SMEs

Barclays is to cut opening hours of hundreds of branches across the UK

Barclays to cut opening hours of hundreds of branches across the UK

'Despite all the challenges, I remain optimistic about what Business Gateway can do to help Scotland’s SMEs achieve in the next few years,' says Hugh Lightbody. Picture: Stewart Attwood.

Interview: Business Gateway chief Hugh Lightbody on catalysing entrepreneurship

Rathbones has found that 44 per cent of business-owners north of the Border have given their employees regular financial help in the last six months. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images.

Cost of living: Scottish business-owners supporting employees financially

Iain Clunie, Net Zero Programme Director, Food and Drink Federation Scotland

Food and drink sector is lacking the investment required for net zero targets - ...

Scottish SMEs can access tailored products and service from Shawbrook that may not be readily available through mainstream high street lenders

Ad Feature Help for Scottish SMEs

It’s critical to partner with a trusted advisor and ensure a claim is robust and compliant

Ad Feature R&D tax relief: Are you maximising the opportunity?

'As the crisis continues, the situation is becoming increasingly perilous,' says Nucleus Commercial Finance boss Chirag Shah. Picture: contributed.

Cost-of-living crisis 'proving more of burden than lockdowns for SMEs'

Laura Gillespie, Partner and cyber crime specialist at Pinsent Masons

Ransomware attacks are increasing, so you better be ‘cyber ready’ - Laura Gilles...

CEO Rod Ashley says: 'Alba is an opportunity to design a bank specifically with [SMEs] in mind, helping them to realise their true potential'. Picture: contributed.

Jim McColl's challenger bank Alba cheers being awarded banking licence

Heather Cobb of Tide: 'Meeting our target to onboard 100,000 female-led businesses in the UK by the end of 2023, almost a year early, is a great achievement and one we’re very proud of.'

Half of women setting up in business thwarted by funding hurdle - new research

Many SMEs affected by the rising living costs have said this time has been the ‘...

John Korchak, operations director at Inform Direct: 'It is great news to see that Scotland can celebrate a record year for the number of businesses in 2022.' Picture: Keith Mindham Photography

Record company numbers 'evidence of resilience of entrepreneurs in Scotland'

Justine Muir, Alan Crawley and Chris Foley of Optima Partners. Picture: Duncan McGlynn

Edinburgh-headquartered consultancy on track to double UK workforce to 100

British Business Bank chief executive Louis Taylor: 'The fund has been designed with regards to what the Scottish market needs.'

British Business Bank chief Louis Taylor pledges £150m boost for Scottish SMEs

David Allen is Senior Partnerships Manager at The Open University in Scotland

The Open University can help you to bridge the skills gap - David Allen

Gigged.AI co-founders Rich Wilson and Craig Short with staff members at the company's Glasgow hub. Picture: Stewart Attwood

Glasgow HR tech outfit taps into gig economy explosion with £1.6m funding

From left: Nicola Campbell, Xanthe Tremain, and Greig McKnight at Azets' Glasgow office. Picture: Ashley Coombes.

Accountancy firm Azets promotes SME specialist to partner in Scotland

The FSB has stressed the need to get essential funds to the small businesses 'who will transform them into new products, new jobs, and new premises'. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Call to improve financing landscape for small firms to avoid 'devastation' - FSB

Glasgow-based strategist Craig Alexander Rattray plans to kick-off a six-month programme in January.

New initiative will offer construction bosses chance to 'prevent firefighting'

Lloyds says SMEs can, by investing in transitioning their business, create long-term cost savings, such as by becoming more energy efficient and reducing energy bills. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Cost cited as largest obstacle for UK SMEs on journey to net zero

Eleonora Vanello of Productivity Clubs Scotland: “Peer-to-peer learning is essential in enterprise."

Ad Feature Profile of a forum where SMEs can exchange enterprising ideas

Many employees will get an extra 2.5 days of annual leave at Christmas - equatin...

Many employees will be able to spend a couple more days jetting off to the sun thanks to additional holiday allowances.

Festive cheer: SMEs to reward employees with 120 million extra days off

Valuable insights shared at a Productivity Clubs Scotland meet in Tayside

Ad Feature National forum formed for Scotland's SMEs to exchange enterprising ideas

Leesman believes Scotland’s SMEs would if they adopted hybrid working only need physical workspace for 768,000 people - out of a total workforce of 1.2m - at any time. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Hybrid working 'could save Scotland’s SMEs £6.5bn a year in office rent'

Get lending support from a specialist funder to help your SME thrive

Ad Feature How Corporate Lending can support Scottish SMEs

The new agreement was celebrated during a visit to the MDMC by Business Minister Ivan McKee. Picture: contributed.

