Ecommerce businesses and online retailers selling to EU customers will be required to add a digital withdrawal function to their customer buying journeys.

From 19 June 2026, online merchants – including those in the UK and other non-EU countries – must allow customers to cancel orders directly through their business website or app.

But while the change may seem relatively simple, retailers will need to ensure their systems, processes, and teams are prepared to handle cancellation requests efficiently and in line with the new rules.

What is the EU’s mandatory withdrawal button?

The EU’s mandatory withdrawal button is a new consumer protection requirement, in which businesses that sell to consumers online must provide a simple way for customers to cancel eligible purchases when they have a legal right to do so.

As part of the Directive (EU) 2023/2673, the new requirement aims to make cancelling an eligible online purchase as simple as making the purchase in the first place. 

For online stores, this means providing a clearly visible button or link (such as “withdraw from contract here”) throughout the 14-day withdrawal period and featured prominently on a business’s website, such as the main menu and site footer.

Businesses must also have a simple process to find the contract/order, a confirmation step (such as “confirm withdrawal”) and confirmation that a customer’s withdrawal request was received.

Failing to implement the withdrawal function by the deadline means businesses could face regulatory fines and risk losing some of the protections designed to help manage the cost and administration of cancellations and returns.

Why the withdrawal button could create new challenges for retailers

While this move was introduced as a consumer rights measure, it’s likely to have an operational impact on online retailers.

A customer cancellation may seem straightforward, but it can quickly involve returns, stock handling, and refunds – particularly for merchants with operations spread across multiple countries or those that still rely on manual returns processes.

Specifically, a cancellation request may need to be checked against shipping statutes, routed to the correct warehouse and reflected in inventory systems to ensure the correct refund is issued.

This is particularly concerning given the high return rates that online retailers already face. While brick-and-mortar stores typically see fewer returns at just 8.89%, ecommerce return rates average close to 30%, which rises to around 40% in the fashion sector.

Unsurprisingly, cost is likely to be impacted too, as the withdrawal button may increase the volume of requests – potentially raising returns, refunds, and operational costs for merchants. With UK merchants facing a £5.70 average cost per return, even a modest increase in cancellation volumes could have a notable impact on profit margins.

Pawel Zakielarz, Founder and CEO of Shopreturns, told eCommerce News UK: “In many companies, returns were never designed as scalable operational infrastructure. They evolved market by market, often manually. The new rules are exposing those weaknesses very quickly.”

How should businesses prepare for the new rules?

Businesses should start by reviewing their existing cancellation, returns and refund processes to understand how a higher volume of cancellation requests could affect operations. 

This involves assessing whether they can quickly identify eligible orders, shop shipments before they leave the warehouse, process returns efficiently, and issue refunds within a fast timeframe.

This is also a good opportunity to reduce reliance on manual processes and look into automated returns processes instead. Automating returns management, inventory updates, and refund processing can help minimise cost and operational disruption if there are a lot of cancellation requests.

Additionally, businesses should look at their customer journey to make sure cancellation requests can be handled smoothly, bringing customer service teams up to speed on the new rules, and tracking any cancellation and return trends to identify any potential problems early.

In short, businesses that treat the withdrawal button as an operational challenge and not just another compliance requirement will be better positioned to manage its impact while maintaining a positive customer experience.

Chef and publican Tom Kerridge has launched a new campaign, calling on the Government to permanently slash value-added tax (VAT) to 10% for hospitality businesses.

This comes as hospitality continues to battle increasing labour and operational costs, with some businesses even forced to close their doors for good.

Backed by leading trade bodies and high-profile chefs, the new #VATstheproblem campaign argues that a lower VAT rate would help businesses reinvest, create jobs, and remain competitive with European counterparts – where hospitality VAT rates are generally lower than those in the UK.

What is the #VATstheproblem campaign?

The #VATstheproblem campaign is a petition led by Tom Kerridge, aiming to secure a permanent 10% VAT rate for the hospitality sector.

Kerridge – who owns several renowned restaurants and gastropubs across Buckinghamshire – launched the campaign with the goal of “bringing the country together to call for a fairer 10% VAT rate for hospitality”.

At the time of writing, the petition currently has over 64K signatures, and is backed by major trade bodies, including UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, and the British Institute of Innkeeping.

In the UK, the current VAT rate is 20%, which applies to most food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and hotel accommodation. Behind Denmark, the UK has the second-highest rate in Europe.

Industry figures say this leaves British hospitality businesses facing a heavier tax burden than many of their European counterparts, with hospitality VAT rates standing at 10% in Spain, Italy and France, 9% in Ireland, and 7% in Germany.

While the Government introduced a temporary VAT cut on children’s meals over the summer months – which would slash rates from 20% to 5% – many hospitality operators argued that the measure falls short of the wider support needed to address cost pressures across the sector, while one London pub hit back with a “grown up” kids menu consisting of dishes like Burgundy snails, anchovy butter toast, and beef and oyster pie.

Kerridge, along with fellow chefs Yotam Ottolenghi, Ravneet Gill and Simon Rogan, expressed their concerns on BBC Newsnight.

Ottolenghi, as reported by The BBC, commented: “We’re not making any money whatsoever, and we’re just keeping our heads above water. Every pound that we take, a substantial amount of it just goes to the government for a different taxation.”

Why hospitality is calling for change

Hospitality’s call for reduced VAT is just one of many battles the sector has faced so far this year.

With the rise in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) introduced last year and increased National Minimum Wage (NMW) from April 2026, labour costs have placed additional pressure on operating margins.

This, along with the increase in business rates, has pushed businesses to make difficult operational decisions to offset rising costs, according to data from UKHospitality.

This includes cutting jobs (64%), cancelling investment plans (51%), and reducing trading hours (42%). In more drastic circumstances, around one in seven venues reported that they’d be forced to close.

Data from the Lords Library also reported falling demand for goods and services and rising energy costs as key challenges for hospitality businesses, cited by 17.8% and 16.1% of respondents, respectively.

In terms of desired policy changes, UKHospitality found that a reduction in VAT had the strongest level of support, with 89% of respondents backing the measure. A permanent reform of business rates (74%) and changes to NICs (65%) were also widely supported.

What happens next for the campaign?

