COVID-19 Business News

SBA Paycheck Protection Program

Covid relief programme ‘looted by fraudsters’

UNITED States prosecutors are investigating “the largest fraud in US history” — billions of taxpayer dollars for coronavirus aid stolen and used to buy...
shop door, open sign

A nation of shopkeepers? Entrepreneurs, more like!

ENTREPRENEURIAL Britain is a two-day initiative planned for 2021 and designed “to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit” of UK towns and cities. The outbreak of Covid-19...
UK Government loan

Covid-19 loan schemes ‘a debt, not a grant’ cautions UK Finance

UK BUSINESSES are pessimistic about their growth potential once the COVID-19 crisis passes. A survey of 1,200 firms has found that the pandemic has negatively...
Businessman in handcuffs. Covid scheme fraud illustration

Lengthy bans for directors who fiddled Covid scheme

AN AVERAGE of 35 directors are being banned by the UK Insolvency Service each month for abusing the Covid Support Scheme. That’s almost treble the...
Shaking hands with blue latex gloves (Image by rawpixel.com)

PPE glove manufacturer to shut half its plants as Covid hits

By Hal Williams IN A BLEAK Covid irony, the world's largest manufacturer of personal protection latex gloves will shut 28 of its factories — because...
Friyay, neon sign, TGIF, thank god it's friday

TGIF, right? Hybrid- and home-working add flavour to Fridays

FRIDAYS may be everyone’s favourite weekday, but the last day of the working week sees 15 percent less business activity than Mondays to Thursdays. As...
UNCTAD logo

Shipping data points to a rebound in world trade: UNCTAD report

THE NUMBER of ships pulling into ports to unload and load containers rebounded in many parts of the world in the third quarter of...
Pott'd founders Frankie and Sascha

A founder’s story, and some Pott’d history

Lockdown was indisputably dull, but as FRANKIE THOROGOOD recounts, the boredom led to an exciting business idea... THE INSPIRATION for Pott’d came during a Groundhog...
Rishi Sunak, UK Chancellor

Second helping of aid for the UK’s self-employed

SELF-EMPLOYED people whose income has been hit by coronavirus can apply for a second support grant from the UK government. The first was launched in...
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Autumn Statement

Sunak’s Budget brings relief to many – with a few misgivings

By HAL WILLIAMS THE BRITISH chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced the 2021 Budget, with pledges to help recovery from the Covid pandemic. The support package for...