As Andy Burnham prepares to  take office as Prime Minister, the UK small business community is laser-focused on what the new administration will mean for corporate growth, taxation, and regional policy. For regional enterprises, the transition to a leader with deep roots outside of London brings clear expectations for structural change. Below, two leading voices from the financial and corporate recovery sectors in the North West outline what owner-managed firms and SMEs need to see from the incoming government. Businesses Need Clear & Consistent Policies Steven Mason, an insolvency practitioner and senior manager at Inquesta, says: “Many UK businesses would…

Katherine Chapman, new chief executive officer at Investors in People, looks at how low trust can create a hidden productivity drain inside growing businesses, with employees spending time and energy covering themselves, delaying difficult conversations or holding back concerns until issues have become harder to solve. A customer problem has been rumbling on for a few days. One person spotted the risk early, another didn’t raise it and a manager is left piecing together what happened from a trail of cautious emails. By the time the issue reaches the owner or senior team the customer is frustrated and people are…

Six Figured Females, the networking community created especially for ambitious businesswomen has launched a franchise model to help the business reach new areas of the UK, expand its reach and grow its membership. Headed up by Alison Cooper, Six Figured Females brings leaders of growth businesses together to build connections, foster deeper relationships, celebrate success and navigate business challenges. The community currently has over 80 members, eight hosts and seven groups across Essex, Bishop Stortford, London and Cambridge, with a new group in Hertford opening later this summer. The franchise model will enable the networking group to expand even further into…

By Jon Tait, Co-founder, Alpha Swanson For one client Alpha Swanson has worked with since 2018, it helped propel them from a small business serving local clients, to a large organisation, working for some of the largest businesses in Europe and making a difference to the local economy where they are based. I speak to small business owners about this every week. My answer is always the same: it depends. And it depends on two specific things – what contracts you’re trying to win, and whether you’re willing to build the system properly. Get both right, and ISO certification is…

Employment experts are urging employers to encourage staff to take their annual leave, as new research reveals a “holiday hoarding” epidemic that could be leading workers to burnout. In a poll of 2,000 UK workers, commissioned by Breathe HR, over half (51%) of respondents said they did not take their full annual leave allowance last year. This trend of “holiday hoarding” (when workers don’t use all their annual leave) looks set to continue, with one in four (23%) saying they plan to take less holiday this year than they did last year. The research also found that around half (48%)…

Property Management Businesses & Agencies Risk Underestimating the Financial Impact of the Renters’ Rights Act, Warns The Property CA. As the UK property sector continues to roll into the Renters’ Rights Act, many businesses may be focusing on the wrong risks, according to Diana Mushosho of The Property CA. While much of the industry discussion has centred on legal compliance, tenancy reform and operational processes, Diana believes the greatest challenge facing agencies is financial visibility – and whether business owners truly understand how changes in the market will affect cash flow, profitability and long-term resilience. Not only theoretical impact, but quantified…

Employers are being urged by LifeVac Europe® to ask themselves how prepared their workplace is to deal with a choking incident and to review their emergency response procedures and first aid provision. While many organisations invest heavily in fire safety, mental health support and defibrillators, choking remains an often-overlooked workplace risk despite thousands of employees eating at their desks, in staff rooms, canteens and hospitality areas every day. LifeVac Europe®, which manufactures the regulated non-invasive airway clearance device used in numerous workplaces worldwide, says employers should be asking whether their teams would know what to do if a colleague started…

Nearly half the UK public (48%) use in-person banking at least once a month, and almost seven in ten (68%) want to keep access close to home, new Post Office research has found, underlining how millions of people and small businesses still rely on face-to-face services even as high street bank branches close. The research found a wide range of everyday moments during which people still want to deal with someone in person, from a recently bereaved customer closing a loved one’s account, to a shopkeeper banking the day’s takings, to someone querying in person whether a suspicious payment request…

Searches for “office dogs” have risen by 348% in the past year, as more owners appear to be considering whether their pets can join them at work.According to Google searches analysed by the team at Years, the fresh dog food brand, there were 547,000 searches for “office dogs” in the past month alone, with interest climbing sharply after  Bring Your Dog To Work Day, on the 26 June 2026. But while dog-friendly workplaces are becoming more popular, a canine behaviour expert is warning that bringing a dog into the office should not be treated as a simple perk. Jo Hinds,…

The future of women’s football is in jeopardy if grassroots teams can’t access more funding. Nearly all coaches of grassroots female football clubs (97%) say their team needs more funds, which is limiting the opportunities for girls, who are being turned away, missing games, and paying with their own money to play.* Three quarters (76%) of female players even say they’ll drop out of their team or the sport altogether if more funding isn’t secured in the next five years.  To secure the pipeline of future Lionesses, Starling Bank is set to matchmake 2,000 business sponsors with their local grassroots…