Annual profits at 1pm, the Bath-based specialist lending group, more than doubled in the year to the end of May as its strong organic growth continued and two acquisitions bedded in. The group, which specialises in asset-backed loans to small and medium-sized businesses, chalked up pre-tax profits of £3.7m in the 12 months to...
Confidence among West of England firms has slumped to its lowest level since 2012 as they continue to react to the EU referendum, according to a new survey. The latest quarterly ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor (BCM), which gauges how businesses view the economic prospects facing them over coming year, shows confidence falling into negative...
Hundreds of business owners from across the West of England are expected to attend the annual Bath Business Show next month as it returns bigger and better than previous years. Last year’s sold out event attracted more than 450 delegates and 55 exhibitors and organisers believe this year’s show on October 14 will be...
Thousands of new jobs will be brought to the West of England over the next few years as firms are attracted by its growing reputation as a tech, creative and financial services hub, according to inward investment chiefs. Over the past year a record 1,800 jobs have been created in the region by inward...
NatWest has appointed Andrew Houchin as director of commercial banking for the Bath and North Wiltshire areas. Andrew, pictured, who spent six years in the Army as an Infantry officer, joined NatWest’s parent company RBS in 2011 as a programme manager, overseeing a £2.4m data distribution programme designed to support the improvement of the...
Confidence among West of England firms has dropped significantly following the vote to leave the European Union, according to one of the first regional surveys conducted since the historic referendum result. A third of businesses expect sales to flatline over the next 12 months while more than half plan no new recruitment over the...
Expolink, the contact centre that operates confidential whistleblowing hotlines for major employers, has been acquired from its founders in a management buyout. The Chippenham-based firm, which was launched in 1995, employs more than 200 people at its contact centre. Over the past few years it has had an annual growth rate of more than 12%. Its...
No other news service in the Bath area can compete with Bath Business News for authoritative, independent online business news and information. Here are 9 reasons why Bath Business News is essential reading for anyone serious about business. 1) We have a strong track record of quality journalism and news coverage dating back more than 30 years. Our award-winning editor Robert Buckland...
By Donna Kehoe, the Bank of England’s agent for the South West of England We are entering what is likely to be a period of significant change for our economy, with the vote to leave the European Union ushering in a new era for the UK’s relationship with the rest of the world. Some...
The Bank of England today cut interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% – their lowest ever level in the UK – and warned that unemployment will rise by a quarter of a million as Brexit hits the economy. Bank governor Mark Carney described Brexit as “a very large identifiable supply shock” and did not...
