Author Archive

  • Business confidence falls into negative territory

    New research from The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that UK small business confidence has continued to fall, dipping into negative territory for the first time since 2012. Business owners feeling confident are outnumbered by those that feel the opposite. However, FSB found many immediate economic conditions improving, with small firms reporting greater access to finance, a rise in new employment and reduced spare capacity in their businesses. In the first data gathered ...

    Posted at September 22, 2016 | By : | Categories : News,Rural Business | Comments Off on Business confidence falls into negative territory
  • Asian hornet identified in Gloucestershire

    The UK's National Bee Unit has confirmed a sighting of the Asian hornet in the Tetbury area of Gloucestershire – the first time the hornet has been discovered in the UK. The Asian hornet is smaller than the native hornet and poses no greater risk to human health than a bee. However, they do pose a risk to honey bees.

    Posted at September 21, 2016 | By : | Categories : News,Rural Business | Comments Off on Asian hornet identified in Gloucestershire
  • Agri-Tech Catalyst awards £17.8m in funding

    Projects to improve agriculture and food production at home and overseas have received £17.8 million under the latest round of the Government’s Argi-Tech Catalyst funding scheme. Projects include assessing the potential to commercialise the farming of lobsters; a proposal to cultivate scallops on ropes and a way of continuing to make whisky with UK wheat, by using a novel variety. The ...

    Posted at September 19, 2016 | By : | Categories : Farming,News,Rural Business | Comments Off on Agri-Tech Catalyst awards £17.8m in funding
  • BCC downgrades UK growth forecast

    In its first economic forecast since the EU referendum, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has downgraded its UK GDP growth forecast from 2.2% to 1.8% in 2016; from 2.3% to 1.0% in 2017 and from 2.4% to 1.8% in 2018. Weaker consumer spending and a large fall in investment were the main reasons for the downgrades. Uncertainty surrounding the UK’s long-term political arrangements with the EU, as well as the timeline over which any actions will ...

    Posted at September 12, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on BCC downgrades UK growth forecast
  • Food and Drink sector raises expectations

    Food and drink firms in England and Wales have raised their growth forecasts and plan to create more than 75,000 jobs over the next five years, according to a study by Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. The industry is forecasting 19% growth in the next five years, up three percentage points from 2015. Just over half of firms said that the build up to the EU referendum had a negative impact on their business - the majority of ...

    Posted at September 8, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on Food and Drink sector raises expectations
  • UK services economy revives

    The UK service sector returned to growth in August, according the Markit/CIPS UK Services Business Activity Index. Following abrupt contractions in output and new business in July, linked to the EU referendum, the latest data signalled a return to growth as companies reported that uncertainty had abated somewhat. The business activity index rebounded to 52.9 in August, from 47.4 in July. The month-on-month gain was the largest recorded over the 20-year survey history, following a record drop ...

    Posted at September 6, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on UK services economy revives
  • UK manufacturing rebounds

    August saw solid rebounds in UK manufacturing output and incoming new orders, according to the Markit/ CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). Companies reported "solid inflows" of new work from both domestic and export customers, the latter aided by the sterling exchange rate. As a result, the PMI recovered sharply from the 41-month low of 48.3 posted in July, following the EU referendum, to 53.3 in August. Improved sales volumes to markets such as the USA, Europe, China, South-East ...

    Posted at September 1, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on UK manufacturing rebounds
  • Unfair contract terms costing small firms billions

    New research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) suggests half (52%) of small firms have been stung by unfair contract terms with suppliers, costing nearly £4 billion in the last three years. Suppliers are failing to make auto-rollover clauses clear up front (24%), tying businesses into lengthy notice periods (22%), charging high early termination fees (20%) and concealing details in small print (20%).  Two in five (40%) respondents said ...

    Posted at August 25, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on Unfair contract terms costing small firms billions
  • Late payment & other business failures cause over 1-in-5 corporate insolvencies

    At least one fifth of UK corporate insolvencies in the past year were caused by late payment or the insolvency of another company, according to new research by insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. A survey of the insolvency profession reveals that late payment for goods or services was a primary or major cause of 23% of insolvencies in the last twelve months, while the failure of a supplier or customer was the primary or major ...

    Posted at August 24, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on Late payment & other business failures cause over 1-in-5 corporate insolvencies
  • Badger culls in five new areas

    Badger culls are to be carried out in five new areas of England, the BBC has reported. Shooting of badgers will begin in early September in South Devon, North Devon, North Cornwall, West Dorset, and South Herefordshire, as part of the Government's 25-year-strategy to eradicate bovine TB. Dorset, Gloucestershire and Somerset are already practising culling and the BBC understands that culling companies have already been selected and marksmen trained for the new locations.

    Posted at August 23, 2016 | By : | Categories : News | Comments Off on Badger culls in five new areas