The private sector in the South West lost growth momentum in September, with business activity and new orders increasing at the slowest rates in three months, according to the latest Lloyds Bank Regional Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI®).
The South West PMI recorded 52.9 in September, down from 54.3 in August. The rate of expansion was weaker than the UK average. A PMI reading above 50 signifies growth in business activity.
Data showed that, despite September’s slowdown in growth, South West firms continued to take on extra staff.
In today’s challenging climate, it’s essential for SME and mid-market business owners to have the ambition and drive that it takes to survive in tumultuous times.
A new report has revealed what has helped successful decision makers in business to develop ambition and help them achieve their goals, with half (50 per cent) claiming that supportive friends and family were their biggest drive to be ambitious.
The findings are part of the Ambition Index Report, produced by the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards . The report reveals what 309 SME and 301 mid-market decision...
A new series of children’s books that champion enterprise and innovation could help to create the next generation of entrepreneurs in the South West.
Clever Tykes children’s books introduce important life skills through positive, entrepreneurial role models for children aged six to nine. Ben and Jodie Cook, creators of the Clever Tykes children’s storybooks, have secured a deal with Lloyds Banking Group that will see a copy of the series delivered to each and every primary school in the UK. The storybooks inspire resourceful, innovative and enterprising behaviour and have generated...
Business confidence has increased in the South West but economic uncertainty remains the biggest threat to firms, according to the latest Business in Britain report from Lloyds Bank. The report’s confidence index - an average of respondents’ expected sales, orders and profits over the next six months – increased to 17 per cent, up from four per cent, the survey’s score in September 2016. The South West’s confidence boost is the largest increase in the country, followed by London and the South East. David Beaumont, regional director for SME banking in the South West, Lloyds Banking Group...
The news that Lloyds Bank has confirmed the closure of its Colyton branch for good on 12 October 2016 is a bitter blow to the local community, as well as businesses in and around the town, says East Devon District Council Chairman, Councillor Stuart Hughes, who is hugely disappointed with the bank’s refusal to reconsider its decision.
“I am extremely unhappy that the Lloyds Banking Group has refused to listen to its loyal Colyton customers and that it has chosen to proceed with the closure of this much valued local facility. I fear that Colyton’s prosperity will suffer as a...
The South West private sector economy ended 2015 on a positive note, according to December PMI® survey data. Output growth accelerated from November’s subdued pace to the strongest since July, while new business rose at the fastest rate since June.
Moreover, backlogs grew for the first time in seven months, and at the sharpest pace since January 2015. Firms continued to expand their workforces and reported higher input prices for the first time in five months, leading them to raise their own charges.
The seasonally adjusted Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking South West Business...
The South West private sector grew at the slowest rate in nearly two-and-a-half years in September, according to the latest PMI® survey data, mirroring the trend shown across the UK as a whole.
This mainly reflected the first decline in new business since March 2013. Employment continued to rise, but at the slowest rate seen across the UK. The latest survey also signalled a decline in input prices for the first time since December 2008.
The seasonally adjusted Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking South West Business Activity Index remained above the no-change mark of 50.0 in...
With 2015 proving to be another successful year for British SMEs, Jackie Jenks, senior manager, enterprise mentoring at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, gives her views on how small businesses in Exeter can get the most out of enterprise mentoring.
This follows the successful Meet a Mentor event held in Exeter Castle aimed at helping local SMEs earlier this month.
Expert guidance and mentoring is crucial to the ongoing success and growth of SMEs. We know that start-ups have a one in four better chance of surviving and thriving over three years if they have a mentor. Studies...
Detectives at Devon and Cornwall Police are warning people of two current email scams that are circulating the internet.
One is an Amazon scam, which claims Amazon accounts have been breached, this is incorrect, Amazon accounts have not been hacked into.
The fake email address from ukamazonverify.co.uk asks you to complete an ‘account verification’ process. Officers are warning members of the public not to enter any personal or bank details.
The other is a Lloyds bank scam. The email poses as coming from a member of staff from Lloyds bank called Chang Crabtree. It...
The South West private sector registered a further moderation in growth of output in August, according to the latest PMI® survey data.
Moreover, the volume of new business increased only fractionally, and backlogs were depleted for the third consecutive month. As a result, private sector employment rose at the slowest rate in over two years. Meanwhile, input prices were unchanged over the month, and output prices barely rose.
The seasonally adjusted Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking South West Business Activity Index remained above the no-change mark of 50.0 in August,...
