small businesses
02 Jun 2025
Be Inspired By Plunkett UK’s Impact Report 2025
Did you know community businesses have, on average, a five-year survival rate of 99%. This is radically higher than the 39% survival rate of private small and medium enterprises over...
Read more
11 Mar 2024
Spring Budget 2024
The Spring Budget, presented last week by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, has sparked interest and concern among rural communities and their advocates. The Rural Services Network (RSN) has identified areas of...
Read more
06 Apr 2021
RSN Members explore Rural Digital Connectivity
Almost 70 members of the Rural Services Network last week came together to discuss the issues surrounding Rural Digital Connectivity at one of the seminars organised and hosted by the...
Read more
28 Sep 2020
Rural firms face ‘exceptional challenges’ despite Winter Economy Plan
Farming UK has covered reports that rural businesses still face ‘exceptional challenges’ despite the Chancellor’s Winter Economy Plan announced last week Further to his announcement that the Autumn Budget will...
Read more
15 Jun 2020
New digital platform launched to support small organisations – Digital Boost
A new free-of-charge online platform that brings together leaders of small businesses and charities with a community of digital expert volunteers launched in the UK today. Digitalboost.org.uk is on a mission to help small...
Read more
30 Mar 2020
Call for more support for rural firms impacted by coronavirus
On Wednesday, Farming UK echoed calls for the Government to issue ‘rural proofed’ support for businesses in the countryside impacted by the coronavirus Rural businesses, which often differ considerably to...
Read more
16 Dec 2019
Rural businesses hope election result will put an end to uncertainty
Regional paper the Shropshire Star reports that business owners are hoping the Conservative majority in Parliament will put an end to the uncertainty ‘that has plagued many businesses’ and ‘impacted...
Read more
09 Dec 2019
Support for small businesses
The Independent reports on Labour’s announcement last week to establish a network of business advisers in Post Office branches to help small firms access support and finance A Post Office...
Read more
25 Mar 2019
Rural businesses close as they struggle to find staff
The Yorkshire Post reports on comments made by Susan Briggs, director of The Tourism Network, in which she said Brexit, a lack of public transport, a shortage of trained staff...
Read more
12 Nov 2018
High street crisis intensifies
An average of 14 high street shops are closing every day, with only 1.569 new shops opening in the period between January and June 2018, an historic low. According to...
Read more