Image copyright Reuters Image caption Retail, manufacturing and construction have reported a strong rebound in growth Business activity in NI picked up last month, signalling economic recovery, but employment levels are continuing to fall, an Ulster Bank survey suggests. Every month, the bank conducts a survey of a representative sample of firms. It is considered a reliable indicator of economic… Read more →
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Rishi Sunak is the fourth UK minister to visit Scotland in recent weeks The chancellor is to visit Scotland later to highlight the benefits of UK government schemes for businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Rishi Sunak said 65,000 businesses in Scotland had been supported through loan schemes, paying out £2bn. Mr Sunak is the fourth… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Those working in the events industry face an uncertain future A wave of “zombie companies” kept afloat during lockdown are on a cliff-edge going into the autumn, experts say. Analysis by the BBC shows a surge of firms went bust in March, then the rate slowed in the first few months of lockdown amid… Read more →
Image copyright Cesar Basanta Image caption IT consultant Cesar Basanta has had to wait weeks to receive a much-needed loan for his business, due to a HSBC error A technical glitch has meant thousands of government-backed small business loan offers to HSBC customers were sent under the wrong name. Customer Cesar Basanta told the BBC he’s had to wait weeks… Read more →
Image copyright PA Media Business confidence in many areas of the economy is at a record low, a new survey has indicated. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) survey suggests retail and construction have been among the worst hit sectors during the Covid-19 crisis. But 95% of tourism firms also reported a fall in business confidence. The SCC said the… Read more →
Image copyright Michelle Geraghty-Carns Image caption Michelle Geraghty-Carns says she must be able to reopen if she is to save her business Spas and firms offering complementary therapies such as massage, detox and hydrotherapy have told the BBC they could go out of business soon if they cannot reopen in July. “I can sustain my business for another two weeks,… Read more →
Image copyright Align Brooklyn Image caption The Browns, owners of a New York wellness studio, say even pandemic relief “is set up to maintain the racial divide” Pam Brown and her husband Christopher know they will need help if the yoga studio they own in New York is going to survive the pandemic. But they don’t think they will get… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Efforts to increase the number of black managers at British companies have stalled, according to a business group. Just 1.5% of top bosses at UK companies are black. That compares to 3% of the population of England and Wales. While the ratio is an improvement on the 1.4% of 2014, there is much ground still to… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Tesco has agreed to sell its business in Poland as it continues to scale back its international operations. The UK supermarket giant is selling its 301-store Polish business to Danish retail group Salling Group for £181m. It said the sale would allow it to focus on its central European markets of Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia… Read more →
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption GM went on to become a global car industry giant What do General Motors, Burger King, CNN, Uber and Airbnb all have in common? The were all founded during economic downturns. GM launched in 1908, when the US economy was in turmoil after “the Panic of 1907” financial crisis. Meanwhile, Burger King flipped its… Read more →