The #VATstheproblem campaign is set to officially launch to consumers on 1 July, with organisers hoping that this added support will help convince ministers to consider a reduced VAT rate for the sector.

For now, the campaign has launched its own toolkit – complete with ready-made posters, social media graphics and beer mats – so that businesses and consumers can prepare for the launch date. 

This includes downloadable marketing materials, digital assets, QR codes linking to the petitions, and campaign messaging to help venues promote the initiative to customers, staff, and local communities.

“Our sector is under huge pressure. We know it. We live and breathe it every day,” Kerridge said. “We know that the key to unleashing hospitality’s potential to grow and thrive into the future comes through a VAT cut. We’re making sure the Government knows that too, and we need your help.”

“Now is the time for hospitality to galvanise behind this campaign. Be part of a movement that aims to get hospitality recognised and taxed in a much fairer way. I know that the Government is listening, but we do need to push hard.”

Discover the ales and ails of hospitality

Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.

Read Whining and Dining

Recruiting, onboarding, and retaining staff remains as one of the biggest operational challenges for hospitality businesses in the UK.

New research from Dojo suggests operators are being hit by a combination of rising training costs and persistent staff turnover, making workforce management one of the industry’s most pressing concerns. 

And while investment in employee development appears to be improving confidence among workers, many businesses are still struggling to retain staff amid concerns over workload, work-life balance, and workplace culture.

Training costs rise as operators face growing financial pressure

Hospitality operators are facing a difficult balancing act. While ongoing training is important to attracting, retraining and developing staff, the cost of delivering it has risen sharply in recent years – adding to wider financial pressures across the sector.

New data from Dojo’s UK Inflation Index reveals that operating costs have increased by an average of 43% across the hospitality sector in the last 10 years.

This includes training costs, which have increased by an average of 70% in the same period. Catering companies reported the highest increase of 80%, followed by hotels at 71% and pubs/bars at 60%.

Unsurprisingly, labour costs have surged as well, with pubs and bar businesses reporting a 40% increase, forcing many businesses to reassess staffing levels. As a result, almost 9,000 hospitality jobs have been lost since the Autumn Budget was announced.

On a more positive note, most hospitality workers are feeling better equipped for their roles than they were a year ago. According to the Hospitality People Survey 2026 by Access Group, 52% of employees say they’ve received sufficient training to feel fully qualified, up from 48% the previous year.

Why are hospitality businesses struggling to retain staff?

Despite most employees feeling positive about the training they receive in hospitality, the lack of staff retention remains a significant problem.

Specifically, a report by software development company Harri found that only one in four staff make it past the first 90 days, adding even more pressure to already tight profit margins. 

Access Group’s research suggests that achieving a healthy work-life balance is still a challenge for many hospitality employees. While 31% of respondents described their work-life balance as “quite balanced”, nearly a quarter (23%) said it was “not very balanced”.

Organisational culture is also an ongoing concern in the sector. Access Group’s research points to a notable decline in employee morale, with job satisfaction falling from 69% in 2024 to 54% in 2026. This decline could be contributing to the rise of “revenge quitting” last year, with growing numbers of hospitality workers walking out on toxic working environments, primarily due to poor management.

Other internal struggles include excessive workloads, with 52% of employees saying they feel overwhelmed by the demands of their role, which raises further concerns around employee wellbeing and retention.

How operators can reduce costs and improve retention

While many of these challenges are sector-wide, operators can take steps to ease the burden by reassessing supplier agreements, cutting unnecessary business overheads, and implementing smarter payment solutions to improve cash flow, such as systems that make it easier to track sales and spending.

In terms of staffing, giving employees more flexibility over their schedules, publishing rotas well in advance and ensuring teams are properly staffed to meet demand during busy periods can help reduce stress and prevent burnout. 

Just as importantly, managers should work to create a positive workplace culture where employees feel supported, valued and comfortable raising concerns before they become bigger issues.

Charlie Ashworth, Head of Research & Insights at Dojo, also advises that business owners should “look into how much they pay per item and whether there are more competitive suppliers available without compromising quality”.

“Businesses that regularly assess their operating model, adapt pricing strategies where possible, and invest in tools that streamline transactions and reduce friction are often better positioned to absorb cost pressures without compromising service or growth.” he adds. 

“The past decade shows that the cost of running a business has evolved. The next decade will reward those who evolve with it.”

Discover the ales and ails of hospitality

Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.

Read Whining and Dining

Google has recently announced the launch of Google Universal Cart – an AI-powered shopping ecosystem designed to help ecommerce businesses streamline product discovery and create a more seamless cross-platform shopping experience for shoppers.

For consumers, instead of having to jump between different retailer websites, create multiple accounts, and manage separate checkouts, it acts as a single shopping hub that follows the user across the internet. 

As AI becomes more integrated into ecommerce experiences, tools like Google Universal Cart could reshape how people shop online and how retailers attract and retain customers.

What is Google Universal Cart?

Google Universal Cart is an intelligent shopping cart that works across merchants and services, allowing shoppers to add items to their cart while browsing on Google search, chatting with Gemini, watching YouTube, or reading messages on Gmail.

Once a product is added to the cart, it works in the background to find deals and price drops, as well as providing insights on price history and alerting on item restocks.

It also uses intelligent reasoning to anticipate a customer’s needs and help solve problems before they arise. For example, if someone is building their first custom PC and adds parts from different retailers to their cart, the system will automatically flag any product incompatibilities (such as an unsupported motherboard) and suggest alternatives.

When it’s time to complete the purchase, Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) creates an easy checkout experience by letting shoppers pay instantly with Google Pay across participating retailers, or continue onto a merchant’s business website to finalise their order.

Universal Cart will be rolling out to the US on the search and Gemini app over the summer, but an exact date for its UK release is yet to be announced.

What opportunities could Google Universal Cart create for ecommerce businesses?

While Google Universal Cart isn’t available in the UK yet, it gives ecommerce businesses and online stores the opportunity to prepare for a more AI-driven shopping experience, particularly where smoother checkouts, better product data, and being visible across Google’s platforms could help drive more sales and repeat customers.

After all, 84% of retailers say they’d be open to letting AI complete purchases on a customer’s behalf, while nearly half of Millennial shoppers (49%) are comfortable with AI handling their entire shopping journey from start to finish.

