Business News Articles

Governments should 'share information to support small firms’
Governments from countries across the world should share information about how to best support small and medium-sized companies, according to a report issued by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The ACCA's paper, ‘Supporting Enterprise Globally' reports that SMEs around the world face similar obstacles, including limited resources, management capacity and lack of barg... more

90% of firms unsure over access to enterprise loan scheme
Nine out of ten British businesses do not know whether their bank offers the government's Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, according to a recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Research of 250 companies by the BCC revealed that 90% of firms do not know if their bank is signed up to the scheme, and only one firm out of the 250 had actually received an Enterprise Finance Gua... more

Aspiring entrepreneurs can apply to appear on next series of Dragon’s Den
Aspiring entrepreneurs have the chance to pitch to a one of the most intimidating business panels assembled, and to achieve national exposure for their product on the new series of Dragons' Den. The long running television show is looking for aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to the panel of Dragons' for the latest series. The Den has seen a number of success stories, perh... more

European Parliament report calls for new laws to help small firms
The Small Business Act should be made legally binding to support small and medium-sized companies grow, according to a report from the European parliament. The European parliament report claims that UK SMEs are underperforming regarding productivity, growth and innovation compared to their American counterparts and that more supportive legislation would help them expand quicker. The report o... more

Increase in redundancy pay would ‘force many small firms to close’
A private members' bill that proposes to increase redundancy pay to help workers laid off due to the recession could actually force businesses to close and negatively affect the economy, according to the Forum of Private Business (FPB). The Statutory Redundancy Payment Bill proposes increasing the maximum weeks pay used to calculate Statutory Redundancy Pay by 43%, from £350 to £500. Wages... more

FSB launch new initiative aimed at improving relationships between small firms and local authorities
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a new initiative, which it hopes local authorities will sign up to in order to provide small businesses with an increased voice in local decision making. The Small Business Engagement Accord has 14 principles, which will establish working relationships between local authorities and small businesses. "During this recession, it's absolutely... more

90% of small companies believe a good relationship with suppliers crucial in recession
More than nine in ten small and medium-sized companies believe that good supplier relationships are critical in the current economic uncertainty, according to a survey by HSBC Commercial Banking. The survey of 500 SMEs revealed that 91% of respondents think that having a good relationship with a supplier who knows their business and is therefore more willing to be flexible is essential. The ... more

Business owners warned against ignoring health and safety obligations
Employers are being warned that despite the financial pressures that the current recession has brought they must not cut back on health and safety at work. Ahead of The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Occupational Safety and Health at Work Congress, to be held in Birmingham on May 13th, the charity has warned managers of the danger of ignoring health and safety regulations... more

Over half of advertisers plan to cut their marketing spend this year
Half of advertisers are cutting their budgets due to the current economic downturn, according to a poll by the trade magazine Marketing. The poll found that 57% of respondents are trimming their marketing activity and plan to pay their marketing agencies less this year. However, despite the current recession 42% of those surveyed reported that they planned to increase spending or keep their ... more

Manufacturing industry declines for 11th consecutive month
The UK's manufacturing output declined for the 11th consecutive month, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. The output of manufacturing industries fell by 2.9% between December and January with the transport equipment sector suffering the largest fall in the sector of 10%. "The critical priority is to ensure that the vital skills base within manufacturing is n... more