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Productivity Club Scotland is launching new clubs this month to help SMEs in North East Scotland, Highlands and Islands and the South of Scotland.  The new initiatives are aimed at enhancing productivity in Scotland and will be used as a tool to help businesses recover from the economic cr

Finance secretary Kate Forbes and economy secretary Fiona Hylsop have called on the UK Government to reconsider the ‘unexpected’ decision to abolish duty-free shopping in the UK. In a letter to Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, ministers highlight the impact this will have on ret

From November 2, Scottish firms that are required by law to close due to COVID-19 will be eligible for grants of either £2,000 or £3,000 every four weeks for as long as the restrictions last. Businesses which can remain open, but are directly constrained by the measures, will be eligible

London-based law firm Joseph Hage Aaronson is looking to hire a “private assistant and dog walker” for an annual salary of £30,000. 

A prestigious survey of finance directors and chief finance officers working in the SME sector has rated Azets as the best accountancy firm in the UK market. The FD Excellence Survey, which is in its 20th year, undertakes a detailed analysis of FDs satisfaction levels with accountancy firms.

Johnston Carmichael Wealth has been listed in the Top 25 FTAdvisor's Top 100 Financial Advisers 2020. Released annually, the FTAdviser Top 100 list showcases financial advisers standing out in the market for the quality and professionalism of their experts and their commitment to putting clients&rsq

The Isle of Harris Distillery has been supported with a £750,000 CBILS loan from HSBC UK to help mitigate the potential impacts of lockdown and refocus on international growth.

Gabriel Investment Syndicate has led a six-figure investment in Glasgow-based start-up Attis Fitness.  The firm has created the first-ever wearable fitness tracker to provide lab-grade analysis. The funding from the investor group will help the firm take its tech worldwide. 

Barclays has beaten profit forecasts with its third quarter pre-tax profits reaching £1.1 billion after taking a smaller hit from the coronavirus crisis than the City had expected. The £1.1bn profit is more than double the £507 million forecast by analysts and significantly higher

Royal Bank of Scotland and Heriot-Watt University have announced a new scholarship targeted towards black and minority ethnic finance students. Along with supporting BAME students to overcome financial barriers, the scholarship supports the Bank and the University’s commitment to addressi

National Savings & Investments (NS&S) has said that it could cut interest rates further and close products after savers invested a record sum of nearly £40 billion during the coronavirus lockdown.

Chartered surveyors DM Hall said the post-lockdown property boom has been “like a dam burst ” as pent-up demand has seen a surge of interest from prospective buyers. Alan Gordon, senior partner, said the property market has proved to be extremely resilient and has “behaved very wel

UK regulators have fined Goldman Sachs almost £100 million as part of a $2.9 billion settlement with authorities around the world for the investment bank’s role in Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal. Yesterday, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) fined the bank £48.3m —

Glasgow-based start-up Vistalworks, which develops technology to keep consumers safe online, has struck a deal with the Lithuanian government to crack down on illicit trade. The firm will spearhead closer ties between Scotland and Lithuania’s GovTech Lab, which encourages innovative solutions

US private equity group Lone Star has launched a £630 million takeover bid for McCarthy & Stone with the retirement homes specialist's board recommending that shareholders accept the offer.