Nicole Olbe, Managing Director at payment company Adyen, comments that customers are “moving past the ‘browsing’ phase of AI and starting to move towards the ‘buying phase’”.

“This shift will fundamentally change the checkout experience, and retailers must prioritise the underlying payment infrastructure to support both the security and the scale required,” she adds.

What’s more, tools like Google Universal Cart could tackle the pain point of cart abandonment for ecommerce businesses, particularly with slow websites causing 88% of UK shoppers to stop buying altogether, potentially costing businesses up to £38bn a year.

What are the risks of AI-powered shopping experiences?

Google Universal Cart aims to make online shopping faster and more convenient, but it also raises some important questions for ecommerce retailers around customer relationships and how much control they’ll have over the buying journey.

There are also growing concerns around privacy and security. According to data from Worldpay, 55% of global consumers cited identity theft and unauthorised purchases as their main concern when letting AI shop for them. This was followed by fraud (53%) and loss of financial control (51%).

There’s also the risk of losing direct customer relationships. Specifically, if shoppers start to rely more on Google’s AI to find, compare and buy products, brands may have less of a chance to build loyalty through their own websites and marketing.

Additionally, there will likely be more competition on price. As AI shopping assistants are made to find the “best” option quickly, this could mean that pricing, delivery speed, and reviews become more important than brand identity. 

Finally, merchants may have less control over the buying journey. Platforms like Google could become the main gatekeepers between customers and retailers, so online stores may have less influence over product visibility and conversions.

Still, ecommerce businesses that adapt and optimise for this change early – while balancing convenience, trust, and customer experience – could be in the strongest position to benefit from the next era of online retail.

The gender pay gap within traditional employment has long been a concern in the UK and elsewhere across the world, but a new study by Remitly reveals that this problem is also hitting sole traders and freelancers.

While freelancing is often associated with greater flexibility, independence and control over earnings, many women working for themselves are still facing financial inequality 

These findings come at a time when the UK’s freelance workforce is continuing to grow rapidly, with more people turning to self-employment amid rising living costs, workplace changes, and demand for flexible working opportunities.

The UK’s freelance economy continues to grow

In the last few years, the UK’s freelance economy has boomed significantly. Whether it’s down to workplace redundancies, turning a side hustle into a full-time business or just wanting more freedom than a full-time job, there has been a notable shift towards self-employment across the country.

In fact, according to the latest Government figures, there are 3.2 million sole proprietorships in the UK, with the number increasing by 5% between 2024 and 2025.

IPSE also reports that the common reasons people opt to go freelance include more flexibility (88%), the freedom to choose where they work (83%), when they work (84%), and improved work-life balance.

On the flip side, there has also been an increase in the number of businesses hiring freelancers over full-time employees. This is primarily due to full-time employment costs rising by 9.6% in a single year. As a result, 25% of businesses say they’re increasing their use of contractors and freelancers and plan to continue doing so.

What is the freelance pay gap in the UK?

Despite the evident boom in the UK’s freelance economy, the gender pay gap has remained a persistent issue, with many female freelancers earning less than their male counterparts.

According to a study by digital finance services company Remitly, the gender pay gap for UK freelancers is 15.4% – a significant increase compared to the UK’s full-time employee gap at 4.5% (as of March 2026). 

On a global scale, it was reported that the average female freelancer charges $31.33USD per hour, which is 19.0% less than the average male ($38.66) across several industries. Finance and accounting were also found to have the largest gender pay gap, with women charging 26.1% less.

Concerns about money also seem to be more prevalent among female sole traders, as the report also found that 49% of self-employed women worry about their finances, compared to 37% of men. 

This could come from the fact that three-quarters of freelancers have not been able to increase their day rates in the last 12 months, primarily due to client budget pressure, increased competition, IR35 legacy effects, and anxiety around artificial intelligence (AI).

Vicks Rodwell, Managing Director at ISPE, quoted in a March 2026 report, says that it also comes from a lack of confidence when it comes to increasing rates.

“Women know it’s not as simple as ‘just charging more’; where a man is seen as confident for negotiating their rates up, a woman can be seen as difficult or pushy,” she commented. 

“It’s important that we continue to challenge these biases and remove the barriers self-employed women face when advocating for themselves in business.” 

How female freelancers can improve their earning potential

Female freelancers can take several steps to strengthen their earning potential and help close the gender pay gap.

This includes regularly reviewing industry benchmarks and comparing daily rates with others in the same sector to ensure work isn’t being undervalued.

Networking can also play an important role in finding better-paid opportunities. Whether it’s through events, LinkedIn or online communities, building strong connections can lead to repeat clients, referrals, and access to larger projects. 

It’s also worth diversifying income streams through retainers (charging an upfront or recurring fee to guarantee availability or future services) or longer-term contracts rather than solely relying on one-off jobs.

While flexibility and independence remain major upsides for self-employment, there’s a clear need for greater transparency, confidence around pricing, and better support to help close the gap.

The UK Government has recently announced a temporary reduction in value-added tax (VAT) for children’s meals and tickets to theme park attractions, cinemas, concerts, exhibitions, and shows.

Announced last week, the VAT rate will be slashed from 20% to 5% from 5 June to 1 September.

However, hospitality firms – particularly restaurant businesses – have been quick to criticise this latest move, expressing concern that the reduced rate on VAT isn’t enough to support struggling businesses, and that it’ll do more harm than good. 

What is the temporary VAT reduction?

The Government’s temporary VAT cut is designed to help families afford the summer holidays by reducing the cost of eating out and visiting popular attractions.

As part of the Government’s “Great British Summer Savings” scheme, VAT reduction will apply to children’s menus in restaurants, as well as tickets for the cinema, theatre, amusement parks, museums, zoos, soft play centres, and more.

However, the reduction will not apply to meals marketed as smaller portions, lower-calorie options, discounted versions of adult meals, and shared meals intended for both adults and children.

Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, describes the move as a “positive step to help families enjoy a great British break this summer”, but has called on the Government to reduce VAT for the entire industry.

“VAT is the single biggest lever it can pull to lower prices, tackle inflation, drive demand, boost spending, generate growth and create new jobs”, she said. “I would urge [the Government] to be bold and cut VAT for the entire hospitality sector.”

Why are hospitality businesses unhappy about the VAT cut?

Not everyone in the hospitality sector has welcomed the announcement, with many operators arguing that the measure is too limited to have any meaningful impact on businesses or consumers.

