The UK government’s plans to ease lockdown restrictions have seen a surge in optimism from SMEs, according to a new survey The survey also highlights the fact that three quarters of business owners share a positive outlook and 74% believe that demand will be back to pre-pandemic levels by Christmas. SMEs across the country have begun outlining their plans to…

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Michael Oszmann, Founder of online marketplace Buy Britain, discusses the idea behind his business and how plans to help other small businesses from within the UK. In March 2020, Michael Oszmann lost his contract with Shell due to the pandemic and oil price crash. This left him with a decision to try and seek more work during the crisis, or…

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Running a business is no easy thing.  For the past 18 years, I’ve been on that journey of entrepreneurship. A journey filled with buzzwords like MVPs, scaling, growth, hustle, work-life balance and whatever else fake gurus say on YouTube to sound fancy. And let me tell you, it’s a tough path to be on. The world really does not care…

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Cristian quit his job at an upmarket hotel in Cambridgeshire in July. The 34-year-old from Romania had climbed the ladder from waiter to operations manager during his 16 years working in the hospitality industry. He now works 30-hour weeks for a local supermarket as an assistant manager and delivers parcels on Friday and Sunday to make ends meet. “The world…

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Hopes of a summer holiday in Europe were boosted yesterday with the possibility of non-essential travel to destinations such as Portugal and Malta as soon as mid-May. It is likely that limited overseas trips will be permitted in just over two weeks’ time, with experts saying that an initial “green list” is likely to include up to 24 countries. Meanwhile,…

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Britain’s biggest sex toy brand has been given royal approval with an award from the Queen. Lovehoney will be able to use Her Majesty’s emblem in advertising, marketing and on packaging for the next five years. Since 2015 the online retailer’s overseas sales have grown from £12 million to £56 million, offering a wide range of products from lingerie to…

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The Co-operative Group is to stop selling plastic “bags for life” because, with many shoppers using them only once, they have become as big a problem as the single-use carriers they replaced. With more than 1.5 billion “bags for life” sold each year Jo Whitfield, the chief executive of Co-op Food, said plastic pollution was a “massive issue” for retailers.…

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Business confidence has hit its highest level for two and a half years, a survey suggests. The latest Lloyds Bank Business Barometer found that overall business confidence had increased by 14 percentage points to 29 per cent in April, beating the long-term average of 28 per cent. Both business and consumer confidence are being bolstered by the easing of lockdown…

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The Nest in Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock is home to quirky clothing, greeting cards and other designs. Owner of The Nest, Katherine Caldwell, talks to us about what makes her products so unique and discusses all the challenges that come with running a small business Tell us about The Nest? I graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in Graphic Arts…

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A commission of 10 of the UK’s most powerful executives from firms including Tesco, Vodafone and Astra Zeneca has set out its plan for a post-pandemic economic recovery. It hopes the biggest crisis in over 300 years will reset the relationship between business and government to boost growth and living standards. It also wants more done to support UK suppliers…

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