Start Up Donut

A new campaign supports business owners to protect themselves against common online threats to safeguard jobs and growth. Business owners are being urged to “lock the door” on criminals as the UK government launches a new campaign to provide practical ways for organisations to protect themselves from common online threats. Appearing across social media, podcasts, radio and business networks, the campaign aims to reach busy small and medium-sized businesses where they are.

New customers registering for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) digital services can now sign-up using GOV.UK One Login. From today (9 February 2026), individual customers without an existing Government Gateway account will create a GOV.UK One Login using just an email address and password, instead of a 10-12 digit ID, to access HMRC services. When fully rolled out across government, GOV.UK One Login will be the single way to access all government services online.

Elite Business Live is back for 2026, and this year, it’s bigger and better than ever. Taking place in person on the 11 and 12 March at the Leonardo Hotel St Paul’s, London, and live-streamed throughout the UK, Elite Business Live is bringing together some of the biggest names in business to offer guidance, inspiration, and support to SMEs and fast-growing companies. The two-day event will be hosted by Oli Barret, “The most connected man in Britain” according to WIRED UK.

More than 860,000 sole traders and landlords need to start using digital tax reporting from 6 April. Sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 from self-employment and property are being urged to act now, with two months left to prepare for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. From 6 April 2026, those eligible will need to use recognised software to keep digital records and send HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) light-touch quarterly updates of their income and expenses.

HMRC has reported that 11.48 million people filed their self assessment tax return on time (97.25% of all returns). More than 11.48 million people beat the deadline and filed their self assessment tax return for the 2024 to 2025 tax year by 31 January, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can reveal. There were 475,722 taxpayers who waited until the final day to file their return.

Five leading banks have agreed a lending package worth £11 billion to help UK small businesses to expand and export. Small businesses are to benefit from a landmark £11 billion lending package provided by five leading UK banks. The money will help firms invest, hire and expand into new international markets, taking advantage of major new trade deals.

Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves has unveiled a major support package for British pubs, with business rates cuts and licensing reform. Pubs and live music venues are to get a 15% cut to new business rates bills from April 2026, followed by a two-year real-terms freeze, as well as a review into the method used to value them for business rates. Pub numbers have fallen by nearly 7,000 since 2010 and the sector has raised concerns about the way they are valued for business rates purposes.

New research has found that over half of self-employed workers in the UK keep going when they are ill because they’re worried about losing income. A new study by SME insurer Markel Direct suggests that overworking among UK small business owners is commonplace and, in many cases, it is negatively affecting their health. The findings show that 40% of people that work for themselves say their work schedule has negatively impacted their health or wellbeing.

UK startups compete for talent in a borderless market. Engineering candidates come from Warsaw. Product designers work from Berlin. Technical co-founders live in Bangalore. Yet UK immigration rules rarely align with how modern businesses build teams. Confusion around Sponsor Licence requirements is widespread among founders. This confusion doesn't stem from carelessness. It emerges because hiring decisions happen before internal systems mature.

With just over a week until the Self Assessment deadline, HMRC is urging taxpayers to file now to avoid an automatic penalty. 8.6 million people have already filed their return for the 2024/25 tax year. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging taxpayers and agents who haven’t filed, to act now or risk missing the 31 January deadline – and face an automatic £100 penalty.