Ed Bedington, editor of the Morning Advertiser, writes that the new move is “as much help as a paper raincoat”. He also criticised the Government’s apparent lack of guidance, advice or rules, and that the effort of having to amend the tills and working out which proportion of the spend was from the children’s menu isn’t worth the time or hassle.

“For those operators that think, great, we can keep the 15% saving on the meagre amount of kids meals we sell, good luck – parents will be flocking to your venues expecting that 15% discount on little Timothy’s nuggets and chips,” he added.

Restaurant businesses have also mirrored similar concerns. Will Murray, owner of London restaurant Fallow, told The Guardian that the move “won’t make any difference” and that “most kids’ food is already discounted at the cost of the restaurant anyway: the VAT cut wouldn’t even make up that shortfall”.

Meanwhile, London pub Blue Stoops launched a “grown-up” children’s menu to protest the news. Dishes include wild Burgundy snails, anchovy butter toast, beef and oyster pie, a dessert called “the tax break tart”, and half a pint of zero-alcohol beer. The menu will be priced at £25, including the reduced VAT rate during the relief period.

Jamie Allsopp, founder of Blue Stoops, comments: “The hospitality industry has been crying out for cuts to VAT to support an industry that has been hammered in recent years, so while this move is of course welcome, it does not go far enough.”

How hospitality businesses can prepare for the VAT changes

While these new measures are intended to encourage consumer spending over the summer, it also means most hospitality businesses will need to make operational changes at short notice.

With the reduced VAT rate applying to eligible items, operators will need to ensure their tills and pricing systems are updated ahead of June 5th. Businesses will also need to determine which menu items qualify under the rules, particularly where children’s portions overlap with standard or discounted menu options.

Additionally, clear communication with customers will be important to avoid confusion around what is – and isn’t – covered by the scheme.

For example, this can be social media posts ahead of the date, clear in-venue signs explaining which items qualify for the reduced rate, new FAQs on the business website explaining how the scheme works and what’s included/excluded, and till receipts or order confirmations showing the reduction where applicable.

For many businesses, the hope will be that the scheme encourages more families to dine out over the summer months. But whether the savings are enough to make a real difference – for either consumers or operators – remains to be seen.

Discover the ales and ails of hospitality

Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.

Read Whining and Dining

The start of the summer slowdown has well and truly begun for businesses in the UK. And while we don’t know whether the good weather will stick around for much longer, your social media marketing shouldn’t wind down. 

But among the endless content around the UK’s latest heatwave and summer must-haves, the move into a new month has brought plenty of fresh trends for businesses to snap up and include in their own marketing strategies to better connect with their audience.

From viral sounds to relatable formats, here are six of the biggest social media trends businesses shouldn’t miss this June.

Retail giant Next has recently introduced automated self-scanning lockers for customer returns in response to the rising cost of hiring new staff.

But beyond labour costs, the move reflects a wider shift across the retail sector, where ecommerce businesses are under pressure to process returns faster than ever before.

As a result, many retailers are investing in automated returns platforms, self-service portals, and AI-powered fraud detection tools to improve efficiency, reduce refund losses, and maintain customer loyalty at the same time.

Why manual returns are becoming unsuitable for online stores

While Next’s new self-scanning lockers were introduced to cut back on staffing costs, manual returns have become one of the biggest operational and profitability challenges for smaller ecommerce stores.

Statistics from Clickpost reveal that online stores face a return rate of nearly 30%, compared to just 8.89% for physical shops. Naturally, this high number has come with significant burdens for ecommerce retailers.

In particular, the average time to process a manual return ticket is over 20 minutes, which can add up significantly for businesses with a large number of return orders. 

Businesses are also taking a financial hit from returns as well, as processing a single return can cost around 30% of the item’s original price after all operating expenses. For example, an ecommerce brand shipping 5,000 orders each month with a 20% return rate and an average handling cost of £12 per return would spend roughly £12,000 every month managing returns alone.

As a result, three quarters of UK businesses – including big names like Zara, ASOS and H&M – now charge return fees of around £2-£4 to help offset rising logistics, processing, and restocking costs that come with high return volumes.

What are the benefits and risks of automated return systems?

Automated returns are designed to streamline the product and exchange process for ecommerce businesses. Through a specialised software, they can automatically approve return requests, generate shipping labels, and issue refunds based on pre-set policies.

Unsurprisingly, this kind of technology is expected to become more common in ecommerce over the next few years, with 60% of UK retailers expected to automate these kinds of tasks with artificial intelligence (AI) by 2035. 

For businesses, automated returns come with several advantages. This includes cutting back on time to process refunds, fewer labour costs, and a smooth customer experience through a 24/7 self-service portal. 

Some tools can also use smart prompts to offer customer exchanges or store credit before a refund is approved, and gather data on why products are being returned (like wrong size, colour not the same as online, etc.) to help businesses find any systemic product quality issues or change product descriptions to minimise returns in the future. 

That said, it does come with risks as well, particularly with the rise of refund abuse from fake AI-generated receipts. With AI-manipulated documents now accounting for over 20% of false evidence for refund and chargeback disputes, an automated system may not know the difference between a fake and genuine receipt, thus risking the likelihood of fraudulent returns.

Additionally, as automated systems instantly approve returns based on tracking scans rather than physical inspection, there’s more risk of fraudsters mailing back empty boxes or counterfeit items. Over-relying on automation also means losing the “human touch” that comes with good customer service, particularly with three-quarters of UK consumers preferring human support.

How ecommerce businesses can use automated returns effectively

As return volumes continue to rise – as well as customer expectations for fast service – using automated returns effectively can help streamline the returns process and maintain customer loyalty.

To start, businesses should audit their current returns policy to determine whether it’s easy to find, clearly written, and aligned with actual operations. 

From there, implementing a low-cost automated returns platform – such as Loop Returns and Shopify Returns – that encourages customers to choose store credit or exchanges over cash refunds can help retailers retain revenue, protect short-term cash flow, and create a faster and more convenient returns experience for shoppers.

Moreover, businesses can reduce logistics costs by automatically charging return shipping for low-margin items, offering paperless QR-code returns, routing returns to the nearest warehouse, or preventing unnecessary returns for very low-cost products by issuing a “keep the item” refund.

