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...
National charity Samaritan’s Purse has extended its thanks to the local Regus centres at Southernhay Gardens and Exeter Business Park in Exeter, for their efforts towards collecting thousands of gift-filled shoeboxes which have since been distributed to needy and vulnerable children across the world.
The shoeboxes, put together by members of the public, local businesses, schools and churches, contained everything from sweets and toys to toothbrushes, colouring books and stickers. They were distributed in time for Christmas to underprivileged children in orphanages, hospitals and...
Lidl is set to buy Sainsbury's land holding at Clyst Honiton near Exeter with the potential to create hundreds of jobs for local people.
The site, also known as the Exeter Gateway, already has planning permission for a distribution warehouse of 50,000 m². After carrying out extensive site preparation works Sainsbury’s put its plans for a depot on hold in 2013. It has now agreed a deal with Lidl who will acquire the site in East Devon, and bring forward plans for a new distribution centre. Councillor Paul Diviani, Leader of East Devon District Council, welcomed the news: “It is...
Plymouth business Sponge UK has achieved top honours on an acclaimed list which recognises the UK’s best companies to work for.
The business has been awarded , the highest possible accreditation – three stars - in The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2016.
The award is based on staff feedback and follows a rigorous survey where employees answered questions about pay, conditions, teamwork, leadership and wellbeing.
Sponge UK was benchmarked against hundreds of other small companies and only those assessed as ‘extraordinary’ achieved three star status...
GAIN, the South West Growth, Acceleration and Investment Network is looking for all start-ups, innovators, disruptors to invest £30,000 as matchfunding to help business growth.
GAIN has partnered with the UK's #1 rewards crowdfunding platform, Crowdfunder, to find brilliant businesses based in Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly or Somerset who have a product, service or approach that is unique or different in some way.
They will offer 10 businesses that meet their criteria, up to £3,000 of match funding each, if they crowdfund on Crowdfunder, from January 10, 2016. Each...
Professionals can understand trends and issues affecting businesses in the South West and globally through masterclasses run at the University of Exeter.
Those attending the Business Insights 2020 masterclasses can network with industry experts and leading academics. The masterclasses are run by academics from the One Planet MBA at the University of Exeter’s Business School and senior business practitioners with relevant industry experience in partnership with the Devon and Cornwall Business Council (DCBC).
They are designed to help those who attend reconsider their...
The Business in Britain report, now in its 24th year, gathers the views of 1,500 UK companies, predominantly small to medium sized businesses, and tracks the overall “balance” of opinion on a range of important performance and confidence measures, weighing up the percentage of firms that are positive in outlook against those that are negative.
Since the last report in July 2015, business confidence in the South West - an average of respondents’ expected sales, orders and profits over the next six months - has declined to 40 per cent, down from 49 per cent. However the index remains...
Leading South West law firm Stephens Scown LLP has warned businesses that they will need to ensure their data protection processes are robust enough to meet tough new rules which have just been agreed by the EU to unify data protection rules across the region.
Stephens Scown advises that almost all businesses will need to change how they deal with customer data in light of these new rules and that it is highly unlikely that any business will be compliant due to the scope of the changes.
The new General Data Protection Regulation is expected to be formally agreed early next...
A venture technology firm which supports disruptive, fast-growth technology start-ups has experienced accelerated growth itself since relocating to Exeter Science Park Centre.
The 25 year old co-founder of Koncept, Jonathan Melhuish-Sprague, says that since moving into the Exeter Science Park Centre this summer, the support and collaboration opportunities available, have helped to increase his portfolio by more than 50%.
In return for an equity share in a start-up business, Koncept invests significant time and resources, helping to create a minimum viable product (MVP) that...
Around fifty people from a range of East Devon businesses joined solicitors Beviss & Beckingsale and their chosen charity See The Future for a cracker of a festive lunch at Honiton’s Deer Park Hotel in December.
The guest list for the event last Thursday (December 10th) included local surveyors, estate agents, accountants, lawyers and other businesses from hairdressers to auctioneers.
Guests were welcomed with a festive glass of mulled wine before a sitdown lunch, which included a talk by See The Future founder Leanne Greengrass. A game of “heads or tails” raised money...
