Small business owners struggling with the stress caused by late or unpaid invoices have been offered new support, as fresh guidance is launched to address the mental health impact of cashflow pressure.

Timed to coincide with Time to Talk Day, the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC) has published new online guidance designed to help SMEs and freelancers access mental health support while also pointing them towards practical steps to tackle late payment issues.

Late payment is typically framed as a financial problem, but growing evidence suggests it can also take a significant toll on wellbeing. For many business owners, uncertainty over when they will be paid can trigger ongoing anxiety about meeting overheads, paying staff and keeping their business viable.

The new guidance brings together business-focused advice and trusted mental health resources in one place, offering support for owners who may be feeling overwhelmed. It also outlines practical actions SMEs can take when unpaid invoices begin to affect their financial stability and mental health.

The resource has been developed alongside research from Leapers, which examined the link between financial stress and mental health among small business owners and freelancers.

Emma Jones, Small Business Commissioner (pictured), said running a business can be mentally demanding, particularly when payment delays are involved. She said it was vital that freelancers and small business owners know where to turn for support and feel able to ask for help.

“Having founded a small business support platform and network before becoming Small Business Commissioner, I have seen the profound and positive impact when freelancers join a community of like-minded peers,” Jones said. “At the Office of the Small Business Commissioner we are committed to playing our part, with a focus on tackling and challenging late payment, so those going into self-employment can realise the full benefits of working for yourself.”

However, some industry figures have warned that support alone will not solve the underlying problem.

Stephen Carter, Director of Payment Strategy at Ivalua, said the guidance was right to acknowledge the mental health impact of late payment but argued that the government must go further.

“UK SMEs don’t just need mental health support to cope with late payments. They need legislation and enforcement to stop delays in the first place,” he said. “Late payments aren’t an unavoidable fact of life; they are a failure of governance, accountability and outdated payment processes.”

Carter added that delayed payments are often driven by poor internal controls within large organisations, including fragmented procurement and finance systems, manual processes and a lack of visibility over supplier commitments. He warned that the consequences can be severe, with supply chains disrupted and smaller suppliers pushed to the brink.

Research cited by Ivalua suggests more than a third of UK businesses have seen suppliers go out of business due to cost pressures linked to late payment.

Carter urged the government to publish its response to last year’s late payment consultation without further delay, warning that continued inaction risks signalling to larger organisations that poor payment practices will be tolerated, while SMEs are left to absorb the financial and emotional strain.

Jamie Young

Jamie is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, bringing over a decade of experience in UK SME business reporting.
Jamie holds a degree in Business Administration and regularly participates in industry conferences and workshops.

When not reporting on the latest business developments, Jamie is passionate about mentoring up-and-coming journalists and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.

They have joined forces to launch a new not-for-profit forum designed to help shape and propel the future of the data centre sector

Leading engineering and manufacturing businesses in the North East have come together to launch a new organisation designed to propel the future of the region’s data centre sector. The North East Data Centre Hub has been founded by a consortium of five businesses, including RED Engineering Design, Cleveland Cable Company, CMP Products, Durata and RWO Associates.

Together, the firms say they share a clear ambition to help shape the sector, by collaborating on the development of a strong local engineering, construction, and digital supply chain.

The North East has been positioned as one of Europe’s largest data‑centre and AI infrastructure hubs, driven by Government policy, energy availability, and major investment, giving the North East Data Centre Hub the chance to shape local conversation and ramp up growth. A data centre is being built at Cambois, near Blyth, and another planned on Teesside.

The consortium aims to unlock the region’s full potential as a leading data centre destination. To mark its launch, the consortium will host the North East Data Centre Hub’s first networking event, which is already fully booked, on February 25 at Liberty House in Newcastle city centre.

Speaking about the North East Data Hub and its first event, John McGee, group CEO at Durata said: “The hub provides an excellent opportunity for professionals in the sector – from developers and operators through to consultants and suppliers – to collaborate, share innovation and exchange best practice. By strengthening local connections, we can amplify the North East’s contribution to the wider UK and global data centre market.

“We are delighted with the companies spearheading this initiative. Each brings extensive global experience in delivering critical infrastructure projects, and by working together – and joining forces with other local businesses – we can build a strong, resilient regional supply chain that supports long‑term growth, investment, and skills development in the North East.

