If you have visited my instagram, you will notice that I have been doing weekly, and then I changed to monthly roundups (weekly was hard to keep up with and didnt want to start repeating items) of small business news that you should know about. I decided its probably a good idea for my SEO of the website, to write up the key information and my take on it. I spend alot of time on these posts, so I should be putting the content on other channels, so here is the first blog of August 2026 Small Business Update.
This month, I found a key platform that you should be using has had an interesting update, along with some social media updates and finance that you might not have read up on.
Please note: I am not a legal or money professional, alway do your own research into any news you are interested in.
Google Search Console adds social media tracking
This platform sits quietly in the background, and I wouldn't be surprised if some people have never looked at it. This data is not included in your Analytics by default and it has just had an upgrade!
Google Search Console is a free platform provided by Google, which allows developers and website owners to monitor their sites presence in the Google search results. In basic terms, you can see which search queries (keywords) bring users to your website, including clicks, impressions and average position for each one. It's really useful to see how your content is landing when people search on Google.
So, when I saw that you could add your social media account (instagram, x, tiktok and youtube) i jumped at the chance, because Google now indexes Instagram posts (which is my main platform). After, being on holiday for nearly two weeks and no scheduling, Im only getting a few impressions on posts but in time, I hope to see alot more insights, and which content drives traffic.
This is free, takes minutes to set up, so this is very worth it.
Read More: developers.google.com
SME confidence of growing YOY has dropped
The latest FSB data makes for sobering reading! Only 18% of UK small businesses expect to grow in the next year, while nearly one in three think they will shrink, sell, or close.
Those are the worst numbers since the FSB's Small Business Index began in 2014, with economic weakness, rising taxation, and labour costs cited as the biggest obstacles. Parliament's Business and Trade Committee responded this month by telling the government that its response to the small business crisis is inadequate, warning that businesses are closing at a rate that threatens high streets across the country.
If you're feeling the pressure right now, you're far from alone! This is a widespread picture across almost every sector. The businesses that tend to come through difficult periods are the ones that get clear on their numbers and make decisions early, rather than waiting to see how things unfold.
Shopify in talks to merge with Faire
Shopify is reportedly in substantive talks with Faire, the wholesale marketplace that connects independent brands with independent retailers. For small product businesses, the potential here is significant: if the deal goes through, it would mean being able to sell wholesale directly through Shopify without needing a separate app.
Faire already has more than 700,000 independent retailers on its books, which could open up a meaningful new sales channel for small brands who've been thinking about going wholesale but haven't had an easy way in.
Nothing is confirmed yet, but it's worth keeping an eye on. If wholesale is something you've been considering, now is a good time to start getting your wholesale pricing and terms in order.
Source: Nova Data, July 3 2026
Inflation has fallen
UK inflation fell to 2.6% in June 2026, the lowest it's been since the end of 2024 and moving in the right direction after a difficult few months.
It's still above the Bank of England's 2% target, but the downward trend means rate cuts are back on the table for later in the year if it keeps falling. For small businesses, lower inflation means returning consumer spending power.
Source: ONS via MoneyWeek, July 22 2026 | ONS Inflation Data
57% of small businesses are not ready for MTD
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is already live for sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000, and the requirement expands to those earning over £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028.
Despite this, new data shows that 57% of small businesses are still not using compatible software, which is a significant number of people who risk being caught out as the deadlines approach. Compatible software includes QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, and a handful of others. The key thing is that spreadsheets and manual records won't be sufficient once you're in scope.
Source: HMRC Making Tax Digital
In other News
- Instagram stepped up its crackdown on reposted and aggregated content in July, using AI to detect and reduce the reach of unoriginal posts. If you regularly reshare other people's content as part of your Instagram strategy, original content is what the platform is rewarding now.
- TikTok raised the bar for wide distribution this month, with videos now needing around a 70% completion rate to get pushed out broadly, which is up from 50% in 2024. Videos between 60 and 180 seconds are currently performing best, so if you're creating short sharp clips, it might be worth testing slightly longer formats.
- Amazon introduced a 75-character cap on most product titles from 27 July, alongside a new searchable "Item Highlights" field. If you sell on Amazon, it's worth checking your listings and trimming any titles that go over the limit before they get cut automatically. Source: Stack Influence, July 2026
- UK social media ban. The government confirmed this month that Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X will be blocked for under 16s by spring 2027. One to watch if your audience skews younger, though the practical impact for most small business marketing will be limited in the short term.
I hope this was useful. I'm going to carry on posting a Small Business Update round-up for the next few months, on here and medium.
But if you want bite-sized news, you can find it on instagram: @fay.the.creative.analyst