SMEs are exposed to it without realising, and warns that the businesses handling it best are not the ones trying to shut it down. The problem hiding in plain sight Shadow AI describes AI tools being…

Finance director and business adviser Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam has been appointed as a Director of one of London’s leading Chambers of Commerce, where he hopes to use his experience to help support and champion local SMEs. Romesh, founder of The FD Consultant, joins the board of Kingston Chamber of Commerce following an invitation to apply for the role. Kingston Chamber of Commerce supports businesses across the borough through networking, events, business development and advocacy, helping local organisations connect, collaborate and grow. For Romesh, accepting the appointment was an easy decision. “It was simply too good an opportunity to turn down,” he…

South West managed IT provider WestSpring IT has strengthened its team with three key appointments as the business continues to grow. The latest appointments include an internal promotion alongside two experienced new recruits, further strengthening the company’s technical expertise, client support and business development capabilities. This latest investment follows WestSpring IT’s recent inclusion in the IT Channel Oxygen Fast-Growth 50 for 2026, recognising the business as one of the UK’s fastest-growing managed service providers. Emma Carter, CEO of WestSpring IT, said the appointments reflect the Bristol-based company’s commitment to growing in a sustainable way. The new appointments are: *Daniel Cully…

Employers using temporary workers are being warned they could face unexpected tax bills and HMRC scrutiny if recruitment agencies or umbrella companies within their supply chain fail to meet their PAYE and National Insurance obligations. Ashlea Fisher, founder of Wiltshire-based recruitment specialist iRecruit4, says too many businesses wrongly assume their recruitment provider is meeting its legal obligations, leaving employers exposed to potentially significant financial and reputational risks. Under HMRC’s joint and several liability and tax avoidance legislation, organisations within a labour supply chain may be held responsible for unpaid PAYE tax and National Insurance where HMRC believes they have failed…

Loo of the Year Awards has been named a finalist in the 2026 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards, earning recognition among the industry’s leading organisations from across Europe. The UK’s leading independent washroom benchmarking scheme has been shortlisted in the Best Initiative Raising the Profile of the Cleaning Sector category following a record-breaking number of entries. Organised by European Cleaning Journal, the awards celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership across the professional cleaning and hygiene sector. The shortlisting recognises the work Loo of the Year Awards has undertaken to raise awareness of the importance of high-quality washroom provision, champion accessibility and…

For UK small and medium-sized businesses, growth has become something of a paradox. Ambition remains high, but the conditions for achieving it have shifted faster than most leaders can plan for. From rising costs and geopolitical tensions to supply chain disruption and shifting customer expectations, business leaders are being asked to make critical decisions against a backdrop of constant uncertainty. Yet while 78% of UK SMBs say they want to grow, fewer than half have managed to turn those ambitions into reality. The difference often isn’t ambition or even opportunity. Many SMB leaders already know where growth could come from.…

Energy companies should review whether their background screening processes would stand up to audit as projects accelerate and workforces become increasingly complex, according to Complete Background Screening (CBS), one of the UK’s most trusted providers of pre-employment screening and DBS checks. Demand for labour across renewables, infrastructure and nuclear continues to grow, while organisations face increasing pressure to balance project delivery with security, safety and compliance requirements. Samantha Vaughan, Chief Product Officer at CBS, says many organisations understand the principles behind standards such as BPSS and BS7858, but applying them consistently across employees, contractors and supply chains is becoming more…

With families visiting attractions, attending events and leisure venues this summer, Andrew Wilkinson, founder of South West health and safety consultancy Secure Safety Solutions, is urging organisations to prepare for significant new legal duties designed to improve public safety in the event of a terrorist attack. Andrew says that new risk assessment legislation, Martyn’s Law, will engage health and safety with counterterrorism in a productive and preventative way. This may seem a small risk and distant from most venues yet it’s relevant to any venue which caters for the wider public including venues in and around Swindon and Wiltshire. “I’ve…

Forty-six architecture practices have been appointed to LHC’s Architectural Design Services (ADS2) framework. ADS2 was developed in partnership with Southwark, Islington and Westminster Councils. It was designed to attract diverse-led practices and SMEs. Over 90% of the appointed companies are SMEs, with 19 falling into the micro category (10 employees or fewer). Potential suppliers were scored against a range of criteria including their approach to diversity and representation, with the framework aiming to mirror the diversity of London’s communities. ADS2 has seven workstreams valued at £75million covering masterplanning, education and public buildings, residential, retrofit, MMC, and public realm and landscape. One…

Allia Impact has joined forces with Beauhurst Insights to launch the first-of-its-kind data-driven census of the UK’s mission-led business landscape. Published today, ‘The Impact Business Tipping Point: A Data-Driven Census of the UK’s Mission-Led Business Landscape’, reveals that more than 150,000 mission-led businesses are now operating across the UK, contributing at least £37 billion in annual turnover and growing faster than the wider UK business landscape. This challenges the long-held assumption that purpose-driven businesses must sacrifice growth for impact, instead signalling their growing importance in the UK economy and their significant potential to channel capital towards social and environmental outcomes.…

MW Finman Ltd, a new accountancy practice, has launched in South West London to support owner-managed businesses with accounting, tax, cash flow and commercial advice. Founded by South West London business owner Mike Wong, the firm has been created for small and growing businesses that want clearer numbers, stronger systems and better commercial insight. MW Finman will work with businesses across London, with a particular focus on trades, property and service-based businesses. The practice has been built around a common issue faced by many SMEs: the business is busy, sales are coming in, but the owner does not always have…

The appeal of a 50:50 shareholding is obvious. Two equal partners, a shared vision, a sense of trust and fairness. But what happens when that trust breaks down? The 50:50 structure is one of the most fertile grounds for shareholder disputes in English company law. When two equal shareholders fall out, the result is often a complete deadlock.  And where deadlock festers, an unfair prejudice petition under section 994 of the Companies Act 2006 is rarely far behind.  What Is a Deadlock? A deadlock occurs when shareholders or directors are unable to reach the majority required to pass a resolution…

 A stolen password might seem like a minor inconvenience, but it is one of the most common ways cyber criminals gain access to business systems, sensitive data, and customer information. Joshua Walsh, Information Security Practitioner at rradar, relentless’s embedded legal and risk management partner, believes there is a persistent misconception that serious cyber incidents mainly affect large organisations. In reality, SMEs are frequently exposed to far simpler vulnerabilities, including compromised credentials and everyday security gaps. Despite a growing awareness of cyber risk, poor password habits persist. The latest research from NordPass shows that “123456,” “admin,” and “123456789” are still among…

In conversation with SME Today, Catherine shares how a deeply personal parenting challenge became the foundation for Hygge Sheets, a fast-growing international brand supporting families navigating nighttime accidents. What started as a search for better solutions at home quickly uncovered a widespread but often unspoken issue affecting millions. Through honest dialogue, instinct and a commitment to helping others, Catherine has not only built a successful business but is also playing a key role in changing how we talk about sleep confidence and nighttime wellbeing. Hygge Sheets was inspired by your experiences as a parent. At what point did you realise…

SME Today had the opportunity to sit down with Gunikka Ahuja, Founder of Bunta Beer, to discuss her transition from a six‑figure role at Adidas to building a brand at the intersection of food, culture and innovation. In this Q&A, Ahuja opens up about spotting a gap in the market, taking the leap into entrepreneurship, and redefining the role of beer alongside Indian cuisine. You walked away from a successful six-figure career at Adidas to launch Bunta Beer. What was the moment you realised the opportunity was too compelling to ignore? There wasn’t one single moment. It was more like…