Rising Costs stories

Stress is costing Canadian small business owners 31 workdays a year, with many losing sleep, missing events and weighing up closing shop.

Trans-Tasman small firms are upbeat and boosting tech and marketing, yet consumers report patchy service and missing digital basics.

Spark and Icehouse will run free nationwide AI and productivity workshops to help New Zealand SMEs lift performance and overcome tech barriers.

Stress is surging for New Zealand’s small business owners, with nearly half considering closing as rising costs and tax shocks take their toll.

Square rolls out free AI assistant in the UK, helping SME owners query their own sales data in plain English to speed up decisions.

Spreetail will extend its Shareback profit-sharing programme, aiming to help squeezed eCommerce brands protect margins amid rising costs.

UK tech, IT and telecoms leaders grow bolder on risk, eye private equity backing and global expansion despite rising cost pressures.

UK online parcels jumped 17% in late 2025 as pet care and beauty surged, even as fashion and homewares shipments slid, Scurri data shows.

Nexer taps Microsoft veteran Matt Birtwistle to spearhead its UK manufacturing strategy as demand for digital transformation intensifies.

Australian supply chain chiefs look beyond cost cuts to growth and automation, while frontline managers remain fixated on immediate savings.

Australian businesses are turning cost optimisation into a permanent strategic mandate, reshaping technology, talent and operations for efficiency.

UK and Irish SME bosses fear a worsening economy yet still plan to ramp up investment, betting on AI, innovation and sales growth in 2026.

Rising costs and tighter conditions are exposing six avoidable mistakes that could sink Australia’s newest start-ups within their first year.

ClickMechanic named Growing Business of the Year after 40%+ annual growth and directing over GBP £100 million to UK independent mechanics.

University of York selects Workday to replace dozens of legacy HR and finance systems with a single AI-driven cloud platform.

Over 4 million UK businesses have raised prices amid soaring costs, risking supplier stability and supply chain health ahead of possible tax hikes.

Australia's retail and FMCG sectors face uneven growth as rising costs, retail crime, and shifting consumer habits reshape the AUD $175 billion market.

Young UK hospitality staff face more shift unpredictability and stress than Gen X, with 73% of Gen Z reporting last-minute changes to their schedules.

Despite rising costs and softening profits, 92% of New Zealand's SMEs remain confident in their business outlook over the next year and five years ahead.

UK SME leaders focus on resilience and workforce growth amid rising costs and low confidence in economic policies ahead of the Autumn Budget.