• NatWest surpasses £2bn goal for women-led business lending

    NatWest exceeds its £2 billion target two years early. The bank has lent £2.84 billion to more than 55,000 female-led businesses, reflecting continued growth in women’s entrepreneurship and demand for tailored finance across the UK.


  • Insights appoints Tricia Nelson as Global Marketing, Brand and Sales Director

    Tricia Nelson joins Insights to lead its next phase of global growth. Her appointment completes the company’s executive leadership team and reflects its ambition to scale its learning and development impact across 109 countries.


  • How security tech entrepreneur Marie-Claire Dwek mastered the art of resilience

    Resilience, not technology, defines Marie-Claire Dwek’s leadership at Newmark today. From losing her home in the 1990s crash to returning as CEO of a once-struggling engineering firm, she has turned Newmark Security into a growing, service-led listed business built on human capital protection, recurring revenue, and a promise to herself.


  • Business Disability Forum launches Disability Smart Impact Awards 2026

    Business Disability Forum has opened nominations for its 2026 Disability Smart Impact Awards. The rebranded awards, announced on 3 December, highlight organisations and individuals creating measurable change for disabled employees and consumers through inclusive practice and innovation.


  • ERB compromise is welcomed — but more must be done

    The Government has revised the Employment Rights Bill following negotiations. The CIPD has welcomed the decision to set the unfair dismissal qualifying period at six months, describing it as a “workable approach” for employers — while warning that further clarity is needed on other aspects of the bill.


  • Businesses urged to act before leadership training funding ends

    S&A Academy urges leadership training enrolment before L7 funding disappears. The national training provider has called on company leaders and HR departments to register employees before government support worth £14,000 per person is withdrawn in 2026, warning the change could restrict access to senior management development across UK industries.


  • Autumn Budget stability puts UK business owners on the hook

    Stability was the Chancellor’s watchword, but business heard strain instead. Advisers across law and accountancy say the Autumn Budget leans heavily on tax rises for owners, investors, and high earners, while offering only narrow windows and targeted reliefs for those prepared to plan ahead. Businesses face greater complexity and pressure.


  • The highs, lows and reaction to the Autumn Budget 2025

    Rachel Reeves has delivered a tax-heavy Autumn Budget for business. Markets have taken the measures in their stride, but leaders now face a higher, more complex tax burden and big questions about investment, skills, and productivity that our BQX deep-dive will unpack in full, as they plan for 2026 ahead.


  • CEMS warns AI could dull the edge of human leadership

    New report warns AI overreliance could erode curiosity, ethics, and critical thinking.


  • 80% of UK businesses face agility crisis amid budget uncertainty

    Four in five UK companies are struggling to adapt. As fiscal pressures mount ahead of the Autumn Budget, new research from accountancy firm Menzies suggests that decision-making inertia is stalling growth, with many businesses missing key opportunities due to slow responses and short-term thinking.