In terms of tackling potential refund abuse, businesses should stop relying on just uploaded receipts as proof of purchase. Instead, they should verify purchases directly against order IDs, payment records, customer accounts, and shipping data stored in your ecommerce platform or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). 

AI-powered fraud detection tools like Ravelin and Wyllo can also analyse behavioural signals and metadata to identify any suspicious return activity, detect fake receipts, or flag high-risk customer accounts.

Put together, these measures can protect your profit margins, minimise fraud risk, and turn the returns process from a costly administrative burden to a more efficient and customer-friendly part of the online shopping experience.

Britain’s leading hospitality groups saw their sales fall by a combined 0.4% in April 2026, according to the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. It’s the third month of negative growth out of four so far this year. 

For small, independent operators, the picture is likely even bleaker. The tracker captures sales from some of the country’s largest hospitality groups, many of which can negotiate supplier deals at scale, spread fixed costs across multiple sites, and absorb a bad month at one venue with profits from others. 

Independent pubs, restaurants and cafés don’t enjoy this cushion, so capitalising on major sporting events like the World Cup, which kicks off in just a few weeks, is all the more crucial.

Rising costs and rain make for a bleak picture

Year on year, restaurant sales are flat, tracking at 0.1% above April 2025, NIQ’s data, produced in association with RSM, shows. This is, however, a significant drop from March’s figures, during which a 2.5% growth rate was achieved. 

Pub groups included in the tracker’s dataset, on the other hand, saw their sales drop by 0.2%. This is actually the first month that sales fell for pubs this year, and it seems the wet weather we experienced in April was to blame, leaving “pub gardens and terraces in some parts of the country empty”, including on the all-important easter weekend. 

Bars continue to struggle too, with like-for-like sales dropping 5.6%, making April the toughest month for trading since October 2025, RSM says.

Hospitality outlook bleak, but the World Cup is around the corner

RSM’s Hospitality Business Tracker includes data from over 100 pub, bar and restaurant groups, including Wagamama, Nandos, Green King, and the Azurri group, which owns Zizzi’s and Ask Italian. Overall, they represent more than 11,000 hospitality venues across the UK. 

But as mentioned previously, these firms are much better at absorbing costs. Every cost rise, from food and energy to April’s higher employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and National Minimum Wage hike, hits a smaller venue’s bottom line in a much more catastrophic way. 

Data from the same organisation, NIQ, shared earlier this quarter showed UK hospitality lost 3.4 sites a day (net) in the first three months of 2026, and that this closure rate was weighted heavily towards smaller, independent venues.

A summer of sport in the shape of the World Cup, then, couldn’t come much sooner. According to one estimate published this week, hospitality spending during the World Cup is expected to surge by 150% when compared with data from Euro 2024, so it’s a golden opportunity for venues of all sizes to make back some of the lost ground. 

“The industry is working incredibly hard just to stand still, with operators continuing to cut back on employment to manage soaring costs”, Saxon Moseley, Head of Leisure and Hospitality at RSM, explains. 

“The industry will be hoping that a successful summer of sport and good weather can lift spirits and drive growth in these challenging times.”

What else can small hospitality businesses do to boost sales and cut costs?

With margins this tight, even small changes can make a meaningful difference. 

By now, smaller venues should be well into planning for the big World Cup games, including lining up screening packages, making final decisions on menu changes and other food-based deals, and reviewing security and capacity requirements ahead of the impending spending surge. 

Introducing themed nights on weekdays, such as pub quizzes, to combat midweek lulls in footfall could also prove an astute way to keep spending more consistent across the week, so revenue around those late-night fixtures isn’t the be-all and end-all. 

Crucially, however, independents should not underestimate the advantage they have over larger groups like the chains included in the RSM tracker: a distinctive identity and deep ties to the local area. 

A strong local identity, visible owners, and a presence on community Facebook groups and Google reviews are things larger groups cannot replicate easily. Leaning into that edge and shouting more about the social value a venue brings to the community that exists around it may be what separates those who thrive from those who barely survive. 

Discover the ales and ails of hospitality

Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.

Read Whining and Dining

Generative AI assistant Claude – owned by AI safety and research company Anthropic – has recently announced Claude for Small Business, designed to help firms use the Claude platform directly inside the software they already use.

Launched last week, Claude for Small Business was released with a focus on “agentic workflows”, meaning it can help complete real business tasks across finance, sales, marketing, human resources (HR), and everyday business operations.

What is Claude for Small Business, and how does it work?

Claude for Small Business is a toggle install that connects directly to the tools small businesses already use, including QuickBooks, PayPal, HubSpot, Canva, DocuSign, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365.

Once connected, Claude for Small Business can do a variety of tasks. This includes drafting marketing campaigns, summarising customer data, planning payroll, chasing unpaid invoices, reviewing contracts, generating branded content, and more.

Within the Claude Cowork platform, users simply connect the apps they use, choose a workflow, and Claude prepares actions for approval before sending or changing anything. For example, “prepare this month’s payroll forecast”, “create a follow-up email campaign for inactive customers”, and “summarise outstanding invoices and draft reminders”.

As for cost, Claude for Small Business hasn’t been positioned as a standalone product. Instead, users can access it through one of the existing Claude payment plans, which start at $17 per month.

Anthropic launches AI Fluency for Small Businesses programme

As well as its new tool, Anthropic has also partnered with PayPal to launch its “AI Fluency for Small Businesses” programme.

This free training and education programme is designed to teach small business owners how to use AI effectively in day-to-day operations, rather than just chatting with it.

The programme includes online courses, practical workshops, AI workflow training, hands-on business use cases, and guidance on safe and responsible use of AI. 

Participants can learn about deciding what work to delegate to AI, writing effective prompts, reviewing AI output properly, building reputable AI-assisted workflows, and maintaining human oversight.

Amy Bonitatibus, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at PayPal, said: Together, [PayPal and Anthropic] are equipping these business owners with the tools, expertise, and trusted infrastructure they need to compete and thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy and creating new opportunities for them to innovate, grow, and better serve their customers.”

What does this mean for your business?

Claude for Small Business is now available to UK users, allowing them to bring AI-powered workflows into the tools they already use for finance, sales, marketing, and everyday operations.

This could help bridge the automation gap: while 35% of UK SMEs now actively use AI, only 11% use it extensively to automate operations or streamline services.