New Heriot-Watt and Technology Scotland tie-up sets out to advance patient care

This scheme could help futureproof the running of your company – if you do it right

Ad Feature Succession planning advice: How could share options help?

NatWest chief executive Alison Rose: 'We recognise that there are instances where customers would benefit from speaking with an independent advisor, particularly where debts are spread across multiple lenders.'

Struggling SMEs to get 'independent debt advice' as RBS seals charity tie-up

SMEs struggle to maintain business due to the rise in living costs – as many are...

Dr Johann Partridge is Director of Operations at MiAlgae

Scottish biotechnology has a bright future - Johann Partridge

Businesses are looking to cut costs even more, expert warns

UK SMEs brace for steep rise in redundancies, employment expert warns

The business of business is making an impact - Paul Winstanley

A third of SMEs say they are very worried about the prospect of rising business costs over the next year (file image). Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

At least 40,000 UK SMEs expected to lean on finance-providers as costs swell

Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) to the Philippines can offer an economic lifeline to many companies

BPO Philippines: A lifeline for struggling SMEs

Philippines outsourcing can help SMEs scale

Outsourcing to the Philippines: How it can help SMEs scale

Go Fibre intend to connect hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across Scotland and Northern England over the next three and a half years.

World-class connectivity at the heart of Scotland’s future - Alex Cacciamani

Businesses and households are being hit with soaring utility bills heading into winter.

Energy price crisis: Quarter of SMEs say power bills unsustainable

Construction professionals will be able to try the likes of virtual reality training simulations and augmented reality helmets. Picture: contributed.

Workshops in Inverness set to showcase pioneering tech to construction SMEs

Boost&Co cited research finding that male-owned businesses receive seven times more funding than those owned by women (file image). Picture: contributed.

Third of Scots SMEs believe male-owned firms have better access to debt funding

From left: Professor Marc Desmulliez, manager of the MDMC at Heriot-Watt, and Graham Watson, executive chair of InnoScot Health. Picture: contributed.

Heriot-Watt inks 'landmark' partnership to accelerate medtech innovation

Nearly half of all SMEs have already switched to a domestic supplier due to sustainability concerns, NatWest has found. Picture: Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images.

'Encouraging' signs that UK firms making supply chains more eco-friendly

These are the top 20 ways small businesses are reducing outgoings

Many bosses are grappling with the prospect of rising prices (file image). Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Action needed to cool down firms sweltering amid soaring inflation

Small businesses are in need of help

New report: Government must spend more with small businesses to unlock growth

Richard Henshaw, director national healthcare, ThinCats.

ThinCats backs multi-million-pound buyout of children’s residential care group

Micro-upskilling can be a key solution for expanding the skillsets of the current workforce by using structured e-learning content, says the DMA (file image). Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

How ‘micro-upskilling’ could get Scottish business back on track - comment

Stuart Law of AAB: “Protecting sensitive employee information in multiple workspaces can be challenging unless the payroll system is based in the cloud”

Ad Feature AAB: Is your head in the cloud over payroll?

The MDMC 'is accelerating life-changing medical devices from concept into commercial products', Dr Murray says. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

The Big Interview: Dr Gillian Murray of Heriot-Watt University

Brian Hills, chief executive of The Data Lab. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI backs £54 million manufacturing hub

Mike Randall and William Devine at the opening of the new Simply Scottish operation, based at Eurocentral.

SME-focused asset finance lender opens first office in Scotland

The lab will be based in TSB’s Edinburgh George Street headquarters, Henry Duncan House.

TSB joins forces with FinTech Scotland to launch Edinburgh 'innovation lab'

James Horton, Senior Legal Relationship Manager at law firm CMS

Growth of alternative finance essential element in UK economic prosperity - Jame...

Trachet suggests seeking out support from 'someone with experience at a senior level that can help keep the company stay afloat financially and operationally' (file image). Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

Scaling firms advised to seek external support to help stay afloat

Emma and Fergus MacDonald, owners of the Edinburgh-based Tartan Blanket Co, who secured capital from last year’s fund to support expansion. Picture: contributed.

Scotland allocated £1bn to fuel growth as part of HSBC's latest SME fund

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland are confident of sales rising in the current quarter.

Scottish SMEs buck gloomy backdrop with sales boost prediction

The Scotsman Top Stories

Humza Yousaf and deputy first minister Shona Robison at Holyrood. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

FMQs: SNP 'tone deaf' on LEZ as Yousaf accused of ignoring homeless charity

Union chiefs have demanded action over reports of violence

Airport check-in staff assaulted and abused by ‘thuggish’ passengers – GMB union

Rose Matafeo won the main Edinburgh Comedy Awards prize for best show in 2018.

Comics who owe their careers to the Fringe should help keep awards going