The South West’s property and construction industry is among the most confident in the UK, according to a new report by accountancy group Smith & Williamson. The firm’s annual survey of more than 200 property and construction professionals revealed a rise in confidence over the past 12 months, with 84% of South West-based respondents...
Two Wiltshire financial services firms have reached the finals of a prestigious industry awards scheme, putting them among the top 11 in the South West. Hartsfield, based in Corsham, and Malmesbury-based Proposito will be up against nine others in the South West Adviser Firm of the Year category of the Professional Adviser Awards. The...
Alan Bennett, a partner at West of England law firm Ashfords, has become the new for the South West & Wales chair of R3, the insolvency trade body. In his new role Alan, pictured, a partner in Ashfords’ restructuring and insolvency team, will provide support to R3 members in the region, helping them promote...
Firms in Swindon’s financial and professional services sector are being encouraged to get involved in a taskforce dedicated to improving skills in the industry. The taskforce will give companies operating in the sector a chance to work directly with educational training providers in Swindon to address the skills shortages in the town. By taking...
Swindon firms are being urged to tell ministers what they think of the Government’s new Automatic Enrolment workplace pensions system ahead of it being rolled out to small firms. Auto enrolment carries a legal requirement for employers to enroll qualifying staff into pension schemes, with starting dates depending on the size of the businesses...
The latest fall in unemployment – down a further 7,000 in the South West – has been welcomed by Business West, the organisation behind the Initiative in Swindon and Wiltshire. But Business West, the region’s largest business group, has warned that low unemployment brings its own challenges – particularly skills shortages and rising wage...
Up to 350 jobs could be created in Swindon by insurance broker Be Wiser following confirmation that it plans to open an office in the town. The firm, one of the fastest-growing in the UK insurance industry, said it aims to build up a team in Swindon over the next three years. It has...
A donation of more than £2,750 raised by Swindon accountants Banks BHG from a series of events held last year has been handed over to youth charity Inner Flame. Staff at the firm baked cakes, held quizzes, hiked and played golf to raise £2,763.12 in aid of Inner Flame, which delivers The Prince’s Trust...
With 2016 set to celebrate Swindon’s heritage through the 175th anniversary of the rail works that put the town on the map, local firms have the chance to base themselves at a Grade II listed building in the town centre. Due to the completion of a large scale project by tenant English Heritage, a...
Business Showcase South West, the region’s largest free business event, returns for a third year in May following its huge success in 2014 and 2015. After two years at Bristol’s Colston Hall, this year’s Business Showcase (BSSW) will take place at the newly redeveloped Ashton Gate Stadium in South Bristol on May 17. A...