“AI is no longer futuristic; it’s a practical ally for everyday business challenges,” says Peter Pendlebury, Chief Automation & AI Officer at Air IT Group. “The difference comes from embedding AI into operations, not just using tools sporadically.”

Additionally, Claude’s tools for planning payroll can help SMEs accurately pay staff. With 84% of UK small business leaders making payroll errors – and 40% facing fines as a result – Claude for Small Business can help reduce these errors through settling a QuickBooks cash position against PayPal settlements, 30-day forecast building, and queuing reminders for the user to approve and send.

Its ability to chase invoices on a business’s behalf can also significantly reduce the time spent managing late payments, particularly given that small businesses typically handle 14-20 overdue invoices each day, so this can help teams stay on top of cash flow and improve payment recovery without manual follow-ups.

That said, businesses should be aware of the risks of over-relying on automation tools like Claude for Small Business. While useful, it can still produce incorrect outputs or misunderstand context, which could lead to financial errors, reputational issues, or compliance-related issues if not properly reviewed. 

Instead, SMEs should see tools like this as decision-support systems rather than replacements for human oversight, as this can ensure AI-driven efficiencies are balanced with careful review and accountability.

Anyone will tell you that starting a business today is tough, especially with ongoing economic troubles and cost increases continually straining entrepreneurs across the country.

For many small business owners, it’s a constant balancing act of managing finances, finding new customers, and adapting to changes in the market – all while trying to maintain some kind of work-life balance.

However, despite 2026 shaping up to be another challenging year for many, new research from YouGov and VistaPrint suggests that a majority of UK business owners are still genuinely happy, with optimism and resilience holding firm across the sector – even in the face of continued pressure and uncertainty.

Resilience and optimism remain strong among entrepreneurs

With prices going up, ongoing uncertainty, and people having to work harder just to keep things moving, you might assume morale to be pretty low. But that’s not quite what the data shows.

A new YouGov survey commissioned by VistaPrint found that 80% of UK small business owners say they’re happy, despite more than half of them reporting that they don’t feel supported by the Government.

A lot of this happiness comes from the freedom of being your own boss. And for respondents of the study, this includes setting their own schedules (57%), doing work they actually care about (45%), and having more control over their earnings (30%).

What’s more, despite the ongoing economic difficulties, six in ten entrepreneurs are still optimistic about growth, with marketing and finding new customers cited as the top focus area for 43% of respondents.

Sabine Leveiller, VP of Marketing at VistaPrint Europe, comments: “Small business owners are under real pressure, but this research shows the picture is more balanced than it can sometimes appear. Many are finding genuine fulfilment in building something of their own, even as they navigate uncertainty.”

Financial and operational challenges continue to weigh on business owners

Despite the high levels of optimism among business owners, it’s impossible to ignore the difficulties that continue to impact day-to-day life for many entrepreneurs across the UK.

Specifically, unpredictable income remains a notable concern among entrepreneurs, with 48% of business owners from VistaPrint’s study citing this as a top concern. This was followed by a difficult work-life balance for 42% of respondents.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that economic uncertainty continues to affect turnover for 31% of businesses. For those with 10 or more employees, the cost of labour was cited as the main concern for 36% of firms, likely due to the rise in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) in April.

Sole traders and solopreneurs are also feeling the pinch with the demand of “always on” culture, which is pushing 48% to consider quitting their business altogether due to the stress, including working beyond standard hours, isolation, and neglecting their own wellbeing.

Many Brits still plan to take the leap into entrepreneurship

More people in the UK are starting to rethink what work looks like for them, with a growing sense that traditional employment isn’t quite offering the same appeal as it once did.

Indeed, entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the UK, with one in ten Brits reporting that they plan to start a business at the beginning of the year.

Freedom, money, and passion are consistently cited as the main reasons people want to start their own venture, with being their own boss standing out as the top motivator for 47% of aspiring business owners, according to one poll conducted in 2025. 

At the same time, growing dissatisfaction and lack of employee engagement in traditional work settings could also play a role, with 38% of workers saying the lack of flexible hours and remote working options is what’s pushing them to consider leaving their jobs.

Additionally, side hustles continue to be a popular option for many, with 46% of UK adults having one as an additional source of income, particularly among the Gen Z (66%) and Millennial (62%) generations.

Many more people would be leaping into the world of entrepreneurship if funds weren’t an obstacle. In a poll of 2,000 aspiring entrepreneurs recently conducted by the Bristol Post, six in ten said that lack of funding is stopping them from pursuing their vision, particularly with struggles around tax and accounting. 

Taken together, the findings paint a mixed but largely optimistic picture of UK entrepreneurship. While financial pressure, government changes, and workload challenges persist, the appeal of starting a business and entrepreneurial spirit is far from fading.

The World Cup kicks off on the 11th of June, presenting a golden opportunity for hospitality businesses to capitalise on the biggest global sporting event of them all. 

With the final match still two months away and more than 100 games scheduled to be played before then, experts predict that the hype will see hospitality spending surge drastically, as fans begin booking venues early.

Late-night trading is also set to play a bigger role than usual, with extended hours expected to help venues make the most of peak demand around key fixtures and keep the atmosphere going well after full-time.

Hospitality spend set to surge ahead of World Cup Final

Economic troubles and the cost of living crisis show no signs of keeping football fans away from the pub this summer, as new booking and spending data suggest strong demand heading into the 2026 World Cup.

According to data from Access Hopsitality published by The Spirits Business, World Cup games are predicted to boost spending by over 150% compared to the UEFA European Football Championship in 2024, when England reached the final before narrowly losing to Spain in Beroin. 

Venue bookings are already 52% higher than they were ahead of Euro 2024, during which London bars saw a £30m boost in a single day. 

Pubs have also been given the green light to stay open later to account for the late kick-offs, with the UK Government confirming in mid-April that it will extend licensing hours for venues in England and Wales. 

Under these plans, businesses will be allowed to remain open until 1am for knock-out matches beginning between 5pm and 9pm, while fixtures kicking off between 9pm and 10pm could see trading extended until 2am. Group stage games are not covered by the licensing extension. 

