Small business

British taxpayers take stake in sex party planning firm Killing Kittens

Company given support from fund set up by government to provide loans to startups during pandemic

Mark Sweney

27, Jun, 2022 @4:05 PM

‘People are ripping up contracts’: price of rice boils over into new territory in UK

The pressures faced by one Yorkshire rice importer illustrate how costs feed through to consumers

Zoe Wood

22, Jun, 2022 @12:43 PM

Covid fraud: how bounce back loans paid for cars, watches and even porn

As details emerge, concerns grow about Treasury’s efforts to recover almost £5bn wrongly claimed

Jasper Jolly and Kalyeena Makortoff

06, Jun, 2022 @5:00 AM

Plans to relax accounting rules for small UK firms ‘risks rise in economic crime’

Critics say proposals ‘an own goal’ for government in combating money laundering, tax evasion and fraud

Kalyeena Makortoff

30, May, 2022 @11:01 PM

Almost 500,000 UK small businesses ‘at risk of going bust within weeks’

Federation of Small Businesses calls on Rishi Sunak for more support to deal with ‘ticking timebomb’

Kalyeena Makortoff

30, May, 2022 @8:36 AM

Most small firms fear long-term fallout from UK’s cost of living crisis

Half worry rocketing prices will cut spending, while three in four fear long-term damage to businesses

Joanna Partridge

29, May, 2022 @11:01 PM

Former minister accuses Starling Bank over Covid loans

Boss of Starling bank defends its efforts to prevent Covid loan fraud after public attack by Lord Agnew

Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent

27, May, 2022 @12:11 PM

Power failures: what are the bosses of Britain’s bust energy firms doing now?

The collapse of dozens of providers caused huge disruption – but many of the people behind them are still in business

Alex Lawson

21, May, 2022 @3:00 PM

Inflation hits small firms: ‘Covid was a walk in the park compared to this’

As inflation hits 9%, four English businesses explain how they are negotiating soaring prices

Sarah Butler, Jasper Jolly and Joanna Partridge

19, May, 2022 @8:00 AM

Paperchase has been rescued but greetings card artists are losing thousands

When the British stationer went bust the new owner, Permira Credit, was able to shed the retailer’s debts to struggling suppliers

Shanti Das

07, May, 2022 @1:06 PM

‘I can’t see it getting any better’: could the UK be heading for a recession?

Small business owners are already being hit as consumers cut back on non-essentials

Richard Partington and Larry Elliott

03, May, 2022 @5:01 AM

UK government fund invests in cannabis oil company and London microbrewery

Taxpayer-backed British Business Bank’s Future Fund, set up to provide loans in pandemic, announces 75 new investments