Optimism among UK SMEs rises for third straight year Retail Optimism among the UK’s small and medium-sized businesses has grown for a third consecutive year in a positive sign for the domestic economy, according to fresh data. Around seven in ten SMEs said they felt confident about the future of their company, rising from 67 per cent in 2023 and 65 per cent in 2022, [...]
Bad data holding back lending to UK’s small businesses, fintech chief warns Banking High street banks are keen to lend more to small businesses but being held back by poor data sharing, the head of of a government-backed fintech hub has said, hailing the sector's potential to boost UK economic growth.
Is the high street party over for Metro Bank? Banking The boss of Metro Bank has said it will begin to shift its focus away from the high street as the lender looks to ramp up its business banking efforts.
Allica Bank chief bets on rapid growth to force improvement in SME finance May 9, 2024 Allica only launched in 2020 but has already become a certified fintech darling. It was named by Deloitte as the UK’s fastest-growing fintech last year and in April posted its first annual profit of £16.1m.