Business news 16 January 2026 Late payments remain a growing threat to small businesses, with new research showing tradespeople are increasingly forced to chase invoices or write off work entirely. While headline GDP data points to modest growth, inflation pressures,

Business news 15 January 2026 UK business confidence received a modest boost this week as economic growth beat expectations and markets steadied, but beneath the surface pressures remain. Rising taxes, policy uncertainty, sector-specific weakness and a heavy flow of insolvencies

Clear the overdues — or they’ll follow you all year If an invoice is still unpaid in January, it’s no longer a “Christmas delay”. It’s a pattern. Historic overdues have a habit of poisoning everything that comes after them. New

Business news 14 January 2026 UK businesses are facing a growing squeeze as tax concerns, regulatory pressure and weakening confidence collide. Fresh surveys show business sentiment at a three-year low, investors increasingly anxious about tax rises, and hospitality operators cutting

Business news 13 January 2026 Small businesses entered 2026 under growing pressure as confidence slumped to its lowest level since the pandemic, costs rose sharply following the Budget, and insolvency activity continued to tick higher. Pubs, restaurants, recruiters and retailers