Apprenticeships have long been implemented by businesses to help students, graduates and career-switchers gain valuable and hands-on experience as well as an extra pair of hands for the team. And while apprenticeships are nothing new — the earliest can be traced back to 1563 — government support has encouraged many business owners to consider creating an apprenticeship programme in their own company. Figures from the  first quarter of 2024/25 academic year  show apprenticeship starts were up...

Running an independent retail business is great, but it comes with challenges — especially now, with many of us feeling the effects of a weak economy, ongoing cost of living increases and geopolitical upheaval. You’re not alone though. A 2024 survey from the ONS (Office of National Statistics) showed that more than 22% of businesses reported decreased turnover , naming financial volatility as the biggest culprit. And let’s not overlook the likes of inflation, fluctuating consumer demand and...

The costs involved in setting up a business depend on a huge variety of factors, from your location, to the originality of your product and from the state of your industry to the wider state of the economy. For aspiring shop owners, the cost to cover the first year of a retail store’s life are estimated to be, on average, around £172,000 according to research by quotemyenergy.co.uk . Because of the variables at play, it is impossible to say definitively how much it costs to open a shop....