Scottish finance expert and business mentor Craig Alexander Rattray is calling for stronger government support for SMEs locked in legal disputes with much larger companies. His call comes after a trademark dispute with billion-dollar accounting software firm Xero, which he says is using a name very
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Venture capital (VC) investment into Scotland’s start-up and scale-up businesses soared by more than 200% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest KPMG Private Enterprise Venture Pulse report. Scottish businesses raised £116.1 million in the third quarter of 2025.
Aberdeen Group PLC has announced that its assets under management and administration (AUMA) rose by 6% in the year to date, reaching £542.4 billion in the third quarter of 2025. This growth was primarily driven by positive market movements and the strong performance of its interactive investor
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing a tax crackdown on professional partnerships, targeting accountants, lawyers, and other professionals using limited liability partnerships (LLPs) as part of her plan to ensure those with the “broadest shoulders” contribute more. The proposal involves
Scotland’s private sector presented a mixed economic picture in September, with a surprising surge in hiring set against a backdrop of falling business activity and declining new orders. Businesses took on additional staff for the first time in four months and expectations for the coming year
The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has warned that Brexit will have a negative impact on the UK economy for the "foreseeable future". Speaking in Washington DC, Mr Bailey stated that while he took no political position on the UK's departure from the EU, the resulting trade restricti
Begbies Traynor has added 34 years of Scottish insolvency experience to its team in Glasgow with the appointment of George Lafferty as director. Mr Lafferty joins the professional services firm from another Glasgow insolvency firm, where he was insolvency director. He has previously held senior posi
The Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee has launched a call for views on the Scottish Government’s Digital Assets (Scotland) Bill. The proposed legislation which aims to recognise digital assets as property in the eyes of the law will be scrutinised by a Holyrood Commit
Businesses feel misunderstood by government and are unprepared for net zero as last quarter’s tentative recovery in activity stalls, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. The latest edition of its quarterly Scottish Business Monitor, which surveyed ove
Scotland's equity investment market has demonstrated strong resilience during the first half of 2025, with university spinouts proving a key driver of activity, according to new research from the British Business Bank. The bank’s annual Nations and Regions Tracker revealed that in the first si
With a projected £50 billion shortfall in public finances and a pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, speculation is mounting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves may turn again to Inheritance Tax (IHT) reform when she makes her autumn budget statement on 26 November, writes Emma
Paul McDougall, associate partner and insolvency practitioner at Wbg, has voiced strong concerns about the impact on ordinary households and small businesses of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) restarting its controversial direct recovery of debts (DRD) programme. The DRD programme allows HMRC to tak
Finance veteran Martin Gilbert has championed North-East Scotland as a "generational economic opportunity", urging global investors to back its pivotal role in the energy transition. Speaking ahead of the Global Investment Summit in Edinburgh, the Revolut chairman highlighted the region's vast poten
Gold has surged past $3,900 (c. £2,900) per troy ounce, continuing its historic rally in 2025, surging past previous record highs and now approaching the psychologically significant $4,000 (c. £2,980) per ounce mark. This ascent is driven by a combination of geopolitical tensions, uncert
Glasgow's citizens, communities and businesses are being offered the chance to invest in the city's action on climate change.
