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Small and micro business: news, insights and industry press

Interviews, reflections and commentary on key issues affecting small and micro businesses. ICAEW members and ACA students can also access industry press articles as a benefit of ICAEW membership.
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News and insights

Interviews, reflections and commentary on key issues affecting small and micro businesses.
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UK company size thresholds to increase
  • Article
  • 12 Dec 2024
New regulations increasing company size thresholds and removing certain requirements from the Directors’ Report will be effective from April 2025.
Free CPD: FRS 102
  • Article
  • 26 Nov 2024
FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland will see the most significant changes come into effect from January 2026 since its introduction a decade ago. Whether you need a refresh of the current standard or an understanding of the changes, this article will help you find free CPD-verifiable content that will bring you up to speed.
What’s the #1 people risk for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
  • Article
  • 21 Nov 2024
People are everything to SMEs, so it’s no wonder that rising health and benefit costs top their list of worries. Employee benefit premiums and related costs ranked first in our People Risk 2024 survey of the most likely people risks to affect their business in the next two years with the most severe impact. (1)
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The case for action on late payments
  • Article
  • 18 Nov 2024
A small practice round table at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, attended by Small Business Commissioner Liz Barclay, outlined the impacts of late payments on economic growth.
Next-day fee finance vs invoice factoring
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2024
Keys Finance explain how their Next Day Professional Fee Finance tool can help accountants to receive 100% of their client fees Next-Day.
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Payment scams, data hacks and Cyber Security Awareness Month
  • Article
  • 31 Oct 2024
Cyber round-up: the continuing payment scams and personal data attacks on individuals, key takeaways from ICAEW’s Cyber Security Awareness Month campaign, and how to safeguard your data and business from harm.
Houses of Parliament at night
Budget 2024 verdict: big and bold, but borne by business
  • Article
  • 31 Oct 2024
Chancellor Rachel Reeves focused on delivering economic stability with her wide-ranging first Budget – but short-term tax raising measures worth £40bn fall primarily on the shoulders of business.
Government publishes its plans for corporation tax
  • Article
  • 30 Oct 2024
The government has set out its intentions for corporation tax for the next five years, delivering on its commitment to publish a business tax roadmap at the Autumn Budget.
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Industry press

The ICAEW Library provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive Who learns fastest, wins: Lean Startup and Discovery Driven Growth
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2024
  • Rita Gunther McGrath
Most entrepreneurial ventures and startups fail. Against this backdrop, Lean Startup and Discovery-Driven Growth (DDG) are methods that emphasize rapid learning, resource parsimony, and focus on validating assumptions as ways of reducing the cost and risk of failure. Rita Gunther McGrath looks at the benefits of both methods, suggesting that they are a major advance over traditional planning processes because they both emphasize rapid learning. She also provides a 'flops file' of massive corporate failures and analyses the mistakes made.
Exclusive The role of small- and medium-sized practices in the sustainable transition of SMEs
  • Article
  • 01 Aug 2024
  • Esther Ortiz, Salvador Marín, Paul Thompson
This paper outlines recent European legislation and standards relating to sustainability reporting, and examines the emerging role of small- and medium-sized accountancy practices in helping SMEs to comply with the regulatory regime in this area.
Exclusive Digital transformation: strategies for small and midsize accounting firms
  • Article
  • 29 Jul 2024
  • Brian Trout, Cory Ng
The article focuses on the challenges and opportunities faced by small to medium-sized accounting firms amidst digital transformation. Topics include evolving client expectations for remote access and intuitive digital platforms, strategies for integrating accounting systems with other business tools, and the critical importance of strong data security measures to maintain client trust.
Exclusive Transfer pricing considerations for start-ups in Egypt
  • Article
  • 20 May 2024
  • Nouran Ibrahim and Maureen Guirguis
With transfer pricing principles becoming increasingly important as start-ups expand, Nouran Ibrahim and Maureen Guirguis of Saleh, Barsoum & Abdel Aziz – Grant Thornton Egypt explain the salient points and how to meet the challenges.
Exclusive Generative AI for small and midsized firms
  • Article
  • 01 May 2024
  • Bill Armstrong
Article discusses how small and midsized accounting firms are beginning to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) technology to streamline their processes. It outlines the three approaches to adopting generative AI: out-of-the-box, custom development, and assembling. Each approach has its own advantages and considerations, such as data security and cost.
Exclusive Unattended retail options pegged as a secure saviour for small businesses, survey reveals
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2023
Vending machines and unmanned retail services are growing in popularity with UK consumers, giving small businesses a lifeline to much needed ancillary revenue, according to the results of a newly released survey. For the consumer, it’s clear that convenience and availability are the primary drivers of unattended retail usage, with consumers increasingly relying on these services to meet out-of-hour or unplanned needs - and also to avoid social interactions.
Exclusive Alternative financing in uncertain times
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2023
  • Brian Belley
Provides an overview of alternative financing options for small businesses and startups outside of traditional banks and grants. Discusses various dilutive and non-dilutive financing options and suggests the types of businesses for which they are most suitable. Written from a US perspective.
Exclusive Should companies launch new products in a recession?
  • Article
  • 01 Sep 2023
A look at the pros and cons of launching new consumer products during a recession. The authors explore how products introduced during a recession perform, examine how the severity of the recession can impact the product's performance, and scrutinize whether the timing within the recession matters. The authors' research included analysing 8,981 product launches in consumer goods categories within the UK from 1995 to 2012.
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Useful links

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Latest Business news from Insights
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Read the latest business articles published in ICAEW's Insights hub.
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Ukraine hub
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Visit our Ukraine hub for the latest on sanctions, ethical guidance and reputational risk.
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Brexit – impact on ICAEW members
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Find a range of resources to help you navigate this new chapter.

Business Spotlight

Read these Business Spotlight articles for Chartered Accountants' reports from the front line of industry, across regions and sectors.
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