Business News Articles

Time constraints hindering recruitment
Business owners say that they are spending too much time dealing with the recruitment process and agencies and are potentially missing out on good candidates as their process takes too long, according to data released by recruitment firm TalentPuzzle. Over 70% of the respondents admitted that because of lack of time they were limiting their recruitment pool and missing out on potentially good c... more

270,000 civil servants begin strike
Up to 270,000 civil servants have begun a 48-hour strike over redundancy pay, in the biggest unrest by the sector in more than two decades. Courts, jobcentres, driving tests, tax offices, border controls and passports are amongst some of the services that will be affected The strike, called by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), will also see civilian staff working for the Met Po... more

SMEs without websites 'risk failure'
Small businesses owners must be aware of a new survey by Tenon that has revealed that companies that do not trade online are 30% more likely to fail. Businesses have been told they must do more to provide customers with easy online access to products and services if they want to ensure long-term survival. Despite over 33 million consumers making an online purchase last year - an increase of ... more

FPB warns about cowboy rating surveyors
Small business owners have been warned by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) about ‘cowboy' rating surveyors that are attempting to profiteer from the recent rates revaluation. The FPB made the warning after experiencing a surge in calls from members complaining about rogue operators. The problem has materialised due to the recent rates revaluation, which decided how much businesses would ha... more

Interest rates held again at 0.5%
The Bank of England has kept interest rates at the historic low of 0.5% for the 12th month in succession. This decision was widely expected, as it is feared that any rise in the cost of borrowing could damage the country's economic recovery. Despite the UK officially exiting recession with a 0.3% growth in the last quarter of 2009, some economists are warning that the recovery is still fragi... more

Car sales rise 26%
Car sales in the UK increased by 26% in February compared with the same month last year, according to data released by Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). There were just over 68,000 new cars registered last month as car sales rose for the eighth month in succession. The SMMT have estimated that the government's car scrappage scheme - due to finish at the end of the month - ac... more

Small firms hit by government stealth tax
The flat rate VAT charged by HMRC to small companies has risen in just under half of all business sectors, according to data released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Flat rate VAT is charged to the smallest businesses with a turnover of less than £150,000 and aims to minimise the red tape around administering VAT. “When VAT was lowered in December 2008 many rates stayed the s... more

Consumer confidence hits two-year high
UK consumer confidence has risen to the highest point for two years, according to a survey by Nationwide. Nationwide's consumer confidence index increased by six points to 80 during February, and now stands at its highest level since January 2008. Expectations over the future of the economy reached a new high, with 39% of those questioned believing that the economic situation would be better... more

UK jobs market is ‘recovering’
The UK jobs market has seen the largest growth in new permanent staff positions for two and a half years, according to a survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG. More full-time jobs were filled last month than at any time since July 2007. The growth in new job creation is being led by the IT, engineering and construction sectors. However, the survey also revealed that... more

Service sector growth hits 3-year high
The service sector in the UK expanded in February at the fastest monthly pace for three years, according to data produced by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS). The CIPS index rose to 58.4 from 54.5 the previous month, its highest since January 2007. Any index score above 50 indicates growth. Areas covered in the services sector include transport and communication, finan... more