Why football is crucial for hospitality

Earlier this month, it was reported that around two pubs closed a day in the first quarter of 2026, equating to 161 businesses closing their doors across England, Scotland and Wales. Increased labour costs, rising business rates, and changing consumer habits have all been cited as key pressures behind the closures.

Despite ongoing pressures across the sector, football continues to provide a reliable boost to local economies on matchdays.

Football fans make up a large part of the customer base, as even regular matchdays are found to generate £2.3bn for local economies. 

Specifically, spending within hospitality venues 1km of football stadiums increases by an average of 4.1% on matchdays compared to non-matchdays. Venues outside the stadium account for a significant share of this spending, with fans reporting an average pre-match spend of £19.10 during Premier League games and £18.80 for BWSL fixtures.

How your business can win during this year’s World Cup

As we mentioned earlier on in this article, while the government has extended licensing hours for knockout games that kick off at 9pm and 10pm, this extension does not apply to group stage games or games that kick off later than 10pm throughout the tournament. If your premises are to stay open later for games not covered by the government’s extension, you will need to apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN).

During these busy World Cup trading hours, venues will need to balance opportunity with operational pressures. The first thing businesses should think about is how to properly handle extended hours without overextending staff or compromising on service quality.

Pubs should also consider their profit margins and whether late-night trading is financially viable, particularly given the increase in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and increased spending on stock, supplier restocking, waste, and discretionary purchases.

“For operators, the priority is maintaining clear visibility over performance during peak trading periods.” Hugh Acland, Chief Commercial Officer at Capital On Tap, advises. 

“Businesses should track whether extended hours are genuinely margin-accretive once all variable costs are included, ensuring decisions are based on profitability rather than revenue alone.”

In terms of attracting customers, creating a good in-viewing experience is key to encouraging repeat visits, especially given that 66% of football fans say they’d visit their local pub more often if they improved on this.

Lee Langley, Hospitality Area Manager at Just Pubs, comments that a strong match-day experience comes from “high footfall and multiple screens showing the action”. His venue experiences “a noticeable amount of trade building before kick-off, particularly as the food offering encourages customers to come in earlier and settle in for the game”.

On the topic of food offerings, Food Alert’s Ben Cummings suggests “reducing [your] menu during peak times and focusing on items that are quicker and easier to serve can also support smoother operations.” 

“Allergen information should always be available in writing, particularly in louder environments, where verbal communication with customers can be more difficult”, he adds. 

Discover the ales and ails of hospitality

Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.

Read Whining and Dining

Your business doesn’t have to slow down just because the calendar does.

With the summer winddown often meaning quieter inboxes and fewer in-person meetings, it can actually be the perfect time to step away from day-to-day distractions and invest in building your business relationships through networking.

Luckily, there are still plenty of events running through the summer months – from informal meetups and coworking sessions to larger business gatherings. 

Whatever you’re looking for, networking is a great way for founders, freelancers, and business owners to connect, share ideas, and open doors to new opportunities when others are taking a break.

With that, we’ve gathered 98 free business and networking events to keep on your radar this June.

“RAMageddon” – a term used to describe the global shortage of Random Access Memory (RAM) spurred on by the demands of AI data centres – is causing tech companies of all shapes and sizes to sweat.

And, while the focus at present has been on the consumer impact, any small business providing laptops, phones and other expensive hardware to their staff may see sharp price increases in the coming months if they need to replenish their stock.

Some sectors, like hospitality, may also find that POS systems and card machine prices tick up sharply, as these machines also rely heavily on RAM to stay operating.

What is RAMageddon, and why is it happening?

RAMageddon is a term that has been floating around tech circles since the beginning of 2026, coined in response to the global shortage of RAM chips caused by the dominance of AI data centres and the subsequent rise in hardware costs for consumers.

In short, AI infrastructure, such as data centres, needs memory chips to operate. And they don’t just need a few – running a platform like ChatGPT uses huge amounts of memory. In December, for instance, OpenAI’s Stargate project was slated to consume 40% of the world’s entire Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) supply.

Essentially, this means that memory is incredibly scarce at the moment, and the way things are going, it looks like it’s only going to get scarcer.

What industries are going to be impacted?

Any company that provides laptops and smartphones for its staff are going to start to feel the pinch when it comes to the price of this technology. If you’re a business that has had to buy already this year, you may have already noticed higher prices. Some estimates suggest laptop costs could get 15-30% more expensive in the coming months.

Small businesses on a tight tech budget, buying the cheapest hardware out there, are likely to be disproportionately impacted. One of the knock-on impacts of the memory shortage and subsequent higher costs is the potential disappearance of the “entry-level” laptop market, as vendors and manufacturers simply can’t absorb the additional costs.

Businesses using backup drives and external storage – also used by a lot of small businesses – will also be affected by surging prices.

POS system hardware has already got more expensive over the past few years, and as the supply of memory gets even smaller, further rises could be right around the corner.

What can small businesses do to combat price hikes?

There are a few things businesses can do to ensure they’re prepared for these rising tech costs. An obvious first step is to extend the life of the computers, phones and servers where possible. If you can push your depreciation cycle a little further, now may be the time to do it. Replacing certain components, like batteries, rather than binning whole machines, may also be worthwhile as costs tick up.

The same goes for restaurants and other hospitality businesses using tablets and card machines for ordering; it might be smart to audit your stock and see where you can make some headway, if at all.

It may also be a smart move to buy what you had planned to buy in the next year as soon as possible. If you really do have devices that are on the way out, replacing them now is likely better than replacing them later. Another option, of course, is sourcing second-hand off-lease laptops, which typically cost significantly less but are perfectly serviceable for most use cases.

A final thing you can do is review what your teams are actually using their devices for. Sure, there will be people in your business that likely need high spec laptops – especially if they’re doing something like graphic design or animation – but a lot of small businesses are notoriously over spec’d, so you may be able to get away with using cheaper models.

The Fair Work Agency (FWA) was launched last month to uphold new employment law reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025, including investigating breaches regarding the National Minimum Wage (NMW), holiday pay, and statutory sick pay (SSP).

Its enforcement comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over workplace compliance, with a recent University College London (UCL) study revealing that at least one in seven UK workers has experienced a violation of their employment rights in the last two years.

But while some violations aren’t deliberate and can be easily overlooked, it serves as a clear reminder to smaller businesses that employment law compliance can no longer be treated as an informal process – and that even small violations can lead to big consequences.

