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New staff holiday rule to hit SMEs

Small businesses may have to put their growth plans on hold when changes to employment rules come into force later this month.

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Small businesses tangled in red tape

Complying with government red tape can cost small businesses more than £3,600 a year.

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Small businesses urged to tighten up staff complaints process

Aggrieved employees could inflict terminal damage on your business, even after they have left your company.

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Compliance deadline looms on Data Protection Act

The first transitional period to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 ends on 23 October 2001.

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SMEs’ staff management skills not up to scratch

Small- and medium-sized firms' employers realise the value of their staff in driving forward business success according to a recent survey based on a telephone interviews with 500 SMEs.

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Larger companies lag behind in payment performance stakes

UK companies are now the second fastest at paying their bills, in Europe.

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SMEs urged to bid for public sector contracts

Tapping into the public sector contract pipeline has just been made that little bit easier following publication of a guide designed to advise small businesses on how to increase their chances of winning bids for government contracts.

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SMEs urged to wage war against cartels

The Office of Fair Trading's 'complain, comply or confess' awareness campaign to educate small businesses about the dangers of cartels may have run its course, but it stresses that the message continues to be the same: stamp them out!

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Entrepreneurs set to benefit from £1.5m ‘matchmaker’ scheme

Cash-strapped entrepreneurs with a good business idea could soon find it easier to find their ideal investment partner following the launch of a new corporate venturing 'match-making' programme by the government.

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Women urged to set up fund to support female-led businesses

Employment prospects for women in the business arena may have radically improved over the past decade or so, but there are some who still believe that the "new economy" investment and finance sector is still very much male dominated.

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Coaching for SME directors

A new course has been launched to enable young or newly appointed directors of small companies to discover more about their role and responsibilities.

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E-mail can’t beat the ‘human touch’

E-mail may be the most cost-effective form of direct marketing for small businesses on a tight budget, but it's no substitute for the personal approach.