Business Features

The firm run by a man dubbed "Britain's kindest plumber" faked stories of helping people as it raised millions in donations, the BBC can reveal.

The new version of the AI chatbot has been programmed to sound chatty and sometimes even flirtatious in its responses. https://lnkd.in/eqb36rJj

The slowness of the UK's tax authority HMRC is holding back entrepreneurs, according to a business group. Buy Women Built (BWB) says its members have been left frustrated when trying to access tax incentive schemes designed to support start-ups. Dougal Shaw reports. #entrepreneur #hmrc #tax #startup

The Metals Company, uses remote-controlled machines the size of trucks "to scoop up rocks sitting on the sea floor". These rocks are then crushed and processed to release a number of key minerals in high demand for the production of batteries - cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese. Emma Woollacott reports for our New Tech Economy series.

"It is an industry that has seen a lot of turbulence over the last few years. There's been disruption to supply chains during the pandemic, and geopolitical tensions in Asia, where 90% of the world's most advanced chips originate." Hannah M. reports for our Technology of Business strand.

Shops are struggling on the UK's High Streets with footfall still well below pre-pandemic levels and many units lying empty. However, some believe online businesses appearing in pop-up shops can help to solve the problem. Dougal Shaw reports.

"LED lighting has been around for decades but many businesses are yet to install it. That's partly down to the upfront cost of a switchover." Chris Baraniuk reports for our Technology of Business series. #tech #lighting #sustainability #environment #bbc #bbcnews

"The idea behind these corridors is that cargo ships travel along the routes using only zero or low emission fuels. To help make this possible, both Rotterdam and Singapore are building new storage facilities for green fuels, such as ammonia and methanol, as alternatives to fuel oil." Jørn Madslien reports for our Technology of Business series. #tech #maritime #shipping #sustainability #environment #bbcnews

"The AI works by using adapted human facial recognition software to identify each whale's uniquely shaped, coloured or marked tail." Andrea Murad reports for our Artificial Intelligence series. #ai #artificialintelligence #nature #tech #bbc #bbcnews

"A viral Facebook post nearly blew up our business." Joanna Jensen, founder of skincare brand Childs Farm, explains to Dougal Shaw how an unexpected social media post by a customer taught her the value of building strong relationships with your suppliers, for our CEO Secrets series.