Monahans, the accountancy firm with offices in Swindon and Chippenham, has promoted Shelly Smith to senior manager in its business recovery and insolvency team. Shelly, pictured, who has more than 18 years’ experience, started her career with Solomon Hare in Bristol before moving on to manage the insolvency team at Robson Taylor in Bath....
Inflation in January fell to 1.9%, official figures released this morning show – the first time it has been below the important 2% level since 2009. The rate, as measured by the consumer prices index, was down from 2% in December. The surprise fall – most economist expected it to stay level – could...
Wiltshire-based specialist charity fundraising services provider The Woods Group, which works with major organisations such as RSPB, National Trust and Motability, has been bought by its management team. The Chippenham firm stages raffles, weekly lotteries, response handling and fulfilment allowing its charity clients to concentrate on core fundraising campaigns. The deal, financial details of...
Innovative businesses in Swindon and Wiltshire working on pioneering research and development projects can apply for financial help through a £4m innovation fund launched today by the University of the West of England (UWE). Grants of between £25,000 and £150,000 will be available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as large companies...
Swindon accountancy firm Morris Owen is staging a workshop to show how businesses are valued and what makes them attractive to potential buyers. The event, titled ‘What is your business worth?’, will look at how business owners can ensure the best sales value and reduce the costs and time of the sales transaction. Attendees...
Nearly two thirds of West firms plan to increase wages this year as the region’s economy bounces back from recession, new research shows. This is despite half of the businesses taking part in the Barclays Employers Survey 2014 saying wage pressure from employees was not an issue. However, some 29% said it is a...
Calls for a full-scale shake-up of business rates have continued unabated despite the Government pledging a £415m package of relief for small firms. The West of England’s largest business group Business West, which runs the Initiative in Swindon & Wiltshire, said while it welcomed the announcement, it amounted to little more than “a sticking...
Accountants Grant Thornton have been appointed to deliver the Investors In People (IIP) standard across the South of England following a competitive tender process. Grant Thornton, which covers the West region from its office in Bristol, will hold the licence from April 1 for a three-year period. This appointment is a key part of...
Accountants PwC have launched their annual search for the region’s best companies with the 2014 West of England Business of the Year Awards – the region’s most prestigious business accolades. Previous winners of the awards, now in their 26th year, read like a who’s who of the West’s most-respected companies, including Dyson, MITIE and,...
Business West, the organisation behind the Initiative in Swindon, has called on the Bank of England not to raise interest rates despite a further fall in unemployment across the UK. Welcoming the latest labour market figures – which show the national unemployment rate has fallen to 7.1%, its lowest level since April 2009 –...
