Business News Round Up (30/10/2026)
UK small business sales growth slows as sector gap widens
UK small business sales growth slowed to 4.0% year on year in the September quarter, with the gap between industries widening. Xero’s Small Business Insights series, based on anonymised and aggregated data from 440,000 UK small businesses, showed growth had eased from 5.6% in the June quarter and remained below the historical average of 8.4%. Monthly sales growth stayed subdued, with sales up 4.6% in July, 3.5% in August and 3.9% in September. The figures suggest weak momentum across much of the small business sector, even though headline growth remained positive. Agriculture was the weakest-performing industry, with sales down 6.2% from a year earlier. This was the second consecutive quarterly decline and the sector’s lowest sales quarter since the series began in 2017, after a dry summer. Hospitality sales rose just 0.7% year on year, while retail sales increased 0.8%, indicating weak consumer demand as household budgets remained stretched.
https://itbrief.co.uk/story/uk-small-business-sales-growth-slows-as-sector-gap-widens
Britain’s ambitious scale-ups backed to keep growing in the UK
Ambitious scale-ups across Britain will get the expert support they need to scale up and stay in the UK, meaning more talented innovators can build their businesses at home and benefit people all over the country. The UK is one of the best places in the world to start a company – UK tech start-ups raised $17bn in the first half of 2026 – which is more than France, Germany and Sweden combined. But too many promising businesses stall as they try to grow, in part because they lack the advice, capital or connections to reach the next level. A new pilot scheme, Scale UK Connect, will tackle this head-on with 200 scale-ups across the UK getting expert account management and tailored advice on how to expand. It will also include new ways to network with fellow founders, investors and major funds, opening up new trade opportunities at home and abroad.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/britains-ambitious-scale-ups-backed-to-keep-growing-in-the-uk
Commercial property market in Scotland ‘subdued’
Demand for commercial property in Scotland was “subdued” through the third quarter, though rents are expected to rise over the next three months, according to the latest survey. A majority of Scottish respondents to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) commercial property monitor, noted that overall occupier demand fell through Q3. Investor demand is relatively muted, with a rise in investor enquiries in all sectors, indicating a relatively flat picture. In terms of the short-term outlook, Scottish respondents are relatively optimistic about rental growth, with a majority expecting rents to rise over the next three months. Capital values are expected to fall broadly flat over the next three months. Industrial is the only sector expected to see a rise in capital values in the short-term.
North West business confidence rises as economic optimism increases
Business confidence in the North West rose by seven points in October to 56%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds. North West firms’ confidence in their own trading outlook remained unchanged month-on-month at 57%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up 13 points to 54%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 56% (vs. 49% in September 2026). Their optimism in the economy was driven by stronger customer or market demand (43%), better economic data or news (40%) and industry-specific improvements (41%). A net balance of 50% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 18 points on last month. Business confidence in the North West now sits above the 12-month average of 50%, with its highest figure this year of 59% in August.