mirror.co.uk DM1ST WEDNESDAY 04.03.2020 DAILY MIRROR^33
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GRAHAM
HISCOT TEdited by[email protected] @grahamhiscott 020 7293 3030Smiths WH .............................1952.0 +59.0
Stagecoach ..............................120.7 -4.9
Standard Chartered ............538.2 -12.2
Standard Life Aberdeen....279.9 +4.2
TalkTalk ......................................109.3 +0.3
Taylor Wimpey ........................207. 8 +4.9
Tesco ..........................................235.1 +6.9
Unilever .................................4382.5 +62.5
United Utilities ......................979.6 +20.6
Vodafone ..................................133.5 -0.0
Reach PLC ...............................139.6 +4.4Imperial Brands ..................1583.8 +20.8
International Airlines Grp 464.4 +31.3
ITV .................................................116.7 +1.9
Kingfisher .................................188.6 +3.6
Land Securities .....................830.8 +9.8
Legal & General .....................265.1 +10.6
Lloyds ...........................................48.7 -0.9
Marks & Spencer ...................163.8 +6.4
Morrison .....................................176.1 -4.0
National Grid .........................1013.4 +7. 2
Next ..........................................6162.0 +136.0
Ocado ........................................1126.0 +6.5
Pearson ....................................554.0 +4.0
Prudential ..............................1263.0 -7.0
Reckitt Benckiser ...............5786.0 +38.0
RELX .........................................1920.5 +35.0
Rentokil Initial .......................525.4 +12.2
Rio Tinto .................................3821.5 +101.5
Rolls-Royce .............................635.8 +20.0
Royal Dutch Shell B .............1721.0 +9.0
Royal Mail ..................................161.1 -0.0
RSA .............................................522.0 +4.0
RBS ..............................................170.5 -2.1
J Sainsbury .............................206.3 +2.0
SSE .............................................1578.0 +32.5
Severn Trent ........................2594.0 +47.0
Serco...........................................152.3 +2.1
Smith & Nephew ..................1794.0 +24.0Anglo American ..................1903.0 +58.4
AB Foods ................................2279.0 +1 7.0
Admiral Group .....................2186.0 +46.0
AstraZeneca ..........................7172.0 +162.0
Aviva PLC .................................346.0 +2.8
BAE Systems............................612.0 +1.2
BAT ...........................................3099.5 +99.0
Balfour Beatty .......................243.4 +0.6
Barclays.....................................139.6 -3.7
BHP Group .............................1462.8 +13.8
BR Land Co ..............................504.2 +10.2
BP .................................................415.0 +3.7
BT .................................................139.7 -0.1
Capita Group ...........................128.4 -0.2
Carnival ..................................2329.0 -4.0
Centrica .......................................73.8 +0.5
Compass ..................................1713.0 +12.5
Diageo ....................................2820.5 +9.0
Direct Line ...............................324.0 +11.8
Dixons Carphone ....................115.0 -3.9
Easyjet ....................................1070.0 +7. 5
Ei Group ....................................284.6 0.0
Ferguson ...............................7002.0 +222.0
Frasers Group .........................361.4 -8.6
GlaxoSmithKline .................1608.0 -22.0
Halfords .....................................136.5 -5.0
Hays ............................................133.5 -2.1
HSBC ..........................................509.8 -10.3ftse 100
Holiday £
Euro ..................................................... 1.130
Australian Dollar ........................... 1.890
Bulgarian Lev .................................2.152
Canadian Dollar ............................. 1.660
Croatian Kuna .................................8.266
Egyptian Pound ............................ 17.519
New Zealand Dollar .......................1 .974
Polish Zloty .....................................4.765
South African Rand ....................19.119
Swiss Franc .......................................1.193
Thai Baht .......................................38.643
Turkish Lira ...................................... 7.371
UAE Dirham .....................................4.545
US Dollar ............................................1.254up 63.1 at 6718.2 Oil = $52.22[email protected] • Biz Bureau, Your Money, Daily Mirror, One Canada Square, London, E14 5APDespite turbulent economic
times and the uncertainty
over how Brexit will affect
businesses, the outlook for
2020 looks rosy on the small
business front.
New research reveals
there could be a record
number of new startups this year,
with 1.8million people planning on
setting up shop.
That’s 30% more than the
1.4million new limited company and
self-employed registrations in 2019.
Research among 2,500 people
by financial management firm
Intuit QuickBooks also found a
number of other factors that
indicate confidence in the small
business community.
One in five respondents said they
are likely to move from kitchen tableto premises for the first time. One in
three established business owners
say they will employ at least one
new person as they continue to grow
their company.
