Liverpool Business News (LBN) replaces YBnews, which, over the past couple of years, has established itself as the ‘go-to’ outlet for business news across the Liverpool city region

Today we launch a brand new business news website offering comprehensive coverage of Liverpool city region’s business world, seven days a week.

Liverpool Business News (LBN) replaces YBnews, which, over the past couple of years, has established itself as the ‘go-to’ outlet for Merseyside business news.

For the past two years, YBnews has been written and produced by Jennie Lewis and Tony McDonough who both felt the site needed a clearer identity – hence LBN was born.

The new site has been developed with the help of digital marketing agency, Verb Marketing – one of Liverpool’s most dynamic and fastest-growing businesses.

LBN will offer news, views, insight and analysis across a range of sectors and aims to shine a spotlight on the city region’s too often unsung entrepreneurs and their small and medium-sized businesses.

Merseyside is one of the most entrepreneurial regions in the UK and, while most business news focuses on the larger firms and ‘big picture’ economic issues, we aim to give equal prominence to those creating jobs and prosperity across the region.

Both Jennie and Tony are well-known in Liverpool’s media industry. Starting out as a reporter, over the past decade Jennie has established herself as a key player in the North West PR sector, working in-house, in agencies and independently for a number of blue chip professional firms.

Tony has worked as a journalist in Liverpool for more than 25 years, 15 as a business reporter. While working for the Liverpool Daily Post he won the UK Press Gazette Business & Financial Journalist of the Year accolade.

Jennie said: “I identified the need for a business news platform in Liverpool more than two years ago and saw the acquisition of YBnews as a major opportunity.

“Liverpool is a city renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and business prowess. Since 2014, we have hosted major global business events and attracted delegates and investors from all over the world – it seemed bonkers to me that we didn’t have a dedicated business news stream.

“With the appointment of Tony in September 2016 and our extended network of writers and contributors, the business has gone from strength to strength. With the continued support of our valued sponsors and partners, and with guidance from the team at Verb, we’re confident that we can become the number one source for business news in the Liverpool city region.”

Tony added: “There are thousands of entrepreneurs across the Liverpool city region helping to drive forward our economy and I passionately believe they deserve recognition and a voice.

“It is something we have been offering with YBnews and now, via LBN, we can take that on to a new level. This new brand consolidates our position in the marketplace and is indicative of how we have grown.”

Verb Marketing itself is quickly establishing a reputation for delivering for its clients. In the four years since it started it has generated more than £23m in extra revenues for its clients.

Managing director at Verb, Dean Currall, said: “We jumped at the chance to build the new LBN website. It was a project I was really excited about and I think we have created an amazing platform that will do justice to the depth of content produced by Jennie, Tony and the wider LBN team.”