Business

Scottish businesses have called for a competitive tax system and solutions to skills shortages in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' first Budget, according to Bank of Scotland. BoS' Business Barometer reported that when asked about the key areas they want prioritised to support their businesses, 46% of

East Lothian-based Herb & Soul is showcasing the healing power of plants, offering a unique approach to wellbeing through herbalism and nature immersion. Founded by Karen Jane Brown in February 2024, the received specialist support from Business Gateway to help start-up. It provides workshops, w

Mid-market business confidence has faltered ahead of the Autumn Budget on 30 October, as profit growth expectations sink to a three-year low and confidence in their funding position continues a downward trajectory since the beginning of the year, according to Grant Thornton UK LLP. The business

Confidence amongst Scottish businesses is expected to hold steady for the next six months, with many in a ‘wait-and-see’ mode as they look to the upcoming budgets for clarity on the economic direction of both Scotland and the UK, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute. The indepen

Equity deal activity involving smaller businesses in Scotland picked up during the first half of 2024, one of only two parts of the UK to experience a year-on-year increase after a difficult 2023, according to new research from the British Business Bank. The Bank’s annual Nations & Regions

Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP (WJM) and Irwin Mitchell Scotland recently hosted a special Indonesian business outreach event in Glasgow.

A project to create a new high-end recording studio on the Isle of Mull in Argyll has been awarded up to £39,000 by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). New start company Heb Aisle Limited is converting a former church building in the village of Bunessan on the southern end of the island.

The founders of Styled by Macs are gearing up for expansion and targeting customers across the UK following the success of their Linlithgow clothing boutique in its first 18 months.

Robert P. Slight & Sons, a Scottish company with links to the construction of Capitol Hill in 1825, has made the move to employee ownership. 

In a sign of the strong potential of the UK economy, 468,000 new firms have started up in the first half of 2024, according to the New Startup Index, published by Beauhurst and supported by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Scotland's private sector showed solid growth in July, driven mainly by the service sector, according to the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). The bank's latest Regional Growth Tracker data shows private sector firms across Scotland signalled a solid rise in activity at the start of the second half

Scottish candle making supply giant Candle Shack has recorded 14% revenue growth driven by rapid expansion in mainland Europe. The Falkirk-based firm, the UK’s leading candle making and training supplier, which also has a site in The Netherlands, grew revenues from £11.9m to £13.4m

Aberdeenshire ice cream maker Mackie’s has secured deals which have seen its products stocked in over 1,000 additional UK stores this year.

Aberdeen company John Wood Group saw its share prices plummet as Dubai-based potential buyer Sidara abandoned a takeover deal. The Dubai-based engineer Dar Al-Handasah, known as Sidara, had been pursuing the firm for several months.

The UK Government under the new leadership of Kier Starmer has decided to axe £800 million plans to create an "exascale" supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh. In October last year, the University of Edinburgh announced that the UK’s first next-generation supercomputer which is fi