Business News Articles

CBI calls for more apprentices
The UK government must spend more money to create extra apprentices to tackle youth unemployment, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The CBI have called on the government to spend £125m to fund 50,000 new apprenticeships with firms receiving a subsidy of £2,500 towards the cost of training each extra apprentice. Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics ... more

65% of SMEs networking once a week
Over 65% of small and medium-sized businesses owners are networking in person at least once a week, according to research from www.Business-Scene.com. Despite the rise in popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter - an estimated 700,000 businesses are now using Twitter in the UK - networking in person can bring real business benefits. The research has revealed that on... more

Record recovery for business confidence
Confidence among business professionals has risen to its highest level in over two years, according to research conducted by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Optimism hit its highest level in two years in the third quarter of the year, with confidence increasing to 4.8 at the end of June, from -28 at the end of March. "This quarter's BCM suggests that the ... more

Small firms warned over ‘fake loans’
The number of small and medium-sized companies being conned by rogue lenders has significantly risen in the recession, according to the Serious Fraud Office. With businesses still struggling to get loans from banks rising numbers of companies are turning to fraudsters who offer a loan for a large upfront fee, only for the loan to never materialise. The Serious Fraud Office has said they have... more

75% of homeowners say prices will stabilise
75% of homeowners do not think that house prices will fall any further in 2009, according to a survey by Rightmove. This is despite the property site seeing asking prices decrease by 2.2% in August compared to a 0.6% rise in the previous month. This optimism is due to a general feeling that the housing market has already reached the bottom, commented Miles Shipside, commercial director of Ri... more

Decline in UK car output easing
The number of new cars made in the UK declined 17% in July compared to the same month last year, but this is the smallest drop of the year so far, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The decline to 107,635 new cars has led to hopes that that industry is beginning to stabilise and that the car scrappge scheme is having a positive impact. "Th... more

Energy firms squeeze SMEs for payment
Britain's big energy companies are forcing up to 250,000 small businesses to pay for their energy up to six months in advance. In the current economic climate with cash flow tight for many small firms there are concerns that this new stance from energy companies could force some SMEs out of business. Alistair Buchanan, chief executive of Ofgem, the energy regulator, called the companies to a... more

UK businesses confident over future
Over 70% of businesses describe their attitude towards the UK economy as either hopeful or excited, according to new research from Barclays Bank. The Connecting Business survey found that 57% of respondents characterised their outlook towards the economy as ‘hopeful' and 17% described their attitude as ‘excited.' 15% of respondents believe that their firm will move back into sustained gr... more

Firms worried about talent exodus
Small business bosses are worried that they will lose important staff when the economy emerges from the recession, according to a survey by business advisory firm Deloitte. The survey revealed that 65% of businesses are extremely worried about losing valued staff once the jobs market recovers and big firms start recruiting again. Businesses are advised to make sure that they engage with thei... more

Retail sales grow 0.4%
UK retail sales increased by 0.4% in July from June, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). July's retail growth is more than economists had predicted and means that the annual jump of 3.3% is the highest rate since August 2008. Clothing and footwear sales rose 10.3% from July last year and household goods sold increased by 4.5%. "Overall, today's retai... more