Hospitality businesses under pressure: why turnover is vanity and profit is sanity
It’s no secret that the hospitality sector is facing one of its toughest periods in recent memory. From pubs and restaurants to cafés and catering firms, businesses across the UK are grappling with rising costs, shrinking margins and growing uncertainty. For many directors, the question is no longer whether things are difficult. It’s how long […]
Business rates changes 2026. What directors need to know – and do – about the coming changes
Why are business rates back in focus for UK companies? From April 2026, many firms will see an increase in their business rates bills. But unlike other cost pressures, this one isn’t a surprise. The end of transitional relief and the impact of the 2023 revaluation are already mapped out, giving directors a clear window […]
UK insolvency and company rescue in 2025: what’s changing and what Directors need to know
As Insolvency Practitioners, we believe one of our strengths is what we call our ‘bedside manner’, in other words, how we deliver a caring and bespoke personal service to directors whose businesses are facing financial difficulties. Part of this is keeping up to speed with what’s going on with businesses that are struggling to better […]
Can Main Market and AIM listed PLCs facing insolvency be rescued and relisted?
How did we use Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) to restore two PLCs to the stock market? We recently advised two London Stock Exchange listed companies – Electric Guitar PLC and Curzon Energy PLC – on restructuring their balance sheets via Company Voluntary Arrangements. Both were facing insolvency, but our specialist input enabled their restoration to […]
Difficult times for Pubs, Restaurants & Hotels. How can Insolvency Practitioners help?
The pub industry is facing long-term decline. Over 400 pubs closed in England & Wales in 2024 – total numbers fell below 39,000 for the first time – the most since 2021 during the COVID pandemic. Rising National Insurance contributions, increased wages, and reduced business rate relief from April 2025 will further strain the sector. […]
Family Business Insolvency: when relationships and risk collide
Family businesses are a cornerstone of the UK economy. They outnumber all other private sector firms, employ millions, and contribute significantly to national output. But when a family-run company faces financial difficulty, the challenges go far beyond the balance sheet, with impacts on relationships, succession plans, and even personal assets. In this article, we look […]
Business closures surge in Q1 2025: A sector snapshot for company directors and how Insolvency Practitioners can help
The first quarter of 2025 has seen a dramatic surge in business closures across the UK, with 2,718 companies shutting their doors between January and March. This marks the highest first-quarter total since 2021 and reflects the mounting pressures faced by businesses in an increasingly challenging economic environment. The surge follows the implementation of Chancellor […]
Antony Batty and Company Thames Valley welcomes Lucy Garner as its new Senior Manager
We are delighted to announce the arrival of Lucy Garner as our new Senior Manager at the Thames Valley office of Antony Batty and Company. Lucy joins the team at a really exciting time for Antony Batty and Company Thames Valley, now well into its 4th year of trading, and she is looking forward to working with […]
What can agreeing Personal Guarantees mean in insolvency? Personal liability is the legacy from insolvency
Directors must always be wary of Personal Guarantees when borrowing money, especially when ‘alternative lenders’ are involved. One of the first questions we ask directors of insolvent companies is whether they have any Personal Guarantees (PG) on outstanding loans. The answer is often no, and yet, we quickly discover that many of them do. In […]
Record number of company closures and 5,000 more tax inspectors
More businesses under financial pressure, whilst Government announces 5,000 additional tax inspectors focusing on SMEs and reducing the tax gap After years of difficult trading for many businesses, two key statistics show that the outlook for many is worsening as we head into 2025. Plus, with the news that the Government is recruiting an extra […]
