The editorial team

Sam Ahmed.

Business & Owner Advice

Practical guidance for owners — reviews, local SEO and getting more from a free listing.

How our guides are made: every article is researched and written by The Business Listing's editorial team, working from real sources, real listings and our own directory data. Guides are checked against their sources before publication and re-reviewed on a rolling schedule so they stay accurate. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Latest from Sam Ahmed

68 guides and counting.

Browse all guides
Garage Costs in Royston: What You’ll Actually Pay
Business News Garages

Garage Costs in Royston: What You’ll Actually Pay

What MOTs, servicing and common repairs actually cost at a Royston garage, and the questions that explain why two quotes for the same job can look so different.

Running a Self-Catering Let on Harris: The Owner’s Checklist
Tips for Owners Self Catering

Running a Self-Catering Let on Harris: The Owner’s Checklist

Licence, certificates, ferries, water and changeovers: a practical checklist for anyone letting a cottage or croft house on the Isle of Harris, from the paperwork the council needs to the details that earn repeat bookings.

What Brechin’s Small Employers Should Know About Glazing
Business News Glaziers

What Brechin’s Small Employers Should Know About Glazing

Shopfront cracked, office window failing or a fit-out on the way? A plain guide for small Brechin businesses to the glazing rules that apply in Scotland, what a glazier will ask, and how to keep staff and customers safe.

Tips for Owners Gambling

The “Aim to Permit” Repeal: What It Means for Betting Shops

The government plans to scrap the Gambling Act’s aim to permit rule, giving councils more power to refuse new betting shop and AGC licences — here is what it does and does not change for operators.

London Business Growth Accelerates for a Second Month
Business News Accountants

London Business Growth Accelerates for a Second Month

London’s businesses grew faster for a second straight month in July, new survey data shows, even as firms stayed cautious on hiring — here’s what’s behind the numbers.

The TPO Ban: What UK Nail Salons Need to Know
Business News Beauty Salons

The TPO Ban: What UK Nail Salons Need to Know

A new UK cosmetics regulation bans TPO in gel nail products from 15 August 2026, with a transition period to February 2027 — here is what salons actually need to do.

Tips for Owners Garages

What the Motor Ombudsman’s 2026 Survey Means for Garages

A Motor Ombudsman survey of UK repair businesses found 92% expect rising costs to be their biggest challenge in 2026, and more customers are putting off repairs. Here’s what it means for garage owners.

British Florist Association Names 2026 Award Finalists
Business News Florists

British Florist Association Names 2026 Award Finalists

The British Florist Association has revealed the finalists for its 2026 Industry Awards, with winners due to be announced at a ceremony in Nottingham this October.

What 2026’s Pub Closure Wave Means for Nightlife Owners
Tips for Owners Nightlife

What 2026’s Pub Closure Wave Means for Nightlife Owners

New BBPA figures show UK pubs closing at almost two a day in early 2026, driven by rising staff costs and business rates — here’s what that means for bar, pub and club owners.

Can UK Construction Build 1.5 Million Homes Without the Workers?
Business News Builders

Can UK Construction Build 1.5 Million Homes Without the Workers?

The push for 1.5 million new homes has collided with a workforce shortage, and 2026’s fix – faster apprenticeships – is already reshaping how UK construction firms hire and train.

Where the UK Equipment Hire Market Is Headed in 2026
Tips for Owners Tool Hire

Where the UK Equipment Hire Market Is Headed in 2026

The UK hire sector is worth around £9.4 billion and still growing, but demand is broadening and consolidation is rising. Here is what that means for hire businesses in 2026.

What the UK’s 2026 Licensing Changes Mean for Tattoo Studios
Business News Tattoo Studios

What the UK’s 2026 Licensing Changes Mean for Tattoo Studios

A national cosmetic-procedures licence is taking shape while tattooing still runs on a 1982 council-registration system. Here is what is changing in 2026 and what UK studio owners should do now.

