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The small business blog for owner managers providing opinion & comment on all things related to small businesses

Procurement reform little help for SMEs

The government’s plans to make it easier for SMEs to apply for public sector contracts have been met with frustration by small businesses.

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Business Growth Stories

The news is awash with the critical impact spending cuts could have on small businesses, but a poll by SmallBusiness.co.uk tells a more positive story of companies' bullish plans to expand.

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Face up to pension reform

It seems that small business owners are shying away from facing the heavy impact auto enrolment pensions could have on their company.

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Antisocial media

As important as iPods, mobile phones and cloud computing are for the march of progress, perhaps it’s time to stop seeing innovation and technology as universal forces of good.

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Better with age? Older workers versus younger workers

Not so long ago a government report concluded that two-thirds of employers felt that 16-year old school leavers were well prepared for work.

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Where is the next Branson?

As great as Richard Branson has been for championing entrepreneurship in the UK, it can't be right that he still remains this country's epitome of the successful, independent businessman.

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The golden age of business

Many were surprised to learn that the 85-year-old former Labour MP, Tony Benn, has invented a suitcase-cum-chair. Not least The Daily Mail, which chortled: ‘The scourge of capitalism turns entrepreneur by inventing the “Seatcase”.'

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Don’t fear failure

Company failures are set to increase. And although this may sound like terrifying news to many small businesses, bankruptcy is not the end of the world.

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The golden age of business

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Don’t fear failure

Company failures are set to increase. And although this may sound like terrifying news to many small businesses, bankruptcy is not the end of the world.

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Bad managers? Survey of workers about how they view their managers

An effective boss doesn't have to be liked. If you're too close to staff you'll be regarded as a walkover, but if you go the other way and constantly criticise your employees, then they'll stop working for you.

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Equal footing

Small businesses have a lot to gain by having a diverse workforce, writes Les Venus, board member at the UK Council for Access and Equality.

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Tax and small businesses

Collecting tax is an expensive business. It’s thought to cost around £15 billion to £20 billion a year in the UK, which is one of only three countries out of 43 advanced economies where the cost of tax collection is not dropping.

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