Millions of UK workers report employment rights breaches

A new study suggests that breaches of employment law aren’t isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern impacting millions of workers across different sectors and job types.

The study, conducted by researchers at University College London (UCL), found that at least 14% of UK employees have experienced a clear breach of basic employment rights in the past two years.

Specifically, it found that around 5.4 million workers were paid less than the National Minimum Wage, charged illicit work-finding fees by recruitment agencies, and not provided with payslips, employment contracts, or key information documents – all of which are legally required.

Moreover, it found that 70% of employees have experienced other bad practices at work, including working extra hours unpaid, physical workplace injuries, paying unfair deductions, facing leave-related difficulties, and experiencing workplace bullying and harassment.

Interviews with employees during the study indicated that a variety of underlying issues had contributed to these problems – most notably understaffing, business pressures, and employees either not knowing their rights or not feeling confident enough to exercise them.

How compliance gaps can catch SMEs out

For smaller businesses, these findings show how easy it is for employment law risks to happen, even in well-intentioned organisations.

Of course, most small businesses don’t deliberately break the law, but these kinds of compliance gaps can often happen through informality or lack of human resources (HR) systems.

For example, the biggest risk areas for SMEs would be informal agreements instead of written contracts, misunderstanding holiday pay rules, incorrect payroll setup (especially for part-time staff), and a lack of documentation. 

The lack of awareness around the FWA – with 36% of SMEs saying they’ve never heard of it before – also means that small businesses are at risk of steep penalties or committing a criminal offence, even if they didn’t intend to violate employment rights.

What’s more, with hundreds of employers named and shamed by the Government for underpaying staff, even SMEs that unintentionally underpay staff could find themselves facing the same level of enforcement action, financial penalties, and reputational damage. Plus, with single claims in employment tribunals increasing by 33% year-on-year, there’s a clear risk of hefty legal penalties as well.

How businesses should prepare for increased enforcement

To avoid potentially breaching new employment laws, businesses should first familiarise themselves with the FWA so that they have a clear understanding of what it is, the powers it has, and what the penalties are.

Next, businesses should review their current HR and payroll processes to ensure they are fully compliant with employment law, particularly around pay accuracy, holiday entitlement, and statutory obligations (such as the sick pay and minimum wage requirements).

Additionally, contracts and onboarding documents should be audited so that they are up to date, and clearly reflect the current work arrangements – including pay terms, working hours, and statutory employee rights.

For those that don’t have an in-house HR team, speaking with an HR advisor or accountant can help ensure compliance, find any potential risks, and put the right systems and documentation in place to prevent costly mistakes.

In terms of employee protection, businesses should look into improving communications around workers’ rights (such as through workshops, employee handbooks or written statements), and providing easy and safe ways for employees to report concerns or potential breaches without fear of reprisal. Prevention is much cheaper than dealing with disputes or tribunals later, so businesses should act now to avoid potential issues later down the line.

Financial difficulties are all too common in today’s business world, with many SMEs reporting concerns over tight profit margins, rising costs, and delayed payments. 

However, a new study reveals that the problem has gotten so bad that three-quarters of small and medium-sized businesses aren’t sure whether they can pay their bills next month.

For a large number of smaller firms, this combination has created an environment where cash flow has become increasingly unpredictable, making it harder to invest, plan ahead, or even cover basic operating expenses.

Three-quarters of SMEs aren’t sure they can meet next month’s bills

While most businesses remain trading, a growing number are finding it difficult to maintain stable cash flow or plan beyond the short term. 

According to data compiled by The Director’s Helpline, 76% of UK SMEs reported that they’re unsure whether they can meet their financial obligations over the next month, particularly those within the hospitality industry.

35% of respondents also said they are likely to miss payments in the coming weeks, while 32% said meeting costs would be “tight”. Moreover, just 33% say they are fully up-to-date with their payments.

Jonathan Cooper, Founder and Director of The Director’s Helpline, says that these findings “reflect a long-standing issue around access to timely, impartial advice when financial pressure begins to build”.

“What this data shows is that many directors are operating month to month under intense pressure,” he continued. “Most of these businesses are still trading, but without stability, clarity or confidence about what comes next.”

What’s driving the cash flow crisis?

While economic conditions and inflation may be the obvious factors behind SMEs struggling to catch up with payments, the problem also stems heavily from late payments from larger companies and customers.

Specifically, small businesses and sole traders are owed an average of £12,357 in late payments every year, while 70% of commercial disputes relate to late or non-payment of invoices.

Moreover, a survey by Hiscox found that late payments were cited as the biggest problem in cash flow, accounting for 58% of businesses. 37% of respondents also said they’re chasing between 10-20 late payments, and that as many as one in five invoices aren’t paid on time.

However, the survey from the Director’s Helpline also suggests that debt from borrowing is also a key contributor, as 78% of businesses reported outstanding debt – 57% owing over £25,000 and 39% reporting debts more than £50,000.

With small business borrowing up by more than 25% last year, it’s clear that many firms are increasingly relying on credit to bridge cash flow gaps, but in doing so are also becoming more exposed to repayment pressure and financial instability when income is delayed.

How SMEs can tackle late payments and improve cash flow

Businesses facing cash flow problems should contact the Office of the Small Business Commissioner, as it can help firms resolve disputes with larger companies, especially where invoices are being ignored or repeatedly delayed.

The OSBC also offers complaint service and can intervene informally to push for faster resolution without going straight into legal action. What’s more, with the Government promising a tougher crackdown on late payments – including fines and investigations – the OSBC has more power to ensure SMEs are paid fairly and on time.

Another useful framework is the Fair Payment Code – a scheme that recognises businesses that commit to paying suppliers on time, with bronze, silver, and gold levels depending on performance. For SMEs and sole traders, this can be useful to find reliable clients who are committed to good payment practices. 

Beyond legal entities, businesses should also set clear payment terms upfront and reinforce them in contracts, send structured reminders before invoices become overdue and charge statutory interest or late payment fees where appropriate. Together, these measures can help reduce reliance on unpredictable payment cycles and help ease struggling cash flows.

Get paid with Emma

Emma Jones is the UK’s Small Business Commissioner, helping businesses get paid on time by tackling late payments and poor payment terms. Read her bi-monthly column for Startups now.

Get paid with Emma