The Governemnt has announced that it's scrapping the Audit Reform and Corporate Governance Bill. The reason given is to reduce costs on firms. This programme of refrom has been in the pipeline and kicked into the long grass several times, since the collapse of the big construction company Carillion in 2018. It took thousands of small construction firms with it and the ripples reached out as far as small micro businesses on the sidelines like cafes. This isn't good news and leaves gaps which could mean that future corporate failures have a similar impact. Cutting red tape to boost the growth agenda has consequences and there will be losers.

The Employment Rights Bill passed by Parliament yesterday evening 16th Dec. There have been amendments since the proposals were first announced. There will be day one rights to sick pay and bereavement leave but there will be a 6 month period before an employee can claim for unfair dismissal. More detail coming in my blog soon.

Unemployment hit 5.1%, the highest since January 2021 and wage growth slowed in the 3 months to October. Those figures were for the period before the budget, with all the uncertainty the various rumours and the speculation caused for businesses. Is that behind us now. Will business respond to the budget by getting on with the plans they had before uncertainty paused activity or will the quiet quitting we've been seeing especially in the retail and hospitality sectors continue. Let us know in the forum discussions what you're seeing in your sector.

Government announces £2 million funding boost to help more small and medium sized businesses cut costs The funding is part of a range of new measures to support small business growth. Two thirds of small and medium businesses that adopted sustainable practices like installing solar panels reported reduced costs Small businesses across the UK will benefit from the Government funding and support to help them invest in sustainability, to cut their operating costs and boost their business. More detail to come.

If you are one of the people to lose your job and are looking for employment you'll know that unemployment is rising too. If you're thinking of working for yourself in any way: freelance, sole trader or running a small business you'll find information at Business111

Hi - I'm Liz Barclay - I'm one of the founders of Business111.com and I’m launching www.business111.com, a free online resource designed specifically for small and micro businesses — and built from the ground up around what they’ve told me they need. I used to be HMG's Small Business Commissioner, and now I can work with others to provide you with a resource that you can use anytime. I want to be completely transparent: it’s a BETA site. We’re at the early stages of development. Not everything will work perfectly first time. Some sections are still being built, others will evolve based on feedback, and a few tools might feel a little rough around the edges. And that’s exactly why I need the people who understand small business life best — you — to help us shape it. If something doesn’t work, or doesn’t make sense, I need you to tell us. Business111.com isn’t about broadcasting at businesses. It’s about building something with them. It’s designed to grow into a trusted, plain-English, no-nonsense hub for the practical guidance small firms have been crying out for. Why now? Because small businesses are being hit from every direction: rising costs, skills shortages, complex regulation and the constant fear of making a mistake that could cost them everything. Late payments and long payment terms are wiping billions from the economy. Employer National Insurance has risen. Wages have risen. Rents and rates are rising. And while politicians argue about fiscal forecasts, small businesses have to make payroll on Monday. For years, I’ve been hearing the same refrain from the smallest businesses: “I don’t know where to find the right advice. Everything is too complicated. Every answer I try to find leads me to something written for big companies, not for me.” I set up Business111.com because I couldn’t keep asking businesses to navigate a maze I knew was failing them. As a former Small Business Commissioner, adviser to organisations across the UK, and someone who has spent decades listening to micro businesses in every corner of the country, I know that what people want is clarity. Not jargon. Not 80-page guidance notes. Not contradictory information spread across ten government websites. They want to know, simply and quickly, what they need to do — and how to stay on the right side of rules that feel designed for companies 100 times their size. Business111.com is the start of that journey. A central point for guidance. A place where small firms can learn about late payment options, employment rights, skills pathways, cashflow pressures, rising costs and how to stay compliant without losing their minds or their evenings. I’m launching it today — Budget Day — because this is when small businesses feel most excluded. After the headlines fade, they’re left asking: “So what does this actually mean for me?” Business111.com aims to answer that question, not in technical language, but in straightforward terms that respect the time, stress and reality of people running one- or two-person businesses. It’s free. It’s independent. And it’s being built with one goal: to make running a small business simpler, clearer and fairer. But it won’t work without the people it’s built for. So please, explore the site, tell us what’s helpful, what’s missing, what breaks, what’s confusing — and what you wish existed but can’t find anywhere else. Business111.com is for you. With your help, it will grow into something powerful, practical and genuinely transformational for the UK’s most vital business community. Today’s Budget will set the tone for the months ahead. Business111.com aims to help small businesses understand it, survive it and — hopefully — thrive beyond it. Please be patient with us. Please be honest with us. And please join us as we build something better together.