The bizbritain newsroom
News & Press
Announcements, releases and the stories of the British founders we’ve helped fund — updates from across the bizbritain newsroom.
Fair Work Agency names 658 employers over minimum wage underpayment
The Fair Work Agency has named 658 employers for paying below the minimum wage, ordering £4m in arrears back to more than 27,000 workers.
Latest stories
What’s happening at bizbritain.
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NewsUK factory orders grew in August, but not for small manufacturers
S&P Global's August survey put UK manufacturing at a five-month low, with the gains in new orders concentrated among medium and large firms.
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NewsShop price inflation hits a two-year high
Shop prices rose 1.5% in the year to August, the highest reading in over two years, with food inflation at 2.8%. What it means for independent shops and cafes.
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NewsUK asking prices post their biggest August fall since 2018
Rightmove says the average UK asking price fell 2% in August, the largest August drop since 2018, with more homes for sale than at any August in 12 years.
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NewsApprentice training is now fully funded for employers hiring under-25s
From 1 August 2026 the government covers the whole training cost of an apprentice aged 16 to 24 at employers outside the apprenticeship levy. A hiring payment of up to 2,000 pounds follows in October.
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NewsPetrol hits its highest level since 2022 as bank holiday traffic peaks
Petrol averaged 161.6p a litre on 28 August 2026, the highest since November 2022. What it means for UK businesses running vans, and why the September fuel duty story is wrong.
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NewsGovernment sets out trusted trader scheme and milestone payments
The government has announced a trusted trader scheme launching in September, and a payment system that links customer payments to project milestones.
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NewsAzets warns of an autumn cash squeeze as October tax deadlines land
The accountancy firm Azets says small businesses face an autumn cashflow crisis, with Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE Settlement Agreement payments all falling due in October.
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NewsZero hours consultation closes, with shift notice rules due in 2027
The government's consultation on zero hours contracts closed on 25 August. New rules on shift notice and payment for cancelled shifts are expected in 2027.
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NewsTreasury launches independent review of pub and hotel business rates
HM Treasury has appointed an independent reviewer to examine how pubs and hotels are valued for business rates, reporting by the end of March 2027. What it changes, and what it means for borrowing.
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NewsFrasers buys Harvey Nichols out of administration, and what it signals for smaller buyers
Mike Ashley's Frasers Group has bought Harvey Nichols out of administration. The buy-do-not-build playbook is not only for retail giants, and acquisition finance brings it within reach of smaller buyers.
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NewsSME loan rates rose in June while Bank Rate stood still
The effective rate on new SME loans reached 6.36% in June, up 0.18 percentage points in a single month, while the Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75%.
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Insights & dataRetail sales fell 0.5% in July. The rest of the ONS release says something else.
The Office for National Statistics reports that retail sales volumes fell by 0.5% over the month in July 2026.