Small and medium sized enterprises are increasingly being turned away for grants under the Growth Hub scheme as some have been swamped with a frenzy of applications. It comes after the Government introduced a £20million funding initiative in June to help SMEs across England recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The £20million is … Read more
There has been huge confusion at specialist graduate recruitment websites in the last few days after the Department for Work and Pensions told This is Money that companies shouldn’t advertise roles under the Kickstart Scheme yet. Chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed the scheme nearly two months ago in his mini-budget and said more details would be … Read more
The launch of the Kickstart Scheme to create jobs for younger people on Universal Credit is still lacking the final details despite being announced nearly two months ago, This is Money can reveal. Meanwhile, some employers are already advertising for future roles through the scheme, with several spotted on recruitment platforms LinkedIn, Monster and Totaljobs … Read more
Small businesses missing out on millions of pounds of unclaimed local authority grants, according to British Independent Retailers Association By Sarah Bridge, Financial Mail on Sunday Published: 21:58 BST, 15 August 2020 | Updated: 21:58 BST, 15 August 2020 Small businesses are missing out on millions of pounds of unclaimed grants from local authorities, according … Read more
While many small businesses continue to suffer at the hands of the coronavirus pandemic, those in the cycling industry have never been busier. A fear of catching the virus on public transport has seen a big rise in the number of people cycling, while sales of new bikes have exploded. Meanwhile, much quieter roads and … Read more
Charity and think tank Future Care Capital has teamed up with RYSE Asset Management to launch a fund investing in innovative early-stage healthcare companies. It has already funded an in house start-up e-learning platform for unpaid carers and an NHS prescriptions management app. Andrew Whelan is founding chairman of Future Care Capital and director of … Read more
Nurseries, childminders and pre-schools that charged full fees during lockdown are facing mounting pressure to refund parents after an industry watchdog deemed it unfair to charge fees for services that were not provided. The Competitions and Markets Authority wrote an open letter to the early years sector this week, warning that they could face legal … Read more
Even though wearing a face mask has become the norm, with the Government making them mandatory while shopping, many will find themselves in a position where they’ve left their mask at home, or lost it. It’s these people and those that have not yet invested in a good quality mask that entrepreneur Adam Freeman is targeting … Read more
The future of many cinemas across the country hangs in the balance. Despite the easing of lockdown, ensuing social distancing safety while earning enough revenue to stay afloat, means for some, they cannot reopen immediately. In terms of the big chains, Odeon and Showtime have reopened venues with social distancing measures in place, while Cineworld … Read more
I run a small jewellery business and am used to using Instagram and other social channels to market my pieces. But with all the pressures of the coronavirus crisis, it’s harder to convert my posts into sales. Do you have any tips? Sisters Elma and Amra Beganovich are digital influencers with a following of 2.3 … Read more
Has the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme been a success? We speak to entrepreneurs who decided to take on the debt £11.85billion has been lent to UK businesses via CBILS since its launch in March Many have had managed to get a loan quickly and easily to keep their business going while others have struggled … Read more
With Amazon dominating the online commerce space and boasting around 285million active customer accounts, it’s hard to imagine a company that can compete with it. That’s exactly what founder Cas Paton is aiming to do with his Dorset-based start-up, OnBuy and when it comes to the US giant, he doesn’t mince his words. In April, … Read more
Small businesses in the hospitality and leisure sector heaved a collective sigh of relief last week after the Chancellor’s multi-billion pound giveaway in his mini-Budget. But business experts warn that more help is needed to support other sectors hit by the coronavirus downturn that are not specifically included in Rishi Sunak’s £30billion rescue package. ‘I’ve … Read more