Latest News
New start-up programme approved
Lord Peter Mandelson has given the go-ahead for a new £35 million scheme to create over 12,500 new businesses in the north-west.
Tax third-biggest expense for SMEs
Cash-strapped SMEs are spending a significant proportion of expenditure on taxation, research by debt protection group Creditsafe reveals.
Tax return scam warning
Just weeks before the deadline for filing tax returns, fraudsters are targeting individuals with scam emails.
Firms' gender pay gap figures to be revealed
Companies may be forced to publish figures on the pay difference between male and female employees, in changes to the government's equality bill.
Poor health and safety could see firms go under
Health and safety could make or break a company, as one expert warns firms which play at it will find it hard to survive the current climate.
Entrepreneurs adding a day to their working week
Entrepreneurs are adding eight hours to their working week in a bid to counter the effects of the recession, new research shows.
Lack of credit 'could lead to 1930's-level recession'
The lack of credit is the biggest concern facing businesses in 2009 and could lead to the recession reaching levels seen in the 1930s, one expert asserts.
Businesses should conduct health checks
Firms should conduct a company MOT to ensure they are maximising cashflow, marketing and business opportunities and are able to survive the current tough conditions.
Rate cut should be 1%
The monetary policy committee should cut rates to one per cent this Thursday but this alone will be inadequate and should be backed up with other, far-reaching policies, one organisation states.
SMEs lacking pension schemes
The vast majority of SMEs do not offer workplace pension schemes, according to a survey by advisory body the Association of Consulting Actuaries (ACA).
Firms 'should consider long-term cost of redundancies'
Firms should consider the ultimate cost of redundancies and use them as a last resort to cut outgoings, after it was revealed it comes at a price of over £16,000 per employee.
No minimum wage increase, urges business group
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to recommend a zero per cent increase on the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
SMEs hit by manufacturing slump
Small businesses involved in manufacturing are being hit hard as the sector experiences its deepest downturn for 17 years.
Pensions 'not deciding factor'
Companies may no longer need to offer attractive pension and employee benefit packages as jobseekers do not see it as a determining factor, according to one group.
Businesses shut down for long Christmas break
Half a million small businesses are closing their doors for the two-week period over Christmas, which is the highest figure since the 1990s.