Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Two hundred UK companies sign up for permanent four-day working week
Two hundred UK companies have signed up for a permanent four-day working week for all their employees with no loss of pay, in the latest landmark in the campaign to reinvent Britain’s working week.
Together the companies employ more than 5,000 people, with charities, marketing and technology firms among the best-represented, according to the latest update from the 4 Day Week Foundation.
Proponents of the four-day week say that the five-day pattern is a hangover from an earlier economic age.
Diageo denies it is looking to sell off Guinness
Diageo has denied speculation that it is looking to sell its Guinness brand following reports of a multibillion-pound auction of the business.
Shares in the FTSE 100 drinks maker rose on Friday after Bloomberg reported that the group was weighing up a sale of the brand to raise a possible £8 billion.
Diageo initially said it would not comment on “market rumours” and the group’s shares rose by 102p, or 4.3%, to close at £25.03½.
Click here to read more.
SafeKab: The taxi app invented for women to be rolled out after success in Inverness
A safety app to provide security for taxi passengers and drivers in Inverness is being rolled out to other parts of the country.
The SafeKab system was brought in by Inverness Taxis in 2023 to give reassurance to cab users and operators.
The firm is now partnering with independent operators in Moray and Stornoway, as well in Cambridge and Bristol where the app will be available in the next few weeks.
Read the full story in the P&J.
Jaguar Land Rover bets $80m on bespoke paint services
The UK's largest luxury car maker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), says it will invest £65million ($81m) to expand its bespoke paint services in response to growing demand from wealthy customers.
The plan includes opening new paint facilities in Castle Bromwich, UK and Nitra, Slovakia.
The firm, which is owned by India's Tata Group, says it expects to more than double its bespoke paint operation, including helping clients match the colour of exclusive Range Rover SV models to their private jets or yachts.
British businesses brace themselves for trading downturn
British businesses are bracing themselves for a “significant fall” in trading over the next few months that could put more jobs at risk and provide another setback to the government’s growth plans.
The CBI said there was “widespread” pessimism across the private sector as its latest growth indicator survey found that a net 22% of private sector companies expect their output to decline between now and April.
The reading was broadly unchanged from December, which was the weakest month in more than two years and represents the latest blow to Labour’s efforts to drive economic growth.
Click here for the full story.
Elon Musk is putting Britons off buying Teslas
Britons are considering turning their backs on buying Teslas because of the behaviour of Elon Musk, the billionaire chief executive of the electric car business.
In a survey of motorists in the past week by a car sales website, which gathered more than a thousand responses, nearly 60% said that Musk was putting them off buying a Tesla.
The research comes after a series of controversial posts on social media by Musk, who also owns X, and scrutiny of his behaviour before and after the inauguration of President Trump. Musk is an adviser to the US president.