Business News Round Up (03/01/2020)
Private sector firms in Scotland rise by nearly a third in 12 years, says government figures
The number of private sector firms in Scotland has risen by more than a quarter since 2007, according to Scottish Government statistics. Official data shows there are now 356,550 private sector businesses operating in Scotland in 2019, from 279,940 in 2007.
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/private-sector-firms-scotland-rise-21199165
£2M boost for SME lending bank
B-North, a Manchester based firm building an SME lending bank for the UK, has secured more than £2 million of fundraising from new and existing investors through equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube and Growthfunders. The fundraise will allow B-North to continue the planned expansion of its workforce and infrastructure, with essential lending services for SMEs being initiated through the establishment of regional lending pods, the first of which is expected to open in Q2 2020. The initiative is designed to allow it to lend up to ten-times faster than other banks.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/north-west/2m-boost-for-sme-lending-bank
72% of Scottish SMEs have become greener in the last year
More than two thirds of Scotland’s small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have the desire to be more environmentally sustainable, according to the latest Bank of Scotland Business Barometer. 69% of Scottish SMEs plan to improve their environmental impact, while 72% have already taken steps to make their businesses greener in the past 12 months.
https://www.insider.co.uk/news/72-scottish-smes-become-greener-21200773
11,000 new businesses launched in North West last year
The number of businesses in the North West rose by nearly 11,000 during the past 12 months, according to new data. R3, the insolvency and restructuring trade body, found that the region saw greater expansion in the last year than in 2018, when fewer than 8,000 additional companies were created.