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CEBR says Bank of England has little power over inflation
The Bank of England cannot do much to fight inflation and policymakers are being forced to ‘sit on their hands’ rather than address the problem, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) believes.
Victory for Dragons' Den duo
Dragons’ Den entrepreneurs Carolyn Jarvis and Charlotte Evans received a big spike in website hits and customer enquiries after receiving an investment of £80,000 from serial entrepreneur Deborah Meaden.
SME suppliers: Size matters
More than half of private sector businesses believe SME suppliers are less competitive than their larger counterparts, according to new research from BT Business and Cisco.
Fraud not our fault, say SMEs
Nearly all of the UK’s small online businesses believe that fraud is not their responsibility, a survey of 350 businesses reveals.
Wasteful printing is costing SMEs
More than half of office workers admit to wastefully printing documents, according to a survey of 2,000 office workers released by government-funded programme Envirowise.
BCC calls for fairer small business energy deal
Small firms are vulnerable to unscrupulous energy suppliers because they are not entitled to the same level of transparency as domestic consumers, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) claims.
Unqualified accountants 'causing problems for SMEs'
Business groups are calling on parliament to make 'accountant' a legally-recognised term to prevent those without the right training putting small firms at risk through offering ineffective counsel.
Economists: Bad publicity helping provoke recession
Bad publicity is helping to fuel poor sentiment and pessimism among businesses and consumers, according to Capital Economics.
Business leaders dispute interest rate decision
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee's (MPC's) decision to keep interest rates at their previous level of five per cent has been questioned by business leaders.
Insolvencies hit new high
Company liquidations have increased across England and Wales in the second quarter of 2008, reveal statistics from the government’s Insolvency Service.
Better health and safety info could save £300m, BERR says
Improving the health and safety information available to small firms could save them £300 million in total, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) claims.
SMEs are flourishing online
Small online businesses are flourishing, according to trade body for online retailers IMRG.
BRC: Recession not imminent
Growth in sales may slow but the economy will not go into recession, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) predicts.
Tipping legislation not a quick fix, experts say
Hurried legislation on tipping will damage small outlets, the British Hospitality Association (BHA) says.
Tough times can help long-term productivity, group says
Financial problems caused by the credit crunch will encourage producers to improve their profit margins and become more efficient, the Manufacturing Institute believes.