• Botterill reflects on Channel 5 appearance

    Nigel Botterill reflects on entrepreneurship after Channel 5 television appearance. The Entrepreneurs Circle founder says building a business is often harder without structure, clarity, and consistent support.


  • Nearly half of UK workers feel unsafe speaking up

    Nearly half of UK workers feel unsafe speaking up at work. New research from MHFA England links psychological safety to productivity, error reduction, and employee wellbeing, highlighting a growing cost for UK organisations.


  • Hiring delays eclipse economic fears for UK employers

    UK employers now see recruitment delays as a critical business risk. New research shows hiring speed has overtaken economic instability as the leading concern for UK organisations entering 2026, driven by persistent shortages across specialist professional roles.


  • Digital profiles outperform culture in remote team trust

    Digital profiles help remote teams build trust faster, new academic research shows. A study from Nyenrode Business University finds that sharing trusted online references, such as LinkedIn profiles, plays a larger role in early trust-building than cultural background in newly formed virtual teams.


  • Government red tape risks blocking youth jobs

    SMEs back apprenticeships, but bureaucracy threatens youth hiring across Britain. New research shows strong employer appetite following the Autumn Budget, alongside growing concern that complex Government systems could limit uptake and slow job creation.


  • NatWest targets 50,000 Accelerator entrepreneurs

    NatWest plans major expansion of its UK Accelerator entrepreneur community. The bank aims to grow membership to 50,000 by 2026, a five-fold increase on its 2025 ambition, following a year in which participation exceeded the total supported across the previous decade combined.


  • Alibaba chatbot coupon pause exposes limits of AI-led commerce push

    Alibaba paused chatbot coupons after heavy demand strained its AI systems. The disruption followed a Lunar New Year promotion tied to AI-driven shopping, highlighting execution risks as generative AI tools move from conversation into real-world commerce.


  • Europe’s youth social media bans are coming — and marketers must adapt

    Europe is drawing a hard line around teen social accounts. After Prague signalled support for an under-15 ban, Slovenia began drafting legislation, Greece said it was “very close” to acting, and Spain set out an under-16 prohibition. Marketers now face a structural shift in reach, data, and measurement this year.


  • UK hiring slowdown eases as starting pay rises

    UK hiring pressures ease slightly as pay growth firms for starters. Recruiters reported a slower decline in permanent placements in January, alongside stronger starting salaries, suggesting early stabilisation in the labour market rather than a full recovery.


  • NatWest expands Financial Foundations programme nationwide

    NatWest plans to reach 50,000 people through expanded financial education. The UK bank will scale its Financial Foundations programme in 2026, delivering free workplace and community-based financial education sessions through employers, local organisations, and housing groups as part of its wider UK growth strategy.