2026 is almost here. SME owners felt the squeeze during 2025, with increases to the rate of National Insurance Contribution for employers and increases to the minimum wage resulting in higher per-employee costs.

Ignite Next has announced its launch as Europe’s new scale-up programme for deeptech innovation, designed to bridge the gap between early-stage founders and industrial-scale success.

Harley Street Health District and AlbionVC announce a strategic partnership designed to expand access to transformative healthcare technologies and accelerate the adoption of new models of care in the UK.

New NEBOSH-funded programme offers vital support to self-employed women, freelancers, and micro-business employees navigating menopause and mental health challenges.

Latitude59 kicked off today in Nairobi. It was officially opened by Daniel Schaer, the Ambassador-at-Large for African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Henriette Geigeris, European Union Ambassador to Kenya, and Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy in Kenya.

As many employed workers start to slow down for Christmas and meet up with friends and attend work Christmas events, a new YouGov survey has found that nearly half (44%) of smaller business owners in the UK say they have felt lonely or isolated while running their business. The research was carried out by YouGov on behalf of The Start Up Loans Company, part of the British Business Bank.

Flametree has recently announced that Mexican fintech NOVACARD has officially deployed Flametree’s agentic AI to power its next stage of growth. This collaboration will let NOVACARD scale efficiently while maintaining high-quality, personalised customer service.

Jentic has launched its AI Readiness Scorecard, the first automated assessment tool to pinpoint where and why enterprise AI pilots fail. The free solution aims to help organisations move from pilot to production by unblocking technical barriers.

From quiet cracking to bare minimum Mondays, 2025 gave workers plenty of food for thought with a new wave of workplace trends. While some of these trends encouraged workers to prioritise work/life balance and to strive within their role, others encouraged employees to simply turn up to work and do the bare minimum.

Independent drone advisors, Drone Major, have launched a first-of-its-kind managed procurement services platform for the global drone industry, which will help power Britain’s procurement process and drive innovation across small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK’s drone sector.

Virgin Red has announced a new transfer partnership with Capital on Tap, enabling small business owners to convert their Capital on Tap Rewards Points into Virgin Points – unlocking access to flights, hotels, cruises, unique experiences, and more on Virgin Red and Flying Club.