Business News Articles

Consumer confidence in online shopping rises
Over 50% of consumers believe that shopping online is as safe as in purchasing goods in a store, according to a report by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Confidence in online security has jumped markedly from 2006, when only 26% thought that online shopping was as safe as shopping in a store. However, almost a third of internet users are still not shopping online due to safety concerns, wi... more

63% of businesses reduce their workforce
In the last year 63% of businesses in the UK have reduced their workforce and 60% have introduced recruitment freezes, according to new research by Croner Reward. The survey also found that 30% of companies have reduced overtime, 12% have cut it completely and 22% of employers have introduced a pay freeze this year. "Around 12 months ago we saw some confusion creeping into the minds of emplo... more

Minimum wage rising to £5.80 an hour from October
The government have announced that the minimum wage in the UK for workers over 21 years old will rise by 7p to £5.80 an hour from October this year. The rate for 18 to 21-year-olds will increase by 6p to £4.83 and for 16 and 17-year-olds will go up by 4p to £3.57. Many small business groups had called on the government to freeze the minimum wage due to the number of companies that are str... more

'Obsessive optimism' the key to entrepreneurial success
Obsessive optimism is the key to being a great entrepreneur, according to a poll by O2. The survey of 500 business leaders found that the most important traits that successful entrepreneurs have are obsessive optimism, enjoyment of responsibility, a desire to achieve and the urge to be self-employed from childhood. Education had little impact on the road to success for the business leaders s... more

80% of consumers reject government car scrappage scheme
Seven out of ten consumers do not believe that the government's car scrappage scheme is generous enough and 81% will not use it, according to a poll by car price guide Parker's. The scheme, which starts on May 18th, will see £2,000 paid to motorists that scrap cars registered before 31 August 1999 to buy a new car. The government and the car industry will equally provide this money. However... more

Orange unveil special offer for small companies
Existing small and medium-sized companies that sign up to Orange's new Business Everywhere plan will receive a discount of up to 50%. The offer runs from May 1st until July 31st and provides SMEs with unlimited mobile broadband access for £7.50 a month. "Mobile broadband has really taken off across all industries and business sizes. Our own research shows that a key driver for customers ado... more

80% of businesses increasing energy efficiency initiatives
Eight out of ten businesses are planning to increase their company's energy efficiency, according to research by the npower Business Energy Index. The survey found that businesses are implementing these measures primarily to cut costs, but their carbon emissions will also be reduced. Over half of the companies surveyed said that the government did not offer enough useful advice on the issues... more

Over 50% of small businesses to use cloud computing by 2010
The majority of the UK's small and medium-sized businesses will be using 'cloud software' solutions in some form by the end of 2010, according to a survey by Gooroo Software. Cloud computing is when software and data is hosted in a secure location somewhere on the internet - meaning that a business can access their files and emails form any computer in the world. The survey found that 12% of... more

Interest rates held at 0.5%
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 0.5% for the third time in succession. Since October last year the Bank has cut the rate six times, bringing it down from 5% to the current record low. With the historic low rate giving the Bank little room to manoeuvre it has tried to stimulate the economy through quantative easing - buying assets such as government and corporate bonds to incre... more

Stressed staff could cost employers 20m working days
A total of 20m working days could be lost this year as a result of stress related absences from staff, according to new research by workplace consultancy Croner. 13.5m days were lost as a result of stress between 2007 and 2008 in the UK, and a recent survey by Croner revealed that 50% of workers feel more stressed now than a year ago. "The survey reveals that work is the uppermost concern of... more