Business News Articles

Small businesses suffer 10% increase in crime
Crimes against small business have risen for the second six-month period, according to figures from insurance gaint Axa. The research revealed that there had been a 10% increase in crimes against small firms in the UK, with the number of arson and malicious damage claims rising 23% and 14% respectively. "Both malicious damage and arson tend to go up in a recession as premises are left unoccu... more

Small firms advised to switch energy supplier to save money
More than seven out of ten small businesses think that changing energy suppliers will save them money, but only 43% have actually taken action, according research by uSwitchforbusiness.com. The research also revealed that cost is the number one factor that small firms look at when choosing an energy supplier, with concerns over customer service and environmental issues becoming less important i... more

Removing 48-hour working week opt-out ‘would damage careers’
Removing the UK's working time opt-out would restrict employees' freedom and damage their career prospects, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The claim by the CBI precedes a EU committee meeting to discuss whether the UK will be allowed to keep the opt-out of the 48-hour week that the Working Time Directive established in most European member states. "The legislation ... more

NI reduction tops small firm owners wish list for April budget
Small business owners believe that a reduction in employers' National Insurance contribution rate in the forthcoming Budget would provide the biggest boost for their business, according to a new survey by Intuit. More than 45% of those surveyed listed this as the number one measure that they wanted to see the Chancellor implement, followed by 33% who called tighter government controls of bank c... more

Small business owners ‘wasting money on advice’
Many small businesses are spending thousands of pounds on advice when there are numerous free portals of advice available, according to a survey by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). The survey of 1,086 small businesses found that one in ten small firm owners spent over £1,000 on business consultants last year. The top area in which SMEs paid for advice was t... more

New service set up to solve workplace disputes before tribunal
The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) is launching a new service that will attempt to solve workplace grievances before they reach the employment tribunal system. Acas has been awarded £37m in government funding to expand its telephone advice line and to set up a ‘pre-claim conciliation service' that it is hoped will resolve employment disputes before they go to a tribuna... more

London small firm owners that file PAYE online to receive £75
Small businesses owners in London have been told that if they file their Employer Annual Return online this year they will receive a £75 tax-free payment. To file online small firm employers must first register with HMRC's PAYE Online for Employers service. Agents, tax advisers or payroll bureaux can also file on behalf of employers. Companies based in London with fewer than 50 employees ar... more

Retail sales fall 1.9% in February
Retail sales fell by 1.9% in February as consumers cut back on spending because of the economic climate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sales growth slowed to 0.4% compared to the same period last month - the slowest pace of year-on-year growth since 1995. "Today's figures from the ONS are the clearest indication yet of the weakening retail market in the UK," said Tar... more

Small companies turning to accountants for business advice
Small businesses are increasingly turning to their accountants for business advice ahead of banks, according to a survey from Sage. The report found that accountants are now the top sources of information for SMEs, followed by 31% who still turn to banks first and 29% who use industry trade associations for their business advice. The most common issues that SMEs are contacting their accounta... more

Number of new firms launched last year increases by 4,000
The number of new businesses launched in 2008 increased from the previous year despite the recession, according to figures released by Barclays. 436,600 new start-ups were launched in 2008, compared to 432,300 new businesses in the previous year. "These figures may seem surprising given the current economic climate," said Steve Cooper, local business managing director at Barclays. "There cou... more