“With registration already reaching full capacity for our first event, it’s clear there is strong appetite for a hub of this nature. Many delegates will be attending with a shared goal, and this is just the beginning. We have an exciting programme of events planned over the next 12 months, with much more to come from the North East Data Centre Hub.”

The North East Data Centre Hub is open to organisations across the data centre ecosystem, with plans for a programme of bi-monthly events hosted across the region, featuring speakers with the opportunity for discussion and continued networking.

The IPO will open for public subscription on Monday, February 9, and close on Wednesday, February 11. The price band has been fixed at Rs 857 to Rs 900 per equity share of face value Rs 1 each, with a minimum bid lot of 16 equity shares.

Out of the total anchor allocation, 52,77,680 equity shares (38.05%) were allotted to 11 domestic mutual funds through a total of 22 schemes, indicating strong participation from domestic institutions.

The anchor book witnessed demand from several leading mutual funds including SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund, UTI Mutual Fund, Trust Mutual Fund, Bandhan Mutual Fund, Invesco Mutual Fund, Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund, and Sundaram Mutual Fund, among others.

Insurance companies that participated in the anchor round included Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), HDFC Life Insurance, SBI Life Insurance, Bharti AXA Life Insurance, and Edelweiss Life Insurance.

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The issue also drew strong interest from global investors, including marquee long-only and institutional names such as Morgan Stanley Investment Funds and Goldman Sachs Bank Europe, along with Ashoka WhiteOak Emerging Markets Funds, Jupiter Global Fund, Societe Generale – ODI, Flumen Investment Trust, Optimix Wholesale Global Emerging Markets Share Trust, Neo Prime Fund, and Neo Secondaries Fund, among others.
Fractal Analytics describes itself as India’s first pure-play artificial intelligence company and a global provider of AI-powered analytics and decision science solutions to Fortune 500 companies, enabling enterprises to unlock business value through advanced data science, artificial intelligence and deep domain expertise.The IPO comprises a fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 1,023 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) aggregating up to Rs 1,810 crore. The OFS is being undertaken by existing shareholders including Quinag Bidco Ltd, TPG Fett Holdings Pte., Satya Kumari Remala, Rao Venkateswara Remala, and GLM Family Trust. The issue also includes an employee reservation portion of up to Rs 600 million.

Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, Morgan Stanley India Company, Axis Capital, and Goldman Sachs (India) Securities are the book running lead managers to the offer.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced enforcement actions against stocks it suspects are involved in “pump-and-dump” or “ramp-and-dump” schemes tied to foreign-based companies, including entities with operations in China. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said the agency is intensifying its crackdown on these manipulative practices to protect U.S. investors.

In September 2025, the SEC announced the formation of a Cross-Border Task Force within its Division of Enforcement to investigate potential violations of U.S. securities laws by foreign-based companies, including market manipulation. Atkins said the agency began investigating one such case as recently as last week.

Atkins said the SEC has seen a rise in so-called “ramping-and-dumping” schemes, in which prices are artificially inflated before insiders sell their shares at elevated levels. These manipulative practices can leave retail investors with significant losses.

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Paul Atkins, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), prior to a Bloomberg Television interview in Washington, DC, US, on July 18, 2025 (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Especially it’s some East Asia, China-related, companies where they’re small, kind of penny stocks on Nasdaq,” said Atkins Friday on “Mornings with Maria.”  

Atkins pointed to a recent investigation involving a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, where trading was halted after the firm failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for a sudden spike in its stock price.

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He said the company informed regulators that it had no material news or information that would explain the unusual rise in its stock price.

Paul Atkins, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, speaks at the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Dec. 2, 2025. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“So we halted that. New York Stock Exchange is investigating it. So hopefully, you know, we’ll get to the bottom of that,” he added. 

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The SEC’s Cross-Border Task Force announced it would focus on “investigating potential U.S. federal securities law violations related to foreign-based companies,” including market manipulation schemes like pump-and-dump and ramp-and-dump. It also will scrutinize gatekeepers such as auditors and underwriters that assist these companies in accessing U.S. capital markets.

