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SMEs at risk over Christmas as many shut down without specialist monitoring. New Kaspersky research reveals substantial gaps in festive cybersecurity, with a quarter of firms leaving systems unwatched and more than a third previously hit by holiday-season attacks.
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UK GDP fell by 0.1 per cent in the three months to October. The contraction — driven by weakness in services and construction — surprised analysts who had expected flat growth. It marks the first quarterly decline in nearly two years and tests the government’s post-Budget growth agenda.
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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.
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Nearly one in three UK workers would rather have root canal work than attend their office Christmas party. A new survey by Sunny, a charity tackling loneliness and workplace disconnection, suggests the office bash has become symbolic of a deeper malaise in employee engagement across the UK workforce.
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AI-moderated research company Bolt Insight has raised £7 million. The London-based business will use the funding to scale its BoltChatAI platform globally and accelerate the development of its next-generation intelligence system.
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Cloud costs now average 10% of revenue. Start-ups and SaaS companies are putting finance teams in charge as spending volatility turns cloud into a major profit risk. New research by Cloud Capital shows 89% of CFOs report margin erosion and 97% have formalised cloud governance.
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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.
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Leon enters administration as part of a restructuring effort. The fast-food chain aims to close loss-making restaurants and cut jobs. Co-founder John Vincent reacquired Leon from Asda and plans a Company Voluntary Arrangement to return to core values.
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Policy uncertainty is impacting Britain’s small business sector. Goldman Sachs’ Kunal Shah highlights concerns over unclear taxation and employment laws affecting investment and hiring decisions. Despite optimism in performance, regulatory shifts continue to challenge entrepreneurial confidence.
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Fervo Energy secures $462 million for geothermal projects expansion. The funding supports Utah’s Cape Station project and other initiatives, with new and returning investors including Google and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Fervo aims to meet surging clean energy demand with its innovative solutions.