HLAS

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, recently hosted US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at Downing Street for a joint industry roundtable. The meeting highlighted the strong connections between London and New York as leading global financial centres and announced the creation of a new Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future. Purpose of the Taskforce The taskforce will provide recommendations to both governments on how the UK and US can collaborate more closely in key areas, including: Digital assets – exploring short-term opportunities while regulation continues to develop, as well as long-term potential for innovation in wholesale digital markets. [...]

Cyber incidents continue to feature in the news headlines, with airports now joining large UK retailers and manufacturers in experiencing serious disruption to supply chains and services. While small businesses are unlikely to grab the same headlines, the risks are just as real. For many, a serious cyber-attack could stop their business from trading altogether. That is why it is important not only to think about preventing attacks, but also how your business would recover if the worst happened. Start with the basics The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) encourages all businesses to adopt the Cyber Essentials programme. This focuses [...]

A businessman has been banned from acting as a company director for eight years after it was discovered that he continued to serve as a director between July 2013 and July 2015, despite being bankrupt since 2005. In addition to the disqualification, he was sentenced to 22 months in prison in October 2024 for contempt of court in an unrelated case concerning company transfers made in breach of a freezing order. The Insolvency Service’s perspective The Insolvency Service emphasised that bankruptcy automatically prevents someone from being a company director. They highlight that the ban exists to protect creditors and the [...]

A new impact report by Oxford Economics has revealed that YouTube content creators contributed £2.2 billion to the UK economy in 2024 and supported around 45,000 jobs. The figures highlight how digital content creation has grown into a serious business sector, with creators turning their platforms into careers and even launching companies of their own. For example, Lilly Sabri, who creates fitness videos, has built a community of over six million followers on YouTube, using the platform as a springboard to launch two businesses and create jobs. A growing marketplace These numbers are worth noting. The creator economy represents a [...]

Amazon is set to shut all 19 of its UK Amazon Fresh grocery stores, less than five years after introducing the till-free sites in London. Five of these locations may be converted into Whole Foods outlets, another grocery brand owned by Amazon. The closures will impact around 250 staff, and the company has begun a consultation process regarding its plans. Amazon has stated it aims to redeploy as many employees as possible. Amazon opened its first UK grocery store in Ealing Broadway in March 2021. Customers at Amazon Fresh used a “walk in, pick up, and walk out” approach, with [...]

Rugby Borough Council is set to become one of the first local authorities in the country to use new powers that allow councils to auction leases on long-term vacant retail units. The move follows figures showing that nearly one in four units in Rugby town centre are empty, compared with the national average of one in seven. How the lease auction scheme works Under the scheme, any privately-owned shop left empty for more than a year within a two-year period could be subject to a lease auction. Landlords will be given an eight-week period to secure a tenant themselves or [...]

Last week, a so-called Tech Prosperity Deal was signed between the UK government and several US tech giants as part of Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, confirmed a £5bn investment in UK artificial intelligence (AI) over the next two years. In addition, Microsoft confirmed it is investing £22bn, with Nvidia also investing up to £11bn in the UK. The investments will be directed towards AI infrastructure and advanced scientific research. During the week, the Chancellor opened a new £735m data centre in Hertfordshire as part of Google’s investment, and Microsoft is confirmed as now [...]

A new Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection campaign has found serious failings in how workplaces manage hearing protection, raising concerns about the safety of employees in noisy environments. One in four workplaces inspected had noise levels making mandatory hearing protection legally required. But despite this, inspections uncovered widespread shortcomings in both employee training and equipment management. Key findings Over 75% of workers in high-noise workplaces lacked basic knowledge on storing, checking, or reporting issues with hearing protection equipment. 63% had not received guidance on how hearing protection must be worn continuously during exposure to harmful noise levels. 80% received [...]

Companies House has recently been awarded the highest-level accreditation from Investors in People for its commitment to staff wellbeing. Its Platinum award recognises the organisation’s efforts to support employees’ social, physical and psychological wellbeing. The achievement followed detailed assessments, including staff surveys, interviews, and reviews of workplace culture. What can other businesses learn from this success? Even if you don’t have the same resources as Companies House, there are practical, low-cost steps you can take to improve staff wellbeing. 1. Listen to staff feedback Employees who feel listened to are more likely to feel valued. For a smaller business, this [...]

Small businesses planning to expand their premises could soon find the process easier, following new government commitments to make business rates fairer. An interim report from the Treasury states that the Chancellor will examine options to address the “cliff edges” in the system – the sudden increases in rates that often discourage investment. At present, when a small business opens a second property, it immediately loses all entitlement to Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR). The government has now confirmed that it will review how SBRR can better support business growth. Permanent tax cuts for retail, hospitality, and leisure The report [...]