The Office of the Small Business Commissioner has helped recover £10m in overdue invoices since 2017, including more than £500,000 in December alone, as late payments continue to hit UK SMEs.
Category: News
Stay informed with the latest UK self-employed news, small-business policy changes, tax updates and freelancer market trends.
‘A gamechanger’: 200,000 UK small businesses sign up to TikTok Shop
More than 200,000 UK small businesses are now selling via TikTok Shop, with major brands including M&S and Sainsbury’s also using the platform as in-app shopping reshapes retail.
UK entrepreneurship remains opportunity-led, but founders feel undervalued and under-supported
Entrepreneurship in the UK is still driven by opportunity rather than necessity, but founders feel undervalued and face unequal access to finance and support, according to the 2025 UK StartUp Report.
Four in ten small business owners feel burnt out as Christmas pressure mounts, survey finds
New research from MoneySuperMarket shows 42% of UK small business owners feel burnt out by year-end, with many planning work-life balance changes in 2026.
Mortgage rules set to ease for self-employed buyers
Mortgage rules could be eased for first-time buyers, the self-employed and older borrowers under new FCA proposals aimed at widening access to affordable home loans.
Tool theft costs UK tradespeople £3,092 on average, despite 28% leaving tools in vans overnight
UK tradespeople lose an average of £3,092 replacing stolen tools, yet more than a quarter still store equipment in vehicles overnight, according to new research by Tempcover.
Lending scandal redress scheme for small firms enters liquidation
The Business Banking Resolution Service has entered liquidation after paying more to senior staff than to complainants, reigniting criticism over its independence and effectiveness.
Five Welsh entrepreneurs recognised as start-up accelerator celebrates latest award winners
Five Welsh entrepreneurs have been recognised by the Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator as its latest award winners, highlighting the programme’s impact on turning ideas into investment-ready businesses.
Councils handed new powers to ringfence £1bn in contracts for local small businesses
England’s councils can now ringfence lower-value public contracts for local and UK small businesses — a reform expected to redirect over £1bn a year into communities and boost jobs.
One in three sole traders still using pen and paper as digital tax deadline approaches
New Sage research shows 33% of sole traders still use pen and paper for finances, with 70% unaware they must submit digital tax returns from April under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Small Business Britain: Budget offers relief and growth opportunities, but challenges remain
Small Business Britain has given a cautiously positive response to the Chancellor’s November 2025 Budget, saying the package provides “some relief” for small firms and signals a renewed focus on reducing living costs and supporting entrepreneurial growth.
‘Leave us alone’: What small traders in Rachel Reeves’s constituency want from the Budget
Small business owners in Rachel Reeves’s Leeds West & Pudsey constituency say they want certainty, no new tax burdens and better support ahead of the Budget after last year’s NI and VAT pressures.
Nigel Farage urges government to raise VAT threshold to help small businesses
Nigel Farage has called for the VAT threshold to be raised to support small businesses, warning that lowering it would stifle growth and increase bureaucracy.
National Theatre launches new training drive to nurture next generation of backstage talent
The National Theatre has opened applications for three major training programmes for young creatives, tackling the UK’s backstage skills shortage and boosting access to creative careers.
Income tax raid ‘would hammer the self-employed’, warns industry body
Rachel Reeves has been warned that a £6bn income tax raid in her forthcoming Budget could hit the self-employed hardest, discouraging new entrepreneurs and breaking Labour’s pledge to protect working people.
