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Grants of up to £100,000 made available to boost Cornish High Streets

7 Nov 2023

Communities across Cornwall can now apply for grants of up to £100,000 to improve High Streets, the council has said.
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Warwickshire County Council launches campaign to promote Christmas shopping at independent businesses

6 Nov 2023

A Christmas campaign encouraging Warwickshire’s independent town businesses to shout about why shoppers should buy from them this year is making a comeback.
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The Times names prettiest towns for indie Christmas shopping

6 Nov 2023

With just over six weeks until Christmas, The Times has named what it says are the seven prettiest towns in the UK for Christmas shopping, making special mention of the presence of independent... Read more…

Cardmitment campaign launched to remind people of the power of sending greetings cards

23 Oct 2023

Cardmitment campaign launched to remind people of the power of sending greetings cards
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New guides welcome on how to make shops more accessible for the elderly

23 Oct 2023

The International Longevity Centre has released new guides to show the steps retailers need to take to make their shops more accessible for the elderly.
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Bristol sandwich shop named best in the UK

23 Oct 2023

Family-run Bristol sandwich shop Sandwich Sandwich has been named best in the UK at the UberEats awards.
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Convenience stores to trial UK’s first digital proof of age card

23 Oct 2023

Convenience stores are set to be part of a testing programme for the UK’s first digital proof of age card.
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Police deploying facial recognition technology to target shoplifters and other retail criminals

23 Oct 2023

“Game-changing” facial recognition technology is targeting prolific retail criminals, including shoplifters.
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Prime Minister's Funding Injection for Left-Behind Towns Welcomed by Bira

10 Oct 2023

British Independent Retail Association (Bira) acknowledges the Government's investment in towns across the UK.
 
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Indie retailers say policing minister’s citizen’s arrest solution to retail crime is ‘high risk’

9 Oct 2023

Policing minister Chris Philp has encouraged shop workers to make ‘citizen’s arrests’ on shoplifters, a message branded as ‘dangerous and irresponsible’  by... Read more…

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Energy crisis prompts fears of a ‘generation of lost businesses’

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News, Creative News, Outdoor News

Nearly 14% of small UK businesses expect to close in the next twelve months, according to a new report published by the Federation of Small Businesses.

The FSB has warned that rapidly rising energy prices could provoke a succession of business collapses. Its data shows that nearly 53% of small companies expect to stagnate, downsize, or fold in the next year. Fuel and utilities were the most-mentioned causes of this increase in costs.

FSB National Chair Martin McTague is quotes as saying:

“Far too many small businesses are finding it hard to stay afloat with spiralling operating costs and reporting energy bills mushrooming by four or five times in recent months.

“While domestic consumers quite rightly have at least some protection through the price cap and are being given direct cash support, there is no price cap for small businesses and currently no financial support either, despite many seeing energy costs soaring at an alarming rate.

“We also need to see immediate allocation of unspent Covid additional relief funding to help businesses with rising energy costs.”

Mr McTague added that there are levers the government can pull – energy bill support for small firms to match that given to households, a reduction in VAT on energy, a cut in fuel duty.

He said: “Cost pressures more widely could be eased through a reversal in the recent national insurance hike and taking more small firms out of business rates. The government needs to grasp hold of these levers and start pulling them now.
“Small businesses are at the heart of both the economy and communities, and account for 60% of private sector employment.
“The importance of providing support for small businesses in these worrying times cannot be over-stated and must not be overlooked. The number of small firms in the UK shrank by almost 400,000 over the first year of the pandemic. Without support at this time of costs crisis, this year could turn out to be equally catastrophic.”

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