Chinese bubble tea chain Molly Tea must pay Louis Vuitton £1.1m after a court ruled its logo copied the luxury house’s four-petal flower trademark, sparking a fierce online backlash.
Category: In Business
Advice on growing your small and medium sized business, SME, in the UK. Hiring and managing staff and finance plus marketing all on one website
Burnham’s small business rates pledge could take 140,000 firms out of the tax, at a cost of £880m a year
Andy Burnham’s plan to raise the small business rates relief threshold to £18,000 could free 140,000 firms from the tax, but at a cost of £880m a year.
Ghosts on the grid: whatever happened to the sponsors that bankrolled Formula One’s golden age?
From Rothmans and Benson & Hedges to Sega and Compaq, we trace what became of the brands that bankrolled F1’s golden age — and the business lessons they left behind.
NHS to reward people who walk 30 minutes a day under ‘marathon a month’ scheme
NHS England will reward people who walk 30 minutes a day under a new ‘marathon a month’ challenge, with corporate backers set to fund vouchers and incentives.
Businesses could be fined for paying their tax on time under new HMRC Direct Debit rules
Businesses could be fined for paying PAYE and VAT on time but not by Direct Debit under HMRC plans. Accountants call it ‘a fine for using the wrong envelope’.
Britain suffers the sharpest wealth slump in the rich world
The average Briton is more than a fifth poorer than in 2020, the steepest wealth fall in the rich world, UBS finds. What it means for households and business.
What the end of the Halifax name means for its customers
Lloyds is retiring Halifax after 173 years. Here is what the rebrand means for your account, sort code, branch and FSCS protection – and when it happens.
HMRC’s supreme court win drags more LLP members into the employee tax net
HMRC’s Supreme Court win in the BlueCrest case means more LLP members could be taxed as employees, triggering higher income tax and a 15% employer National Insurance bill. What partnerships must do now.
Watchdog moves to crack Apple and Google’s app store grip
The CMA wants to break Apple and Google’s “effective duopoly” by letting app developers steer users to cheaper payment options outside their app stores. Here’s what it means for SMEs.
Emma Jones marks first year as commissioner with the G7’s toughest late payment regime in her sights
Small Business Commissioner Emma Jones CBE marks her first year as the UK prepares the G7’s toughest late payment regime, with new powers to fine persistent offenders.
HMRC concedes defeat on referees as decade-long IR35 fight ends
HMRC will not appeal the PGMOL ruling that football referees are self-employed. Dave Chaplin says the decade-long case lays bare flaws in the CEST tool and mutuality of obligation.
British Business Bank puts UK scale-ups in ‘fifth gear’ as direct investing tops £600m
The British Business Bank has invested more than £600m into 50-plus UK scale-ups, doubling its direct equity activity in nine months as it targets £400m a year.
Reed draws up plans for a state-owned housebuilder that could borrow on the cheap
Steve Reed is drawing up plans for a state-owned housebuilder that could borrow more cheaply than private firms, in a radical bid to lift Britain’s stalling housing numbers.
Record heat sends home air conditioning sales soaring as installers report 300% jump
Record June temperatures of 36.7C have driven home air conditioning enquiries up 300%, as installers report bookings stacking up for weeks and demand they cannot keep pace with.
Sky lines up £2bn pledge to Coronation Street maker as £1.6bn ITV deal nears
Sky’s £1.6bn takeover of ITV’s broadcasting arm is set to include a £2bn, five-year spending pledge to ITV Studios, securing the future of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
