Business news

1%, UK investment remains weak by international standards, job vacancies have declined for 34 consecutive months, mortgage rates are moving higher and European gas prices are close to three-year highs.

Meanwhile, Brent crude is approaching $100 a barrel and copper has reached a new record.

For businesses that sell on credit, these pressures matter because rising costs rarely stay isolated. They work through supply chains, weaken customer cashflow and can eventually show up as slower payment.

Today’s CPA Daily Business News looks at:

Tax and Budget uncertainty
UK investment weakness
Employment and retail conditions
Higher mortgage and borrowing costs
Energy and commodity inflation
Global markets
Today’s insolvency notices

Strong credit control becomes even more important when customers are under pressure.

CPA helps businesses protect cashflow, improve payment performance and recover overdue accounts while preserving customer relationships.

Read the full briefing today.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-8-september-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #Insolvency #UKBusiness #CreditManagement #BusinessCosts #EnergyPrices #Investment #InterestRates

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UK businesses are facing another squeeze from several directions.

Government borrowing costs have reached their highest level in more than 25 years, Brent crude has briefly moved above $100 a barrel and food producers now expect UK food inflation to peak at 6.4% next year.

Consumers are still spending, but confidence is weakening — and the Bank of England is warning that inflation risks remain firmly on the upside.

For businesses selling on credit, this matters because financial pressure rarely stops with one company. Rising costs can quickly become slower customer payments, stretched credit terms and overdue invoices.

Today's CPA Daily Business News looks at the developments businesses should be watching and why strong credit control matters when conditions become less predictable.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-9-september-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

CPA helps businesses protect cashflow, monitor customer risk and recover overdue invoices while preserving valuable commercial relationships.

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #CreditManagement #UKBusiness #Insolvency #Inflation #BusinessCosts #EnergyPrices

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Energy costs are climbing again — and that matters far beyond the energy bill.

UK gas prices are at their highest since 2022, oil is above $100 a barrel and markets are increasingly pricing further interest-rate rises.

At the same time:

• Food inflation could reach 6.4% next year
• Mortgage costs are rising
• Employers say taxes are restricting recruitment
• Businesses face further tax uncertainty ahead of the Budget
• Insolvency notices remain a reminder of the importance of monitoring customer risk

For businesses selling goods or services on credit, rising costs can affect your customers’ ability to pay as well as your own cashflow.

CPA helps businesses monitor customer risk through CreditCare and, when invoices become overdue, our Overdue Account Recovery Service provides professional, considerate support designed to secure payment while protecting customer relationships.

Read today’s full CPA UK Business News briefing.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-10-september-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #CreditManagement #UKBusiness #Insolvency #EnergyCosts #InterestRates #FoodInflation

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UK growth delivered another positive surprise today — but the picture for SMEs remains much more complicated.

GDP rose 0.4% in July, helped by services and AI-related activity.

At the same time:

• Brent oil has moved above $100 a barrel
• UK borrowing costs have reached levels not seen since 2007
• Hospitality businesses face further tax and employment-cost pressure
• Today’s insolvency feed includes 99 winding-up petitions

For businesses selling goods or services on credit, strong headline economic growth does not remove customer risk.

Knowing who you are trading with, monitoring changes in financial strength and acting quickly when invoices become overdue can make a significant difference to cashflow.

CPA’s CreditCare credit reports and debtor monitoring help Members identify changing risk.

And when payment becomes overdue, CPA’s Overdue Account Recovery Service provides a professional and considerate route to securing payment while preserving valuable customer relationships.

Read today’s full UK Business News briefing on the CPA website.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-11-september-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #Insolvency #UKBusiness #CreditManagement #EnergyCosts #InterestRates #BusinessFinance #UKGrowth

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Cash flow - not a lack of ambition - is holding many UK small businesses back.

Enterprise Nation’s new Growth On Hold report finds that 69% of SMEs surveyed have delayed or cancelled growth plans as VAT, wages, energy and other costs absorb money that could have funded investment.

For businesses selling on invoice, there is another problem.

£26bn is reportedly owed to UK businesses at any one time through late payment. Around 1.5 million businesses are affected each year, with affected firms spending an average 86 hours chasing money they have already earned.

That matters because suppliers still have to pay wages, tax, energy bills and their own creditors while waiting for customers.

CPA helps businesses strengthen credit control, monitor customer risk and improve payment performance. And when invoices become overdue, our Overdue Account Recovery Service provides a professional and considerate route to securing payment while preserving valuable customer relationships.

Read today’s full UK Business News briefing on the CPA website.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-14-september-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #CreditManagement #UKBusiness #Insolvency #SmallBusiness #EnergyCosts #BusinessGrowth

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UK businesses are facing an increasingly difficult combination: employment is weakening while costs are rising again.

Payrolls fell by 26,000 in August, vacancies have dropped to a five-year low and business investment remains subdued.

At the same time, disruption to Middle Eastern energy supplies has pushed oil above $100 a barrel, increasing the risk of higher transport, energy and borrowing costs.

For businesses selling on credit, this matters.

Customers facing weaker demand and higher overheads may begin paying suppliers more slowly — often before the full extent of financial pressure becomes obvious.

Today’s CPA Business News looks at:

• The weakening UK jobs market
• Rising oil and energy costs
• The possibility of further Bank of England rate rises
• Growing tax and regulatory pressure on SMEs
• Mortgage and rental pressures
• Cyber risk and AI market disruption
• Today’s insolvency notices

CPA helps businesses strengthen credit control, monitor customer risk and recover overdue invoices professionally while protecting valuable customer relationships.

Read the full update on the CPA website.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-15-september-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #CreditManagement #UKBusiness #Insolvency #InterestRates #EnergyCosts #BusinessNews

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