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…
Author: sme-admin
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…