When employers are seeking to add a new employee to their operation, they generally have a list of things they are looking for. If employers are replacing an employee who left their organisation, it may be they will be seeking someone who matches the person who left, or they may be seeking something different – not to put too fine a point on it, someone better.

Tintin takes flight from Teesside in new Brussels Airlines livery Teesside Airport has hosted its first international "special livery" project, as Airbourne Colours unveiled a bespoke Tintin-themed Airbus A320 for Brussels Airlines.

A leadership expert has told business leaders struggling to focus that they need to do less - if they want to cut through the noise of the modern world.

Hermès: continues to outperform the market, with high single-digit growth becoming the new normal.

Proud Lancastrian Andrew McNair is the founder of Buynex, the cloud-based B2B procurement platform. Buynex is designed to connect buyers, suppliers and logistics partners in one simple ecosystem, removing the traditional friction and fragmentation of traditional procurement systems. Here, he discusses how procurement tools need to change to support SME growth, instead of stifle it.

Industrial park to replace derelict Huddersfield landmark Work has begun to transform the former Wappy Springs Inn in Huddersfield into a 12,000 sq ft industrial development. The site, located on Lindley Moor Road near the M62 motorway, had become a hotspot for fly-tipping and vandalism after several years of vacancy.

National Apprenticeship Week highlights a hands-on profession facing a hidden skills crisis.

Normanton-based drive technology specialist SEW-EURODRIVE UK has appointed five new team members to meet rising demand for software-led automation. The expansion spans business development, health and safety, and electronic engineering at the firm’s 10,000 sq ft West Yorkshire production site.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) has welcomed government plans to tighten rules around political donations, stating that increased transparency is vital for maintaining the UK’s economic stability. The proposed measures, contained within the Representation of the People Bill, aim to enhance security and prevent foreign interference in the democratic process.

Valentine’s Day may be marketed as harmless fun, but Andrew Macaulay‑Ferguson, Assistant Solicitor from York-based firm Hethertons, says it often exposes employers to legal and reputational risk if boundaries are not properly managed.

As National Apprenticeship Week 2026 enters its third day, the city of Hull is celebrating the success of 20-year-old Tyreece Moss, whose journey from the care system to full-time employment at a local family-run business highlights the transformative power of apprenticeships.

Salford-based brewer Hydes has doubled its apprentice intake as it marks National Apprenticeship Week (9–15 February). Following a year of successful growth in 2025, Hydes is placing vocational training at the heart of its 2026 growth strategy.

Martin Coats, Chief Operating Officer at Exemplas, which delivers the West Yorkshire Business Boost (WYBB) and Business Productivity Services with Leeds Beckett University and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, explains how West Yorkshire businesses are driving productivity by understanding blockers and increasing outputs to safeguard the Government’s economic goals. Wh…

Yorkshire enters 2026 with a distinctive mix of strengths, thanks to its diverse economy that spans from professional service firms in major cities like Leeds, Bradford, and Sheffield, to agricultural operations in the Dales and other rural areas.

Almost half (43%) of mid-sized businesses in Yorkshire are planning to increase apprenticeship hiring in 2026 following the government’s recent announcement of free training for apprentices under the age of 25, according to research from accountancy and advisory firm, BDO.

York Science Park tenant secures UK-first bioscience tech York Science Park tenant Swift Analytical Ltd has installed the UK’s first CytoStellar spectral flow cytometer at the University of York’s Bioscience Technology Facility. Swift Analytical, which has seen significant growth over the past 12 months, is the exclusive UK distributor for the manufacturer, Challenbio Ltd.

Capri Holdings: More pressure on Michael Kors to deliver a turnaround after Versace sales; Michael Kors has been slow to respond to trends, but there are opportunities in Asia outside the North American market. LSEG hit by Anthropic’s launch: proprietary data is difficult to replicate via AI alone; pricing power may shift from platforms to data.

Construction activity across the UK remained broadly flat in the final quarter of 2025, according to the latest RICS UK Construction Monitor, although forward-looking indicators point to a modest recovery in 2026. Overall workloads showed little change in Q4, with the headline net balance improving slightly to -6%, continuing a prolonged period of subdued conditions across much of the sector.

The percentage of small business owners in the North East that predict growth for the first three-months of 2026 has fallen from 24% to 22% - and has almost halved since Spring 2025 (42%), according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

Listed companies based in Yorkshire issued 13 profit warnings throughout 2025, down 32% from the 19 recorded in 2024. This marks the region’s lowest annual total since 2021 when 12 warnings were issued. EY-Parthenon report reveals that listed companies in Yorkshire operating in the FTSE Industrials super-sector issued the region’s highest number of warnings in 2025, with seven. Nationally, UK-listed businesses issued 240 profit warnings last year, down from 274 during 2024.

Today senior business leaders, metro mayors and universities convened in Manchester for the CBI-Lloyds Mayoral Summit, six months after the launch of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. Building on the success of the 2024 CBI Mayoral Roundtable, the summit focused on a singular mission: turning regional potential into tangible economic results.

Northern firms are facing the biggest shake-up to UK accounting standards in a decade as the new FRS 102 rules take effect this year. The changes, which began for accounting periods starting January 2026, overhaul how companies report income and leases.

UK SMEs are increasingly relying on AI for business advice. More than half (53%) now regularly turn to AI tools for support, with usage climbing to 60% among younger founders aged 25 to 34. Alarmingly, UK accountants have reported that businesses are already losing money by relying on AI tools like ChatGPT for tax and financial advice.

The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism in prospects for the UK economy, jumped to -48 in January 2026, from -66 in December 2025. Business leader confidence in their own organisations also jumped, to +14 in January from -4 in December.

Dior: Anderson Designs to Take Two Collections to Drive Sales; Leather Goods Key to Margins. T-glass as a potential AI chip supply chain bottleneck; Nitto Boseki’s near-monopoly is supported by decades of expertise in platinum bushing efficiency and strong supply chain relationships.

In an increasingly complex and fast-moving business environment, critical thinking has become one of the most valuable professional skills. Organisations face constant pressure from technological changes, global competition, regulatory demands, and evolving customer expectations.