Business News Articles

Workshops for SMEs to learn from big firms
A major new initiative is being launched throughout the UK by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which will give small and medium-sized businesses the chance to learn from some of the country's biggest and most successful companies. Business Growth Clubs have been developed by the BCC and will give small firms direct access to real and practical support from industry professionals such as ... more

Unemployment rises to 2.4m
The UK unemployment rate has risen again but the rate of increase has slowed, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Unemployment rose 88,000 to 2.47m in the three months to August, while the jobless rate stayed at 7.9%. The 88,000 increase in the number of people unemployed in the quarter to August is a marked improvement on the 210,000 rise recorded for the... more

Expected postal strike dates announced
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents Royal Mail workers have said that national postal strikes could begin on Thursday the 22nd of October. The CWU have called on the Royal Mail to agree to their terms otherwise they would have ‘no option' but to strike.The CWU must give seven days notice before any strike action commences. A recent survey by the British Chambers of Comm... more

Business failures decline
The number of businesses entering administration in the third quarter of the year declined in every part of the country in every business sector compared to the second quarter, according to figures released by Equifax. Equifax's Business Failures Report revealed that every business sector has shown a downturn in businesses going bust in the third quarter compared to the previous three months. T... more

Retail sales rise in September
UK retail sales increased 2.8% in September compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Non-food non-store sales (internet, mail-order and phone sales) in September were 11.9% higher than a year ago, in line with the pick-up in store sales. Postal strikes are now a serious concern for online retailers. "For some customers confid... more

Downturn leads to greater efficiency
Almost 65% of business owners think that the recession has actually made their firms more efficient, according to research conducted by as part of the Barclays Take One Small Step Campaign. The survey also found that 34% have taken on a greater focus on customer service and a quarter of businesses said they had made improvements to their business strategy as a result of the downturn "Busines... more

Work/life balance improves profits
Small companies that help employees achieve a good work/life balance earn 20% more per year from each employee, according to research conducted by talent development firm Morgan Redwood. The businesses surveyed understand that a good work/life balance is important with 93% believing there is some connection between the wellbeing of their staff and the performance of their business and 58% sayin... more

80% of SME websites ‘have faults’
Over 80% of consumers that accessed small and medium-sized business websites found faults, according to data released by Streamline.net. The survey revealed that 83% of users on SME websites faced faults including unfinished web pages, broken URLs and email addresses and an out-dated design. The top design gripe with SME websites is an outdated website design, faced by one third of users in ... more

Mortgage lending falls in August
The number of new mortgages approved for house purchases declined in August from July, according to figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The number of new mortgages granted in August fell to 53,000 from 56,000 in July, although the figure is 29% higher than in August last year. According to data released by major lenders house prices have been steadily rising over the l... more

50% of staff 'understand' pay freezes
Almost half of workers in the UK understand why their bosses have frozen their pay, according to research conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). 49% of respondents said that they understood their employers' decision due to the current economic climate and just 8% said the changes made them angry. A third of workers said they found such decisions de-motivating. While workers are gener... more