Business News Articles

Firms wasting money on health and safety
Small and medium-sized business in the UK could save between £70-£140m by improving their health and safety practices, according to a report by the Risk and Regulation Advisory Council (RRAC). The report found that small firms do not have confidence in their health and safety procedures and are spending tens of millions of pounds on "unnecessary" consultancy fees. The three main causes to ... more

House prices rise again
House prices in the UK have risen for the fourth month in succession following a 1.6% increase in August, according to data released by the Nationwide. Property prices are still lower than last year but the annual rate of decline in property values has slowed to 2.7%. The average price of a home is now £160,000, up from £158,000 in July. A key reason why house prices have contiunued to ris... more

New initiative to cut SMEs energy bills
Thousands of small and medium-sized businesses could reduce their energy costs through a new programee announced by the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust's Big Business Refit will offer expert advice and financial support to SMEs to cut their energy costs through scrapping old inefficient equipment and replacing them with energy efficient measures. It is estimated that small firms in the UK can sa... more

SMEs unaware of government support
Over half of small and medium-sized businesses are unaware of the amount of financial support available from the government, according to research by the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA). 56% of respondents revealed that they have not heard of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, Working Capital Scheme or the Capital Enterprise Fund, all of which have all been developed by the Governm... more

Regus sees office demand grow
An increase in the number of start-up companies seeking office space has helped Regus boost results amid signs that commercial landlords are beginning to find willing tenants again. Regus - the world's biggest provider of outsourced office space - has said that demand from workers made redundant who had stated their own company had driven demand for office space. "This has been a terrible re... more

Mortgage approvals reach 17-month high
The number of mortgages approved for house purchases by the seven major High Street banks is at the highest level for 17 months, according to figures released by the British Bankers' Association (BBA). The BBA's figures reveal that approvals in July rose 7.4% from the previous month and represent a 77% increase from July last year. "The numbers of mortgages approved for house purchase each m... more

Online sales rise 16% in July
Online sales increased 16% in July despite the recession, according to figures released in the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. Overall online sales were 16.8% higher in July than the same month last year, compared to a 3.3% in high street shops. The data highlights the importance to all small firms of having a fully functioning website that can drive sales. "Online has proved ... more

Mobile phones extending working week
The working week for many workers is being extended to 55 hours a week because of the rise in remote working through mobile phones and other devices, according to research by employment law firm Peninsula. The increased availability of mobile devices that allow staff to work while away from the office has assisted small business owners by making their workforce more flexible, but there is a dan... more

New firms ‘coping well with recession’
Small and new businesses are coping with the recession better than larger firms, according to research by online accounting service by FreeAgent Central. Over 65% of new businesses reported that their business income has stayed the same throughout the recession and that SMEs are the most optimistic about their firm's future, with 36% of them describing their outlook for the future as ‘very ... more

Postal workers start week-long strike
Small business owners are being warned that fresh postal strikes will occur in the UK this week as part pf a continuing dispute over job cuts and modernisation. Up to 20,000 postal workers will take strike action over the next week as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) claim that their workers are, "facing a beating on all aspects of their working lives." However, the strike is another un... more