New research by Direct Line for Business has highlighted the potential financial consequences for small businesses that are unexpectedly forced to stop trading because of a disruption.

After a number of high profile corporate governance failings, such as those relating to BHS and Sports Direct, the UK Parliament’s Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS) Committee recently launched a corporate governance inquiry.

Businesses across the UK are making increasingly larger investments in their intangible assets, such as R&D, software and design, according to new research by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO).