March 24, 2023
National SME winners revealed at Business Champion Awards 2023 finale
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> A glittering night of celebration for the UK’s 140 finalists of the Business Champion Awards. Over 300 guests filled the East Wintergardens in London’s Canary Wharf and were hosted again by the nation’s favourite broadcaster, Huw Edward’s, the evening’s guests were treated to a night of champagne, music, laughter and thought provoking […]
March 24, 2023
National SME winners revealed at Business Champion Awards 2023 finale
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> A glittering night of celebration for the UK’s 140 finalists of the Business Champion Awards. Over 300 guests filled the East Wintergardens in London’s Canary Wharf and were hosted again by the nation’s favourite broadcaster, Huw Edward’s, the evening’s guests were treated to a night of champagne, music, laughter and thought provoking […]
March 24, 2023
Ten construction firms fined total £60m for ‘illegally colluding’ on contract bids
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Ten construction firms have been fined a combined £60m by the competition regulator for “illegally colluding” to rig bids for lucrative contracts for projects including Bow Street magistrates court and Selfridges department store. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that the companies had acted as a cartel over 19 private and […]
March 24, 2023
Only 1% of £1.1bn lost in Covid business scheme recovered
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Just 1% of the estimated £1.1bn lost from the government’s Covid business support programme in England as a result of fraud and error has been recovered so far, the public spending watchdog has said in a report urging ministers to learn lessons from the scheme. The “overwhelming majority” of fraud and error […]
March 24, 2023
Accenture cuts 19,000 jobs on slowdown fears
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Accenture has announced plans to cut 19,000 jobs, about 2.5 per cent of its workforce, as corporate clients grow increasingly cautious about the strength of the global economy. The business, one of the world’s biggest consultancy groups, follows others in the sector in implementing sweeping layoffs after lowering its annual forecast of […]
March 24, 2023
Worried consumers still plan to spend big
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Consumer confidence continued to rise this month despite growing concern about personal finances, a closely watched survey shows. It rose by two points to minus 36 on the monthly index by GfK, the market intelligence company. The biggest factor was a rise in the likelihood that people would buy big-ticket items such […]
March 24, 2023
UK interest rates rise to 4.25% after Bank of England decision
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> The Bank of England has pushed up the cost of borrowing to its highest level in nearly 15 years amid concerns that inflation will persist. The central bank raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25 per cent, its highest level since November 2008, in the latest increase […]
March 24, 2023
Retail sales rise 1.2% as households eat at home more
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Retail sales volumes beat expectations to rise by their biggest margin in months to return to pre-pandemic levels in February. Sales rose by 1.2 per cent in February, the largest monthly growth since October, after a revised 0.9 per cent rise in January, according to new figures published by the Office for […]
March 24, 2023
UK ‘less prepared for a pandemic now than before Covid’
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Britain is less prepared for a pandemic now than it was three years ago, thanks to the sale of a key vaccine manufacturing plant, leading scientists have warned. Professor Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute, which was responsible for the Oxford Covid vaccine, said that the recent loss of the Vaccines […]
March 24, 2023
Colmore BID & Hollie Gazzard Trust launch supporter organisation scheme for not-for-profits
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Birmingham’s Colmore BID (Business Improvement District) has partnered with the Hollie Gazzard Trust to launch a new Supporter Organisation Scheme to educate staff on domestic abuse issues and help safeguard employees. Colmore BID, which is responsible for delivering projects, initiatives and services in Birmingham’s commercial and professional services quarter, is the first […]
March 24, 2023
Getting to Know You: Chris Orsaris, Automotive Consultant
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Expert automotive consultant Chris Orsaris has had a long and fruitful career as an entrepreneur. Based out of the borough of Queens in New York City, Chris currently owns and operates multiple car dealerships, each featuring a diverse array of vehicles running the gamut from affordable and dependable models to high-end, luxury […]
March 24, 2023
Clean Energy Fund: Ardian Invests Another Billion in Solar and Wind Energy
<?xml encoding=”utf-8″ ??> Earlier this year, French investment house, Ardian, established a clean energy fund whose ambitious investment strategy involves raising at least €1bn for renewable energy projects. Ardian has been at the forefront of private equity’s transition to the sustainable energy sector for some years, and the creation of the fund only serves to […]