Business Air ran SF340s on a host of domestics into ABZ, EDI, GLA, MAN as well as a load of night time flying for Royal Mail. In later years they carried Lufthansa titles on the rear fuselage in recognition of co-operation in feeding LH over Manchester from Scotland.
They were operating as British Midland by ~ 1996 and the SF340s were painted into the 1990s blue colours, then the later dark scheme before being replaced by the EMB-145s which were branded as "British Midland". The "Regional" titles came with the rebranding to BMI in ~ 2001.
BMI allegedly bought them in 2001 for £1.
What was the situation prior to 2001? Was it a franchise?