The Rent-a-Chair Trap UK Salons Can’t Ignore
Business News Hairdressers

The Rent-a-Chair Trap UK Salons Can’t Ignore

HMRC has sharpened its focus on ‘disguised employment’ in salons — and the rent-a-chair model many depend on is squarely in scope. Here’s how to tell a genuine arrangement from a costly one.

The 2026 Rule Changes Every UK Landlord Should Act On
Tips for Owners Estate Agents

The 2026 Rule Changes Every UK Landlord Should Act On

Section 21 is gone, tenancies are now periodic, and the EPC rules are being rewritten. A plain-English rundown of the 2026 property reforms and the practical steps letting and property businesses should take now.

UK Manufacturing Is Growing Again — but Not Evenly
Business News Manufacturers

UK Manufacturing Is Growing Again — but Not Evenly

Factory output is expanding, orders are up and an Industrial Strategy has firms bringing investment forward. So why are manufacturers still cutting jobs and watching costs? A clear-eyed look at the 2026 picture.

The FCA Is Rewriting the Rules on Ongoing Advice
Business News Financial Services

The FCA Is Rewriting the Rules on Ongoing Advice

The FCA wants to scrap the mandatory annual review and let advisers set their own review cycles. Here’s what CP26/10 actually proposes, and what UK financial advice firms should be doing about it now.

How the 2026 Package Travel Reforms Affect UK Firms
Business News Travel Agents

How the 2026 Package Travel Reforms Affect UK Firms

New regulations are reshaping how UK travel businesses sell and price holidays. A plain-English look at the package travel changes landing by 2027, the tighter pricing rules already in force, and what smart operators are doing now.

What the Unsold-Furniture Crackdown Means for UK Retailers
Business News Furniture Retailers

What the Unsold-Furniture Crackdown Means for UK Retailers

A Scottish consultation, an EU ecodesign law and a fresh industry survey are all circling the same question: what happens to furniture that doesn’t sell. Here’s what UK furniture businesses should watch.

What the Future Homes Standard Means for Glaziers
Tips for Owners Glaziers

What the Future Homes Standard Means for Glaziers

The 2026 Future Homes Standard tightens the rules on window efficiency across the UK. Here’s what glazing businesses need to know – the new U-values, the calculation changes, and how to turn compliance into an advantage.

What April 2026’s business rates rise means for restaurants
Business News Restaurants

What April 2026’s business rates rise means for restaurants

UKHospitality warns up to 963 restaurants could close in 2026 as business rates, National Insurance and energy costs all climb at once. Here’s what is actually changing in April, and the practical levers an owner still has.

Business News Bakers

Beignet Kitchen Teams Up with Flynn’s Deli for Swansea Pop-Up

The Beignet Kitchen, a New Orleans-inspired stall from founder Daf Turner, held a one-off pop-up outside Flynn’s Delicatessen in Uplands ahead of its planned opening at Swansea Market.

Portsmouth’s NOSY Creative Agency Shortlisted for National Business Award
Business News Marketing Agencies

Portsmouth’s NOSY Creative Agency Shortlisted for National Business Award

NOSY Creative Agency, founded by Help to Grow graduate Matt Greg, has reached the finals of a national UK business award for combining commercial growth with sustainability and social purpose.

Business News Shopping Centres

Horsham Traders Battle to Stay Afloat After Swan Walk Shopping Centre Closure

Traders at Horsham’s Swan Walk shopping centre are facing financial strain after a roof panel collapse forced its closure on 12 July, with no confirmed reopening date.

Hagley Knitwear Designer Lauren Aston Loses ‘Tens of Thousands’ to Copycats
Business News Arts & Crafts

Hagley Knitwear Designer Lauren Aston Loses ‘Tens of Thousands’ to Copycats

Hagley knitwear designer Lauren Aston says she has lost tens of thousands of pounds to online copycats after one of her designs was worn on BBC show The Traitors.