For businesses looking to grow or establish themselves in the West Midlands and in close proximity to England’s ‘Second City’ of Birmingham, Dudley is an area that regularly flies under the radar.   The capital of the Black Country, Dudley is a mere ten miles north-west of Birmingham city centre and only six miles outside of Wolverhampton.   Aside from...

A new survey of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in conjunction with FundingCircle, found that 91% of small business owners are confident of running at top speed by the end of this year.   The 1,000-strong survey of business leaders revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of firms aspire to or have already...

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has published its bold vision for transforming the UK economy in the post-pandemic recovery. Its forward-looking dossier, titled ‘Seize the Moment’, describes the UK as having a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reunite and transform the economy for the “decade ahead”.   The roadmap notes the UK’s new trading relationship with the EU, Covid-19, the UK’s...

A record number of new businesses were formed in the UK during 2020, according to research from Tyl by NatWest. Approximately 770,000 new firms were registered across the UK, which is a year-on-year increase of 30%. Aside from April 2020 – when the first Covid-19 pandemic peak was at its worst – at least 50,000 new business registrations were processed...

Just 19% of business leaders are planning to run their businesses without any form of remote working in the post-pandemic world. That’s according to a recent survey from the Institute of Directors (IoD) which quizzed 563 entrepreneurs across the country on their workplace intentions as the UK undergoes a phased reopening of its economy this summer.   Almost two-thirds (63...

The East Cambridgeshire city of Ely is one of the most historic in the country. Its cathedral dates back to 1083, when William the Conqueror broke ground on the construction which eventually concluded some 116 years later.    With almost a millennium of heritage, this cathedral city is one of the most picturesque in Cambridgeshire and also one of the...

In the last four years, the number of female entrepreneurs in the UK has risen from 17% to 32.37% of the UK’s active entrepreneur community. That’s according to new data from UENI which believes the gender gap is increasingly closing in business. While that’s encouraging news, it still suggests an inequality of 35% in favour of male entrepreneurs.   Fortunately...

Since 1st April 2018, commercial property landlords have been legally obliged to ensure their workspaces comply with the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) before agreeing any new tenancies.    Furthermore, from 1st April 2023, it will be a criminal offence for landlords to commence a new tenancy agreement with a business for properties with Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings lower...

Some of the leading names in retail are leading a campaign to force the UK government to consider a ‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme, delivering a financial boon to small, independent retailers. With non-essential retail stores permitted to reopen their doors from April 12, campaigners believe such a scheme for smaller stores would help to rejuvenate Britain’s high streets...

Does your business buy and sell with countries inside the European Union (EU)? We wanted to alert our tenants and readers to the launch of a new £20m SME Brexit Support Fund, giving small firms the opportunity to apply for cash grants of up to £2,000 to get to grips with new taxation and customs rules with your EU partners...