Opinion

Adam Hardie, head of food and drink at Johnston Carmichael, considers the challenges as the food and drink sector returns to "normal". While the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has proved devastating for many sectors, small, local food and drink suppliers have been on the right side of an unpreceden

Jonathan Smith, Aberdeen-based business coach and facilitator at The Alternative Board, discusses the importance of having engaged employees as the UK recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.  As a new normal emerges in the business world, having engaged employees matters now more than ever

Alison Bryce, partner at Dentons, writes about the uncertainty for the Scottish food and drink industry in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Over the last 47 years, the UK’s laws, regulations and processes have become inextricably linked with the European Union. There are a number of factors to c

Iain Masterton, head of VAT at accountants Chiene + Tait, discusses the complications a No Deal Brexit will create for UK businesses.  As the global economy continues to grapple with the huge challenges presented by the impact of Covid-19, here in the UK we face the additional threat which has,

Simon Capaldi, office agency partner at Knight Frank Edinburgh, gives his thoughts on what businesses may want from their offices post-lockdown. At the beginning of lockdown, the successful transition of most people and businesses to working remotely brought some serious debate over the future

Neilsons looks at the release of pent up demand for property in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Back in April, we reported that the local property market effectively entered a necessary “sleep mode” to protect the NHS with the pandemic at its peak. We argued against other commentators about

Richard Bathgate, restructuring partner at Johnston Carmichael, discusses the potential benefits of restructuring your business.  In my experience, when it comes to tasks you’d rather put off, speaking to an insolvency practitioner about restructuring your business is right up there with

Peter Alderdice, senior associate in Shepherd and Wedderburn’s banking and finance team and Daniel Boynton, a solicitor in the firm's pensions team, detail how ethical finance can kickstart the green recovery of Scotland's economy after COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has made one thing a

Roy Lauder, director at Kilmarnock-based business management consultancy firm Harrison James Partnership, discusses the steps business owners can take to manage the current COVID-19 recession. This is a time of great concern for business owners as governments react to the ever-changing situation wit

Alan Hamilton, corporate finance director at Johnston Carmichael, has called on businesses to review their funding requirements ahead of a “perfect storm” of liquidity challenges, as government support for businesses adversely impacted by COVID-19 starts to unwind. The government-ba

Duncan Milne warns employers over claims arising from the pandemic. An increase in whistleblowing claims over the coming months is inevitable. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the furlough fraud reports are now sitting at around 8,000. This fi

Andrew Hill discusses why offices are still going to be important to businesses and staff, despite the working from home (WFH) boom. We’re more than 20 weeks into lockdown and, if they haven’t already done so, many businesses are beginning to look at returning to their workplaces, a

Matt Henderson, restructuring partner at Johnston Carmichael, reflects on the speculation of imminent corporate failures in the UK stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.  There’s been a lot of concern expressed that an imminent rise in corporate failures is on the cards as soon as s

As the construction sector continues to adapt and ‘re-open’ from the lockdown measures imposed following the spread of COVID-19, property developers are beginning to navigate through the challenges that will be presented in the coming months. We are beginning to see signs of ea

Andrew Dines, director and chartered financial planner at AAB Wealth, outlines five key things to consider when thinking about whats next after redundancy. Being made redundant? Here are five key things to consider when thinking about what’s next