Business Confidence stories

Entrepreneurs increasingly see AI as a tool for efficiency and cost-cutting, not a springboard to new markets or sustainability goals.

Manchester's mid-sized firms are stalling investment and expansion, citing volatile costs, policy shifts and tougher access to finance.

UK tech, IT and telecoms leaders grow bolder on risk, eye private equity backing and global expansion despite rising cost pressures.

UK and Irish SME bosses fear a worsening economy yet still plan to ramp up investment, betting on AI, innovation and sales growth in 2026.

UK SMEs remain upbeat on growth but risk falling behind as economic jitters, rising customer demands and poor grasp of AI strain marketing.

UK founders warn unclear AI rules and weak digital trust threaten competitiveness, as many eye EU markets despite backing Britain to start up.

UK firms most confident on EU AI Act readiness yet report more fines and contract turmoil than German and French rivals, study finds.

Small businesses in the UK and Ireland face confusion and lack confidence in adopting AI, citing skills gaps and need for clearer guidance, research reveals.

UK Budget 2026 sparks concern in tech and construction over investment, tax changes, and public spending's impact on growth and business confidence.

Multinational US firms outperform domestic companies by 16% amid dollar volatility, but domestic businesses eye growth as interest rates fall and investment rises.

CPiO appoints Duncan Boyne as Power BI Lead to enhance data strategy and analytics for UK SMEs amid economic uncertainty and operational challenges.

UK fintech founders embrace AI, with 83% adopting it, despite 81% losing confidence in the economy and nearly half considering relocating abroad due to tax concerns.

Duality Technologies partners with Google Cloud to deliver confidential AI using NVIDIA GPUs, enabling secure, scalable large language model training for enterprises.

UK electronics firms are boosting stock and purchase orders ahead of Q4, responding to longer lead times and aiming to meet demand during key retail periods.

UK firms are boosting AI investment and upskilling plans, with 42% hiring for AI roles amid inflation and rising energy costs, says Barclays survey.

A VML study reveals UK business leaders face growing confusion and reduced confidence as digital transformation complexity stalls progress and staff morale.

London SMEs lead in digital support and funding access, while nearly three-quarters of regional firms lack involvement in mentoring and digital initiatives.

UK SME leaders show cautious optimism with a slight confidence rise, yet worry over AI adoption, Brexit competitiveness, and EU market expansion in 2025.

UK manufacturing SMEs could boost GDP by GBP £83bn if they scale, but face barriers like outdated planning and funding access, says new report.

UK electronics manufacturers saw sales revenue and profit margins drop 23% in Q1 2025, despite a 30% overall rise in sales across other UK manufacturers.