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For many owners, Companies House feels like a background obligation. You file what needs to be filed, pay the fee, and return your attention to running the business. For years, that approach has generally been sufficient, but from 2026, it will no longer be. Companies House is moving from being a largely passive registry to a more active gatekeeper, with a clear policy aim: improving the reliability of the register and reducing misuse and fraud. The

Most business owners and key decision-makers I speak to are in the same position: AI tools are already in use across the business (marketing, customer service, HR, analytics, and finance), but governance hasn’t kept pace. That's understandable. Businesses move fast, but regulation moves more slowly. And yet, in 2026, the direction of travel is clear: data protection is becoming more operational (especially around complaints and access requests), and AI governance is moving from “nice to have” to “expected”. This is not to be feared, as you do not need

When founders are asked what truly keeps them awake at night, the answer is rarely “legal change”. More often, it is people: finding and retaining the right talent, managing absence, addressing conflict before it escalates, maintaining morale, and building a culture that customers can sense from their very first interaction with the business. This is precisely why employment law deserves a place at the top of your 2026 priority list. Your employees are the heartbeat of your company. When employment practices are consistent, fair and

Many regulatory changes apply only to specific sectors. Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA) is different as it applies directly to founders who operate as sole traders, landlords, or both. Although MTD is a tax initiative, its practical impact is primarily commercial and operational. It affects how records are kept, how founders work with their accountant or bookkeeper, and how much management time is absorbed by compliance throughout the year. In this article, I unpack some frequently asked questions and provide a readiness plan for

Consumer protection law is set to feature prominently on the regulatory agenda this year. In the UK, elements of the new subscription contracts regime introduced by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) are expected to come into force. At the same time, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is likely to begin testing its expanded enforcement powers under the Act, particularly in relation to unfair commercial practices. At the EU level, the European Commission’s recently published 2030 Consumer Agenda is expected to

If you run a small or growing business, it is easy to assume that regulatory change is something that happens only in large corporates, regulated sectors, or organisations with compliance teams and board sub-committees. But that is not the case in 2026, and SMEs are encouraged to take note. The changes coming into force this year land squarely where SMEs feel them most acutely: people, cashflow, systems, customer journeys, and day-to-day governance. However, reassuringly, none of what follows is unmanageable. Provided it is

The world of work no longer moves in straight lines. Expertise has become fluid, shared, flexible, and on demand. Over the past decade, a quiet revolution has taken hold: the rise of fractional services. The new rhythm of expertise It started with finance. Start-ups realised they didn’t need a full-time Chief Financial Officer to make sound financial decisions. A fractional CFO, working a few days a month, could provide the same

The way artificial intelligence (AI) is being built into everyday business tools changes faster than most contracts can keep up. If you own an business in the UK, it’s no longer enough for your agreements to cover only traditional risks; they also need to address the way AI systems use your data, generate outputs, and make decisions. The right clauses will protect your intellectual property, help you meet your legal obligations, and ensure suppliers are accountable. AI has shifted from “nice-to-have” tech to a core driver of growth for many SMEs.