Covid-19

Roland Smyth, head of Scottish hotels & leisure group at law firm CMS, provides some tips for bars and restaurant owners who are planning to reopen their businesses this week.  The hospitality sector, which has suffered immensely from the coronavirus lockdown, is set to reopen this week. Th

Private sector activity in Scotland continued to decline significantly during June as firms reported a further drop in new orders throughout June, according to the latest Royal Bank of Scotland PMI. Private sector firms in Scotland reported a further reduction in total new orders during June, extend

A coalition of economists, charities, think tanks and businesses have called on the Scottish Government to make a "nationwide pivot towards community-led social enterprises" as part of the economic recovery from COVID-19. In an open letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the coalition criticised

In the second quarter of 2020, angel syndicate members of LINC Scotland maintained the high level of equity investment activity seen in the first quarter, bucking the trend of a decline of investment in companies generally during the coronavirus pandemic. Taking these first two quarters of

The take-up of industrial & logistics space as hit record levels in Scotland in the first half of 2020, according to Savills latest Big Shed Briefing. The occupation of such units reached 704,531 sq ft (65,453 sq m) across four transactions, marking a 165% increase on the long-term half-year ave

Glasgow-based Maven Capital Partners has become an accredited lender under its Midland Engine Debt Fund, which is backed by a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) guarantee. Under the scheme, Maven will now be able to provide financial support to smaller business which have bee

In yesterday's summer economic statement, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a number of measures aimed at supporting the UK economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, such measures include a temporary 5% VAT cut for the food and hospitality industry. The cut marks a significant reduction from t

Edinburgh saw a record low number of office take-up deals in the second quarter of this year as the coronavirus pandemic heavily impacted the sector, according to the latest office market figures from CBRE. Over the second quarter of the year, office take-up in Edinburgh totalled 26,876 sq ft, an 84

Ahead of the reopening of pubs and restaurants on July 15 as lockdown measures are eased, chartered accountancy firm Wylie & Bisset is advising those hospitality sector operators facing financial difficulties because of the coronavirus to consider applying to the Redundancy P

Hiring activity across Scotland continued to decline during June, with both permanent staff appointments and temporary billings falling amid reports of further delays to hiring decisions, according to the Royal Bank of Scotland's latest report on jobs. The report found that although rates of contrac

The Scottish Government has issued a fresh call for the UK government to ease the financial restrictions imposed on devolved governments so they can better respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The call has come from finance ministers from the three devolved administrations across the UK, with Kate Forbes

Scottish wholesale firms are urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to extend business rates relief to the wholesale sector to bring it into line with its customers in tourism and hospitality. The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) is also calling for an extension to the furlough scheme to safeguard jobs a

The Edinburgh-based business angel investment syndicate, Archangels, has led investment of £3.3 million in innovative Scottish companies during the coronavirus lockdown.  Archangels’ Q2 (1st April – 30th June) deals data has revealed that three of its portfolio compa

Jackie Fraser, Inverness-based partner at accountants Chiene + Tait, details the reopening of Scotland's tourism sector after the coronavirus lockdown. Tourism is one of Scotland’s most important and fast growing sectors contributing over £11bn to the nation’s annual GDP. Last year

Stirlingshire removal firm Sterling Sinclair Removals (SSR) which has been supporting NHS Forth Valley with vital equipment delivery throughout the coronavirus pandemic has secured crucial funds, thanks to a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan from Barclays. Since the early days of the pandemic, Sterling