Confidence among West of England businesses petered out at the end of 2014 and has started the new year lower than at any time over the previous 12 months, new research shows. Domestic sales, cashflow and recruitment expectations all fell during the fourth quarter, according to results of the...
Bristol’s standing as a centre for innovation in financial services has been boosted with the decision by fast-growing Blue Speck Financial to relocate to a larger base in the city and nearly double its workforce. The company, acquired last May by South African financial services giant MMI, is to...
Phil Smith, managing director of Business West, the organisation behind Bristol Chamber of Commerce and the Bristol Initiative, looks back at the past 12 months and considers why next year’s General Election is set to be one of the most important in recent memory. “The noise and glare of...
Children at the NSPCC’s Bristol service have been receiving special Christmas treats this year, thanks to the generosity of Santander and a representatives from a number of Bristol businesses. Santander staff from across its Thames Valley and South West region organised a Santander Treat campaign, raising money throughout the...
The Bristol office of accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson has completed two private equity deals in one week, signalling a resurgence of interest from both businesses and investors. The firm’s Bristol tax, advisory and corporate finance teams worked closely with Bristol-based specialised advanced engineering firm Stirling...
Confidence among law firms in Bristol and the South West is at its highest since 2006, according to new research, with a third planning to open new offices next year. However, most also say that competition has got tougher with cashflow management a particular challenge. The snapshot of a...
Solicitors in Bristol are being urged by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to bring their tax affairs up to date or face tougher penalties. A new UK-wide tax scheme, the Solicitors’ Tax Campaign, is the latest voluntary disclosure opportunity from HMRC that gives specific groups of taxpayers the chance...
Bristol’s innovation hub Engine Shed has celebrated its first year by revealing that it has created 128 jobs and contributed £8m to the West of England’s economy. The building, a unique collaboration between the University of Bristol, Bristol City Council and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP),...
Accountancy firm Grant Thornton has appointed Adina Watt as business development manager for the South West. Adina, pictured, moves to the region from the North West where she was the firm’s business development manager in its Manchester and Liverpool offices. Prior to joining Grant Thornton she held the same...
Bristol-based boutique corporate finance firm Momentum has appointed Ross Bradley to its team. Ross, pictured, joins from ‘big four’ accountancy firm Deloitte, where he was an assistant director in transaction services. His appointment follows a string of successful deals for Momentum, including the £50m share buyback of Bailey Caravans...
The annual search for the region’s best companies has started with the launch of accountants PwC’s widely-respected West of England Business of the Year Awards 2015. Now in their 27th year, the eagerly-contested awards are the most prestigious in the region by far – previous winners read like a...
Exports by South West firms have risen slightly over the past year despite turmoil in the key eurozone market, new figures show. And more companies are following the Government’s advice and selling overseas as a way of strengthening their business. Regional trade boss Russell Jones welcomed today’s figures with...
Hi-tech start-ups incubated by SETsquared, the innovation hub backed by the University of Bristol, have created 9,000 jobs and contributed a staggering £3.8bn to the UK economy, research released today shows. The figures, which emerge from a study commissioned from Warwick Economics & Development, are based on the 1,041...
