Facilitating SMEs

Doing Business 2020

UK’s surprise showing in business start-up costs

By Hal Williams BUSINESS support platform Rovva recently analysed World Bank figures on the cost of starting businesses around the world. When the data were in,...
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...
Social investment. Diversity, inclusion. Hands linked, ethnicity

Inclusive investment plan for under-represented groups

BIG ISSUE Invest, UnLtd, and Shift have jointly announced a growth fund “to level the social investment playing field”. The social investment fund offers flexible...
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...
Aldi trollies

Rise and rise of the budget supermarket

Aldi looks to replicate its monumental success across Europe by opening hundreds of new stores across America, while its almost identical rival Lidl is...
Cancer startup entrepreneurs

University’s incubator programme selects cancer-fighting start-ups

TWENTY start-ups — eight of them operating projects in the field of cancer — have been selected for a University of Edinburgh incubator programme...
Internet sales

Bezos’ billion-dollar bid to boost India’s SME business

AMAZON founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is launching a £770m bid to bring India’s SMEs online. Bezos said his firm will invest the sum —...
Business taxes

Importance of SMEs to UK economy — and how to encourage...

CHRIS THOMPSON explains why small is beautiful for the future of Britain’s GDP CAPITALISM is under the microscope at the moment, largely because of the...
Moving car at night

Want to speed-up your start-up? An accelerator may be the answer

Successful participants in this scheme could evolve into $100m-evaluated companies, under the guidance of experts. THE Holt Accelerator team is on the search for the...
AMRC Training Centre

Merchant bankers pitch in to help funding for apprentices

THE NEXT generation of engineers – hopefully brimming with energy and fresh ideas – is taking steps down the education path at Britain’s AMRC...