Nearly 4.8 million private-sector microbusinesses could be affected by the next Simpler Recycling deadline, but many may not be prepared.

Businesses are being urged to review the artificial intelligence tools they use after new transparency obligations under the European Union's AI Act came into force on 2 August. Although the legislation is European, it is not limited to businesses based in Europe.

Over the past decade, the way we work in the UK has changed dramatically. Remote working, which once felt like a niche option reserved for a select few, is now a staple of British employment. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a huge catalyst, forcing companies to adapt almost overnight.

Anyone familiar with the business section of the p.ublished group of newspapers will probably be a fan of Ian’s regular musings on a broad range of modern business dilemmas.

Cumbria-based digital darts business Big Fish Darts has secured funding through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, delivered by GC Business Finance, to scale its interactive darts platform to pubs across the UK. Founded in 2025 by Greg Taylor, Big Fish Darts was developed to help pubs run grassroots darts leagues.

Indurent, a developer, owner and operator of industrial and logistics space across the UK, has launched two new developments in Knowsley, further strengthening its presence in one of the North West’s most established logistics locations and meeting strong occupier demand across the region.

Firms across the private sector expect activity to fall in the three months to October (weighted balance of -18%), according to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator. However, expectations are the least negative since March, just after the outbreak of the Iran conflict. But looking back further, the latest results extend further a period of negative predictions for growth that began in late 2024.

With under two weeks remaining until the first Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax submission deadline, new research from Lloyds suggests that more than half (51%) of small businesses in the North West still have work to do before they are ready to comply with the new rules, compared with 55% of small businesses UK-wide.

Dudleys Consulting Engineers has commenced work on site to deliver a new £3.3 million headquarters office and rangers’ depot for the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNPA).

After interviewing a number of executives in the automotive space, Orwa Mohamad, Analyst at Third Bridge made a series of remarks regarding Volkswagen, informed by insights from industry experts. Third Bridge experts say the biggest challenge for Volkswagen's German plants is not utilisation but ownership.

Manufacturing output fell in the three months to July, according to the latest quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey, extending a period of flat or falling volumes that began in mid-2024. The decline in output volumes was broad-based, but driven by the food, drink & tobacco, paper, printing & media and metal products sub-sectors.

Inflation eased more than expected in June, with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) dropping to 2.6% down from 2.8% in May, driven largely by notable reductions in food and fuel prices. Business organisations and financial analysts have welcomed the short-term respite, though they warn that renewed geopolitical tensions and rising energy costs could spark a rebound later in the year.