Chris Evans, vice president and
UK country manager at Intuit
QuickBooks, said: “Our research
shows there’s optimism across
the country.PrOSPEr
“And particularly for those
keen to either start or grow their
own business.
“Small businesses are the
backbone of our economy – we need
to do everything we can to support
them, to help them be more
productive and prosper.”
One in 10 self-employed people
plan to take on their first employeethis year – but just over a quarter
are worried about being able
to consistently afford their salary,
along with issues around
understanding employment and
payroll regulations and being able
to stand out from the crowd of
employers to lure the best talent.
Chris added: “I am regularly
speaking to small business
owners across the country and I
understand the challenges they can
face on a daily basis, just to keep on
an even keel.
“The prospect of increasing sales
or workforce can be both exciting
and also daunting, especially if that
means taking on more responsibility.
“However, with the right digital
tools and support in place, you
can run and grow your business
with confidence.”Startups set to hit record high despite Brexit
help and support, which helped us
in the early days.
Jo Chidley, by emailBiz replies
It is so lovely to hear from you again,
Jo, and we are impressed with what
you have achieved with your Beauty
Kitchen business in such a short
space of time. The credentials ofa natural
Jo’s sustainable
products have really
been taking off
my firm iSwinning
Beauty
conteStS
Dear Biz
You featured my Beauty Kitchen
(beautykitchen.co.uk) business
offering natural and sustainable
skin, haircare, bath and body
products in March last year.
I thought you might like to
hear how things have progressed
since then.
The business is really taking off
and I’m delighted to say that our
products are now stocked in
Boots, Holland & Barrett,
Sainsbury’s and Lloyds Pharmacy.
We have been named
Sustainable Skincare Brand of the
Year at the Sustainable Lifestyle
Awards, which is very exciting.
We have launched a return +
refill + repeat programme, which
is based on the simple milkman
model, whereby customers
receive products in a bottle, use it
and return it for refilling.
Our latest launch The
Sustainables – made with natural,
organic, cruelty-free, sustainable
and vegan ingredients, with 100%
recyclable packaging and included
in return and refill – has been an
amazing sell-out.
We have plans to launch 1,000
Beauty Kitchen refill stations in
the UK over the next two years
with the aim of saving 100million
plastic bottles from going to
landfill. Thanks so much for youryour products and the refill and
reuse option are just what people
want as they are looking for
products without chemicals, that
are sustainable and don’t end
up creating a mountain of
single-use plastic.
Keep up the excellent work and
good luck with growing your
business further. Stay in touch to let
us know how things are going.biz
tips
EXPERT
hElP
for your
business6
The owner of price comparison
website GoCompare is counting
the cost of growing its auto-switching
energy arm. GoCo’s Autosave business- Weflip and Look After My Bills – grew
customer numbers by 71% to 300,000
in under six months which was 80,000
ahead of schedule. It has a target of
420,000 over the next six months. But
it splashed out £13million on
marketing costs, which
meant group underlying
operating profits plunged by
39.8% to £26.5m.
BOOMING pasty chain Greggs could
roll out an overseas expansion.
The Newcastle-based baker has floated
the idea of opening shops abroad if it runs
out of room to grow here.
Boss Roger Whiteside said that from
2025 onwards “we will have to look
beyond the UK for growth”.
Greggs’ previous overseas’ foray, to
Belgium, flopped. Whiteside said: “The
difference this time round is we are much
broader developed.”
Another option being considered could
be a non-Greggs-branded chain to appeal
to posher customers.
Greggs already has more than 2,000 UK
shops, and plans to open 100 a year, with
analysts predicting it could get to 3,000.
All new outlets are in places such as
railway stations and office parks. It’s alsotrialling five concessions in Asda super-
markets, and food deliveries, with take-
away app Just Eat.
The news came as Greggs announced
record annual sales rose 13.5% to almost
£1.3billion, helped by the storming
success of its vegan sausage roll.
Profits soared 31% to £108.3million.
Sales took a battering from the recent
storms, with a flooded bakery in Wales
halting production of vegan doughnuts
and Welsh cakes.
And the firm warned demand would be
hit if the coronavirus crisis led to people
avoiding shops or working from home.
Greggs, already big in the food-on-the-
go market, is now competing with coffee
giants Starbucks and Costa.
It’s now number three and plans
more coffee-led shops.On a
roll
greggS gearing up to go gloBal
inSurer’S £35m Blow
The recent storms have blown at least a
£35million hole in insurer Direct Line’s bill
for claims. The Churchill and Green Flag
owner also said the coronavirus outbreak
may hit its travel insurance arm this year,
while stock market disruption could knock
its investments. The admission came as
annual profits dropped 12.2% to £509.7m.
Direct Line last week announced it was
axing around 800 jobs as part of £50m
of costcutting.