Business

True luxury never raises its voice. It greets guests quietly. Texture, temperature, spacing, and light speak first. The welcome begins before a word is exchanged. Eyes adjust. Movement slows. Pressure drops. Every surface signals precision. Every detail deserves its place. Exclusive events depend on silence between the notes. They leave no clutter, no guesswork. The experience unfolds without effort. Staff move with grace. Lighting flatters the room. Sound is tailored, not filled. Every element earns...

UK homeowners are increasingly using equity release to strengthen household finances, with mortgage repayment now the leading reason for taking out new plans, according to new first-party analysis from Key Group. The analysis, based on more than 1,000 Key Group customer cases agreed between Q2 2024 and Q1 2025 (data to 31 March 2025), points to a decisive change in how later-life homeowners are using property wealth. Over the period, the share of new plans...

Ronald Moy has spent more than twenty years serving the people of Escondido, California, as a funeral director known for his compassion, precision, and calm leadership. Born and raised in the same community, his path into the profession began early, sweeping floors at his grandfather’s small mortuary. Those quiet lessons in empathy and respect shaped the way he approaches his work today. After earning a degree in psychology from California State University San Marcos, with...

BGF has completed a £16.6 million minority investment in Workbooks, the mid-market software platform positioning itself as a practical alternative to traditional CRM systems by bringing sales, marketing, customer support and commercial operations into a single, integrated solution. Workbooks serves hundreds of customers across the UK and the US, spanning a broad range of sectors. The platform has gained traction among mid-sized organisations looking to avoid the complexity, cost and fragmented add-ons often associated with...

The government’s £283 million investment to train the next generation of builders, coders and engineers has been met with a sceptical response from business leaders, who have warned that the funding is “too little, too late” to address the UK’s mounting economic and housing challenges. Ministers say the funding will help more young people gain the skills needed to meet growing demand for homegrown workers, particularly in construction, as the government pushes ahead with its...

Every January, millions of people resolve to get healthier. They join gyms, hire trainers, and put themselves in environments engineered for progress. The formula is obvious: the right expertise, the right structure, and the right people make improvements inevitable. Yet when it comes to our businesses, the engines that employ people and shape industries, we often operate in isolation. We grind away alone, convinced that needing input is somehow an admission of weakness. And after...

Five Welsh entrepreneurs have been recognised for outstanding progress after completing the Business Wales Start-Up Accelerator, with the latest cohort underlining how intensive, targeted support can turn early-stage ideas into investment-ready businesses. The award winners completed the ten-week accelerator programme and were recognised across five categories, reflecting both the breadth and quality of entrepreneurial talent emerging across Wales. Collectively, the cohort demonstrated strong momentum in moving from concept to customer, validating propositions and building clear...

New job adverts fell for the second month in a row in November, adding to signs that demand for workers is cooling as businesses grapple with budget uncertainty and proposed changes to employment law. According to the latest survey from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), new job postings dropped by 14.4 per cent between October and November, while the total number of active job adverts fell by 11.2 per cent over the same period....

Thousands of people across the UK are set to benefit from free digital training as the government launches a major new initiative aimed at helping more people shop around for cheaper deals online and fully participate in the digital economy. Unveiled today by the Minister for Digital Inclusion, Liz Lloyd, the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund will back 80 local schemes across the country, supporting people who are at risk of being left behind...

NatWest Group has opened applications for the second year of its Fintech Programme, calling on UK-based fintechs that are using artificial intelligence to reshape the future of customer experience in financial services. The 2026 programme will run for 12 weeks and is aimed at pre-Series A and Series A fintechs with proven product-market fit and commercial traction. Successful applicants will receive hands-on support from NatWest’s Innovation team, alongside access to senior decision-makers, mentorship, and opportunities...