Business

Alibaba has launched a £750,000 innovation competition aimed at small and medium-sized businesses in the UK and across Europe, as part of its drive to support digital entrepreneurship and global trade. The Co-Create Pitch Awards, which were previously open only to international participants outside Europe, will now invite UK and EU-based SMEs to showcase their product ideas in a contest judged on innovation, market potential and feasibility. Entrants are encouraged to submit 30-second videos on...

Marks & Spencer’s new strawberry and cream sandwich has captured attention on social media — but now it’s caught the eye of tax experts, too. Marketed as a sweet take on the viral Japanese strawberry sando, M&S’s half-sandwich — part of its meal deal range — is prompting questions over whether it should be classified as a standard sandwich (zero-rated for VAT) or as a confectionery item (subject to 20 per cent VAT). Wrapped in...

Padel continues its meteoric rise, with more than 3,200 new clubs built globally in 2024 – the equivalent of one opening every two and a half hours – according to the newly released 2025 Global Padel Report by Playtomic and PwC. Over 7,000 new courts were added last year, cementing padel’s place as one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide. The report identifies Europe as the sport’s dominant force, but highlights growing momentum in North America,...

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly thanked Britain’s businesses for absorbing the financial burden of his government’s £23 billion national insurance hike, while facing mounting pressure from industry leaders not to impose further tax rises in the autumn. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) annual conference, Starmer acknowledged the scale of the demands placed on companies in his first year in office, calling them instrumental in fixing the “foundations of the country”. “I...

Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was wrong to scrap the tax perks of wealthy foreign residents in the UK, according to shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith, who said the move had undermined the country’s attractiveness to global wealth creators. Speaking at TheCityUK’s annual conference in London, Griffith admitted it had been a “mistake” for Hunt — under whom he served as a Treasury minister — to abolish the centuries-old non-dom regime during his final Budget. The...

Britain’s car and van manufacturing sector has recorded its weakest May for more than seven decades, with output falling by almost a third amid new US tariffs and the ongoing transition to electric vehicle production. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), just 49,810 vehicles were built in the UK last month — the lowest May total since 1949, excluding 2020 when the pandemic shuttered production lines. Total car output dropped 31.5...

Thousands of small businesses across the UK have expressed alarm at sweeping new Companies House regulations that will require them to disclose sensitive financial data and switch to commercial software to file their accounts. Under changes set to take effect from April 2027, small and micro businesses will for the first time be required to submit a profit and loss statement as part of their annual accounts — removing long-standing exemptions that previously shielded such...

An additional 420,000 pensioners will pay income tax this financial year, bringing the total to 8.7 million, as the combination of rising state pensions and a frozen personal allowance continues to widen the tax net. Figures from HM Revenue & Customs reveal that retirees are increasingly falling victim to so-called “fiscal drag”, with income tax thresholds frozen since 2021 despite annual increases in the state pension. The personal allowance — the amount a person can...

The High Court trial between PPE Medpro and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) resumed on day eight with a forensic focus on the statistical credibility of the government’s gown sterility tests — tests that underpin its £122 million claim that PPE Medpro breached contract by supplying non-sterile surgical gowns. In a day that further undermined the DHSC’s central argument, cross-examination of the government’s statistics expert Professor Anne Hutton revealed significant flaws in...

A stylish, well-organised workspace does more than look good — it helps you focus, stay productive, and feel more in control of your day. Whether you work from home full-time or simply need a designated space for admin, having the right setup can make all the difference. In this article, we here at vidaXL, will share practical and inspiring ideas to help you elevate your workspace. From choosing the right office furniture to incorporating calming...