As the cost-of-living crisis ensues, it appears that small, independent retailers are getting more attention from high-street shoppers. More than half (52%) of small businesses surveyed by American Express said their customers are choosing to support them while challenging trading conditions remain. With supply chain issues and the cost of materials and imports on the rise, the UK’s local and...

Slough has comprehensively brushed aside the tired, lazy view of this Berkshire town, reinventing itself as a hub for world-renowned brands on the cusp of the capital and the Thames Valley. If you’re wondering what it’s like for businesses based in Slough, read on as we explore why the town is experiencing increasing demand from firms seeking to get a...

The Midlands is still the most vibrant region of the UK for early-stage businesses. That’s the view of Clarity, a brand-new data asset launched by business advisors Quantuma. Within its report, analysing the distress of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ranked by the age of each firm, it showed the number of Midlands-based SMEs in distress in the 0-3 years...

The area of Blackfen is located due north of Sidcup town centre in the London Borough of Bexley. It offers exceptional road links into and out of Greater London, with the A2 and M25 just a stone’s throw away. Blackfen was a region of south-east London that experienced significant development in the 1930s, when the capital underwent an extensive period...

In April, the consumer price index (CPI) hit highs of 9%, reaching levels not seen in the UK in over four decades. Soaring inflation is heavily linked to the escalating costs of gas and electricity, amid the crisis in Ukraine and as the world returns to a semblance of post-Covid normality. Many small businesses like yours will be affected by...

A recent study of British trends in self-employment, underpinned by Google search data, has revealed a sharp rise in the number of would-be entrepreneurs since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The findings, generated by Novuna Business Cash Flow, show that the number of users considering setting up their own business had risen by more than a third (36%) since the...

Rubery may be a modest village in the Bromsgrove district, but it’s an area that offers many logistical benefits to businesses requiring great transport links and the chance to forge industry connections throughout England’s ‘Second City’ of Birmingham. In fact, despite being in north-east Worcestershire, Rubery still has a Birmingham postcode. It’s only nine miles from Rubery into the heart...

This year promises to be a tremendous opportunity for the city of Birmingham to rebound fast in the post-pandemic era. The impending 2022 Commonwealth Games in the ‘Second City’ represents a golden chance for Birmingham to shine on the world stage, cementing it – and the rest of the West Midlands – as a world leading hub for investment, trade...

A new report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has indicated that nationwide demand for commercial property has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels. In its Q4 2021 commercial property survey, the RICS noted a shift in demand to office space, suggesting that fears of long-term repercussions from the Covid-19 pandemic are beginning to wane. Nevertheless, the survey did show...

England’s ‘Second City’ of Birmingham is said to have recorded an increase in gross value added (GVA) to its economy of 7.5% in Q4 2021. That’s according to a joint study undertaken by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr) titled ‘UK Powerhouse: Overcoming Disruption in 2022’. In addition, the report states that Birmingham’s employment forecast...