Business News Articles

James Caan gives support to volunteering charity
Serial entrepreneur and Dragons' Den panellist James Caan has given his backing and support to volunteering charity ‘v'. The charity encourages young people aged between 16-25 to volunteer, and Mr Caan highlighted that the skills gained through volunteering can be applied in business situations. "There is a real need for employers to understand the full extent of skills young people gain t... more

Fraud is costing small businesses ‘£800m a year’
Small companies are loosing up to £800m a year to fraud and online crime, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Business (FSB). Over 50% of small businesses reported that they had been victims of crime in the last 12 months. Of those surveyed, 37% had problems with phishing emails, and 15% were victims of card fraud and IT problems caused by viruses and hackers. "E-crime is becom... more

Recession causing 80% of SME owners to postpone retirement
The recession is forcing small business owners to postpone retirement, according to a new survey conducted by Clifton Asset Management (CAM). The survey reveals that 80% of SME owners feel that retirement is currently more unlikely than it was a year ago - up from 65% who responded this way in a survey last year. "Clearly the immediate outlook for the SME sector is not all bad. Nonetheless, ... more

Small firms in London ‘hardest hit by economic crisis’
Small businesses in London have been cutting jobs at the fastest rate in the country, according to a survey by the Open University Business School. The survey of 1,300 small and medium-sized companies in November and December last year found that small firms in the London area have been the hardest hit by the recession. Over 70% of SME companies in the capital suffered falling or stagnant sa... more

New addition to the bfa board of directors
Molly Maid CEO Pam Bader OBE has been voted back onto the bfa board of directors. The businesswoman was first voted onto the board in the early 1990s and went on to become the first female to be elected chair of the bfa in 1995. "It is fantastic to be back on board, I am truly passionate about franchising," she commented. ... more

Small firms 'losing money' by not selling on the internet
60% of small firms are losing out on money by not using their company website to sell their products and services, according to a new study published by BT. The BT Voice of Small Business report surveyed more than 400 firms that employ a maximum of 50 staff and found that despite 80% of SMEs having a company website only half of these firms use the site to generate business. The latest figur... more

Small companies turning to alternative means of finance
Small firms having difficulty accessing finance through banks are turning to different sources of credit, with pawnbrokers reporting a significant increase in small business customers as banks progressively decrease lending. The National Pawnbrokers Association have reported that the number of small company owners using their services are greatly increasing due to the current scarcity of credit... more

Distressed property company sees 118% rise in inquiries from small firms
One of the largest purchasers of distressed properties experienced a rise in the number of enquires from small businesses and individuals last year by 118%. UK based property recovery specialist Property Portfolio Rescue (PPR) saw the amount of enquiries recieved last year more than double 2007 levels as small firms and individuals looked to raise cash to stave off insolvency. The PPR have p... more

Inflation rate declines to 3%
Consumer price inflation (CPI), the measure of the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by households, declined in January to an annual rate of 3%. According to official figures CPI in December last year was 3.1% so the fall is less than many experts predicted although this is the forth month in succession that inflation has fallen from Septembers 5.1%. Retail Prices Index ... more

Email details to be kept for a year by ISPs
Details of every email sent or received in the UK will have to be retained by internet service providers (ISPs) from March of this year.... more