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...

Commercial property landlords may be prepared to offer some form of concession or incentive to encourage prospective tenants to sign a new lease or convince an existing tenant to extend their current lease. Commercial lease incentives have become an integral factor in the negotiation stage for new or extended leases. In fact, commercial lease incentives are a useful bargaining tool...

If you like the look of an available commercial property within our portfolio, but it doesn’t have the appropriate use class for what you intend to do with it, all is not lost. To enable new and existing businesses to make the most of available commercial space, the UK government has simplified the planning rules to make it easier to...

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...

The town of Leyton is a modest one, with a population of just over 14,000 within its ward. However, despite its relatively small size, its proximity to other areas of East London means Leyton offers an abundance of opportunities for businesses in the area. Leyton is within the London Borough of Waltham Forest, which encompasses the likes of Walthamstow, Leytonstone...

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...