Business Health Statistics

Election uncertainty stalls business growth as investment dries up

Businesses across the UK have battened down the hatches since the start of the year, holding back investment for growth and initiating recruitment and pay freezes as they await the outcome of May’s General Election, resulting in a state of stagnation across all areas of the economy, warns business recovery specialists Begbies Traynor.

The beautiful game ‘in good health’ as club distress falls to almost nil

In just the second season in which football clubs’ accounts have come under the scrutiny of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, the health of English league clubs has improved significantly, reversing last year’s rise in distress.

Scottish football ‘in good overall health’ despite high-profile wrangles

The Begbies Traynor Red Flag Alert Football Distress Report provides annual snapshots of financial distress in 72 English and 32 Scottish football clubs. South of the border, the report’s latest figures reveal that just three clubs in the English Championship and Leagues One and Two are suffering from serious financial distress.

Crude awakening for oil services companies as significant distress doubles

Historically low oil prices are already pushing smaller oil extraction and services companies into significant distress, before the impact of substantial cuts to the capital expenditure budgets of the major oil companies.

Supermarket price war could force food suppliers to go bust

The number of smaller food suppliers experiencing financial distress has more than doubled this year

Retailers on thin ice as thrifty shoppers slash Christmas spending this year

Supermarket woes worsen as price war takes its toll

Scottish football stuck in ‘financial doldrums’ as one in ten clubs face financial distress

The latest report into the financial health of Scotland’s football clubs shows a picture of financial stagnation and declining match attendances, with gloomy economic prospects for one in ten of the clubs in the top three Scottish divisions.

More than 11% of English league football clubs facing ‘severe financial pressure’ as curtain falls on the season

In the first season in which football clubs’ accounts have come under the scrutiny of the Financial Fair Play rules, the overall health of English league clubs has deteriorated, according to a report issued today.

No respite for SMEs despite economic recovery

Independent food retailers suffer most from supermarket price wars

More than 2,600 SMEs in the sector struggle to survive as consumer spending habits evolve

Recovery firmly established as financial distress levels reduce year-on-year, but Q1 bites back

According to the latest Begbies Traynor Red Flag Alert for Q1 2014, which monitors the financial health of “Corporate UK”, levels of ‘Critical’ financial distress among UK businesses has decreased by 7% year on year, from 3,283 in Q1 2013 to 3,063 in Q1 2014. Construction, financial services and travel & tourism saw some of the largest declines in distress, falling 15%, 31% and 11% respectively.

Double blow for flood-hit South West as coastal towns top financial distress league table

New research from Begbies Traynor, the UK’s leading independent insolvency practice, today reveals the towns and cities in the UK with the highest levels of corporate financial distress. The research, undertaken using the Red Flag Alert dataset, alarmingly reveals that as the beleaguered south west struggles with severe weather and flooding many of the region’s coastal towns are topping the financial distress league table.

“Feel Good” factor returns as critical business distress falls for three straight quarters

According to the latest Begbies Traynor Red Flag Alert for Q4 2013, which monitors the financial health of “Corporate UK”, levels of ‘Critical’ financial distress among UK businesses continued to recover during the final quarter of 2013, as improving business confidence drove strong growth across the UK’s core services sectors and encouraged growing numbers of entrepreneurs to incorporate new businesses during the past year.

"Zombie” retailers feel the bite this winter as Austerity Britain takes hold

This Christmas, retailers across the country are succumbing to the cold as Austerity Britain gets into full swing, according to the latest research from Begbies Traynor, the UK’s leading business recovery practice.

8% of English football clubs facing ‘financial relegation’

Flat-lining attendances and rising costs are blamed for locking six English league clubs into a cycle of serious financial distress, a report issued today warns.