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins wears a hat reading “Make IPOs Great Again” on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on Dec. 2, 2025. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

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“We welcome companies from around the world seeking access to the U.S. capital markets,” said Atkins during the task force announcement. 

“But we will not tolerate bad actors – whether companies, intermediaries, gatekeepers or exploitative traders – that attempt to use international borders to frustrate and avoid U.S. investor protections,” he continued. 

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Political judgement matters to markets as much as it does to voters. As fresh revelations from the Epstein files trigger police interest and intensify scrutiny of Peter Mandelson’s role in public office, the controversy is fast becoming a wider test of Labour’s credibility in government.

In this exclusive commentary for Business Matters, former Downing Street strategist Alastair Campbell reflects on how a story once seen as historical embarrassment has evolved into a live political risk,  and why the consequences for Keir Starmer’s leadership could be profound.

Fresh revelations linking Peter Mandelson to Jeffrey Epstein have escalated rapidly from a troubling disclosure into a full-blown political crisis for the Labour government, raising urgent questions about judgement, accountability and leadership at the top of British politics.

In the days since the latest tranche of Epstein files was published, two issues have come to dominate the debate in the UK: whether Mandelson could face criminal investigation for misconduct in public office, and whether Keir Starmer can weather the political fallout from appointing him as Britain’s ambassador to the United States, despite his known association with the convicted paedophile.

The intensity with which those questions are now being asked underlines how precarious the situation has become for Labour. What might once have been dismissed as historical embarrassment has morphed into a live test of political judgement and ethical standards at the heart of government.

For many observers, the shock lies not only in the scale of Epstein’s abuse, and the casual disregard shown towards his victims, but in the tone of some of the correspondence now in the public domain. The suggestion that Mandelson was providing Epstein with commentary on sensitive political developments during the fraught period surrounding the 2010 general election, alongside allegations of sharing potentially market-sensitive material and receiving money, has been particularly damaging.

These revelations sit uneasily with Labour’s attempts to project integrity and seriousness after years of Conservative scandal. They also reopen long-standing concerns about Mandelson’s judgement, concerns that were well known during his earlier Cabinet career, but which now carry far heavier consequences given the role he was asked to play on the world stage.

The political danger for Starmer is compounded by the perception that this controversy was avoidable. Mandelson’s friendship with Epstein was already on the record when the ambassadorial appointment was made. Critics argue that failing to anticipate how further disclosures might land reflects a broader pattern of miscalculation that has frustrated Labour MPs and unsettled supporters.

At the same time, there is a striking contrast between the scrutiny now facing the UK government and the relative lack of accountability for many prominent American figures named in the Epstein files. That imbalance has fuelled a sense of injustice and disbelief, particularly among Labour supporters who fear their party is paying a disproportionate political price.

The timing could hardly be worse. With elections looming and opinion polls offering little comfort, the government is grappling with a restless parliamentary party and a Downing Street operation that many MPs privately describe as error-prone and overly defensive. The Epstein-Mandelson affair has become a focal point for wider discontent about direction, competence and political instincts.

For Labour veterans, the disappointment is acute. After a landslide victory that promised stability and renewal, the government now finds itself firefighting a crisis that cuts to the core of trust in public life. External pressures – from a harsher media environment to geopolitical instability, undoubtedly make governing harder than in previous eras. But they do not explain why unforced errors continue to accumulate.

The deeper question is whether this moment marks a turning point or a slow-burning erosion of authority. Can the government regain control of the narrative, reassert clear ethical standards and restore confidence among its own ranks? Or does the Epstein affair expose structural weaknesses in Labour’s leadership and decision-making that will continue to surface?

As police inquiries progress and political pressure mounts, one thing is clear: this story will not fade quickly. It will shape how voters, investors and international partners assess the judgement and resilience of the current government. And for a party that returned to power promising higher standards, the stakes could hardly be higher.

Alastair Campbell

Alastair Campbell is a writer, broadcaster and political strategist, best known as former Director of Communications and Strategy for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. He is the co-host of the hit podcast The Rest Is Politics with Rory Stewart, one of the UK’s most-listened-to political podcasts. Watch or listen to The Rest Is Politics, wherever you get your podcasts.