Business News Articles

UK retail sales increase by 0.9%
UK retail sales rose by 0.9% in April compared to March, according to official figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This sales increase is almost double analyst expectations, and backs up recently released figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) that also showed that sales have risen in this sector. "This official data confirms our own findings that April's re... more

BAA appeals against order to sell three airports
BAA has launched an appeal against the Competition Commission's ruling that it must sell off three of its airports. The commission ruled in March that BAA must sell Gatwick and Stansted airports and either Edinburgh or Glasgow airport within two years. BAA has launched an appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal that the ruling failed to take account of the ‘adverse financial impact' that... more

Manufacturers expect rate of decline to ease
UK manufacturing firms expect the decline in activity to ease in the next quarter, according to figures released in the Confederation of British Industry's Industrial Trends survey. The survey for May reveals that 17% of manufacturers expect their output to increase over the next three months, against 34% that anticipate a drop in activity. The resulting balance of -17% is up from -32% in Ap... more

Half of small firms confused over how to improve energy efficiency
Half of all small businesses are unclear over what action they should be taking in order to become more energy efficient, according to a survey conducted by British Gas Business. The poll also found that while 97% of small firms are concerned about reducing their energy consumption, 23% feel there is a lack of information on how to achieve this. "Small businesses often lack the resources of ... more

Small companies owed £10bn in outstanding payments
Small companies in the UK are owed £10bn in outstanding payments, according to a report by Barclays Local Business. The report reveals that on an average day small businesses are left £2,440 out of pocket as a result of suppliers or customers failing to pay up during the standard 30-day invoicing period. The figure is up £1.7bn on last year and means that small companies have lost out on ... more

Small businesses risk losing out by not targeting new clients
Small companies are holding back on investing more resources into trying to attract new customers during the recession, according to a survey from data solutions provider Lloyd James Group. The survey found that only 42% of respondents from businesses with 1-10 employees and 49% of those from companies with 11-50 employees supported the idea of boosting investment in the targeting of new busine... more

25% of small firms concerned over new health and safety laws
A quarter of small business owners are concerned that they will be prosecuted by the HSE over their firm's health and safety standards when new legislation is implemented on the 3rd of June, according to a research by the Forum of Private Business (FPB). The Health and Safety Executive's new workplace strategy will put small firm owners under increased pressure to work closer with employees to ... more

Media skills application available on iPhone
Small business owners and entrepreneurs can have media skills training on their mobile phone thanks to a new application for the Apple iPhone. The new application aims to give business leaders, entrepreneurs and start-ups the skills needed to engage with the media and conduct successful media interviews. "We've made media training mobile and our aim is to put the PR skills needed to conduct ... more

UK inflation rates fall again
Inflation in the UK slowed in April as energy and food prices continued to decline, according to figures recently released by the Office for National Statistics. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) fell to 2.3% from 2.9% in March and the Retail Prices Index (RPI), fell further to -1.2% from -0.4%, the biggest drop since records began over sixty years ago. The main difference between the two rate... more

Company liquidations rise over 50% in a year
Small businesses are being warned that they must introduce more effective debt collection procedures, following new figures revealing that company failures have increased 56% since last year. Debt recovery law firms are also reporting an unprecedented jump in the volume of bad debt being chased, with debt firm Lovetts claiming pursuance of bad debt is up 97% since the first quarter of 2008. ... more