Barclays’ Q1 2026 Business Prosperity Index reveals that the vast majority of UK businesses (85 per cent) remain confident in the strength of their business, despite 80 per cent reporting a negative impact from the Middle East conflict.

Barclays Property Insights reveals that global and economic uncertainty is impacting how UK homeowners are managing their household finances.

The release of Deloitte Private’s Family Business Insights Series: Defining the Family Business Landscape, 2025 reveals how family-owned businesses are evolving to fuel long-term growth. Based on a survey of 1,587 family businesses across 36 countries and in-depth interviews with 30 senior executives, the research explores how family businesses are navigating a complex market landscape through innovation, strategic expansion, and leadership transformation. Key Takeaways Among

Opening ceremony in Wolfurt (Austria) with 250 guests from the worlds of business and politics / Investment of about 100 million euros boosts supply chains and the region.

Sybron, a leading supplier of cleaning, hygiene and catering products to some of the largest names in UK hospitality, has announced its relocation into a new Head Office and distribution centre at ICON Harlow.

Retail sales volumes dropped at a rapid pace in the year to March, marking the quickest decline since April 2020 – according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey.

UK entrepreneurs are confident about their own business prospects in the upcoming tax year, despite pessimism over the wider UK economy, according to new findings from Rathbones.

The UK economy unexpectedly failed to grow in January, ahead of the outbreak of the Iran war. Official figures revealed zero growth for the month – a much weaker figure than had been predicted and followed sluggish growth of 0.1% in December.

Manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to February, though at a slower pace than in January – according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey (ITS). Manufacturers expect volumes to decline at a similar pace in the three months to May.

Firms across the private sector expect activity to fall in the next three months (weighted balance of -13%), according to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator. Nonetheless the pessimism has eased noticeably, with expectations at their least negative since November 2024.

“The Spring Statement offered little immediate relief for business owners already grappling with a heavy tax burden and persistently rising costs."

Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth and asset management groups, previews the Spring Statement (on 3 March 2026), setting out what it could mean for the UK economy and personal finances.

Wales’s next government must put the country’s 200,000 small businesses at the heart of its strategy in order to protect jobs, communities and the Welsh economy, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned.

Nearly 6,000 high-growth business owners left the UK in just two years between 2024 and 2026, with the greatest proportion working in tech sectors, according to new analysis commissioned by Rathbones.

North West accountancy firm Lamont Pridmore has raised concerns about how prepared family businesses are for succession, retirement and planning future tax liabilities, with many lacking a clear understanding of what their company is worth.

The businesses shutting down or leaving the UK are bigger, employ more people and generate more turnover than ever before

Manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to February, though at a slower pace than in January – according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey (ITS).

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is sounding a warning shot ahead of a looming cost crunch in April that could push many small firms to breaking point.

Rising tax and cost pressures forced more than one in five (21%) SME bosses to lay off staff last year, according to a survey commissioned by Rathbones, one of the UK’s largest wealth and asset management groups.

A Treasury U-turn will bring temporary relief to pubs and live music venues across England and Wales, easing the impact of steeply rising business rates that had threatened large swathes of the sector.