As a sustainable business owner, I’ve always believed that every choice we make, from the suppliers we trust to the packaging that carries our products, reflects our values. But the conversation around packaging sustainability is evolving quickly, and 2025 is shaping up to be a defining year for anyone in this space. The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will soon change how every business that uses wood or paper packaging operates. Whether you export into the...
For many UK small and medium-sized enterprises, time is one of the most valuable, and most wasted, resources. While digital tools have streamlined accounting, marketing, and sales, one area still quietly consumes hours every week: meetings and documentation. Internal meetings, client calls, training sessions, and project updates generate vast amounts of spoken information. Yet much of it is never properly captured, shared, or reused. Notes are rushed, details are missed, and valuable insights disappear once...
American men have lost their work ethic and increasingly feel entitled to a comfortable life without applying themselves, according to Wilbur Ross, who served throughout Donald Trump’s first term. Ross, the Wall Street investor once dubbed the “king of bankruptcy”, said younger generations have been “coddled” by growing up in a wealthy society, weakening the drive to work that underpinned previous generations and threatening long-term economic growth. “It used to be that the mantra for...
Britain remains stuck at the bottom of the G7 for overall investment, despite Labour’s pledge to inject billions of pounds into public spending over the next two years, according to international data. Figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that total investment, combining both public and private spending, stood at just 18.6 per cent of GDP in the third quarter of the year. That leaves the UK trailing all other G7 nations,...
A third of British businesses are planning to invest in artificial intelligence in 2026 as firms sharpen their focus on productivity, skills and technology in an increasingly competitive market. Research from Lloyds Bank shows that AI is becoming a central pillar of growth strategies, with companies looking to automate processes, improve efficiency and strengthen long-term competitiveness. The Lloyds Business Barometer, based on a survey of 1,200 firms, found that productivity improvement is the top priority...
Small businesses across the UK have recovered £10 million in late and overdue payments with the help of the Office of the Small Business Commissioner, marking a major milestone in efforts to tackle damaging payment practices by larger organisations. Almost £1 million has been recovered so far in the current financial year alone, with more than £500,000 secured in December 2025, highlighting an acceleration in enforcement and case resolution compared with previous years. Since its...
Britain’s electricity demand has risen for the second year in a row after two decades of decline, marking a decisive turning point as electric vehicles, heat pumps and AI data centres usher in a new era of electrification. Provisional figures for 2025 show electricity consumption rose by 3 per cent, the fastest annual increase since 2001, according to analysis by Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights. It is the first time the UK has...
Octopus Energy Group is preparing to spin out its technology arm Kraken in a landmark deal that values the business at $8.65 billion, following a $1 billion standalone investment round. The funding, announced in London on 29 December, is led by D1 Capital Partners, with participation from major global investors including Fidelity International, Durable Capital Partners and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board through its Teachers’ Venture Growth arm. The move paves the way for...
The 2026 New Year Honours List has highlighted a broad cross-section of UK business leaders, rewarding contributions from high-growth sectors, corporate stewardship, entrepreneurship and efforts to widen business opportunity and investment. While the honours system casts a wide net across public service, arts, charity and science, several recipients stand out for their direct impact on the UK’s economy and business landscape. Banking, finance and corporate leadership Gary Andrew Hoffman — CBE Appointed Commander of the...
Over the past ten years, the New Year and Birthday Honours have increasingly reflected the changing shape of British business, from scale-up founders and fintech pioneers to industrial leaders and advocates for responsible capitalism. These figures stand out for their sustained economic impact rather than celebrity alone. Sir Richard Branson Founder, Virgin Group Already knighted, Branson has continued to receive recognition for services to entrepreneurship, employment and philanthropy. His Virgin ecosystem remains one of the...
