Business News Articles

Government unveils small firms loans plan
The government has announced plans to guarantee up to £20bn of loans to encourage banks to restart lending to small and medium-sized businesses. ... more

Small companies advised to cut staff benefits to avoid redundancies
Small companies could be spending up to £950m a year on employee benefits such as group pensions and life and healthcare policies for staff when the money could be better used to retain staff, according to wealth advisors Towry Law. The private and corporate wealth advisors estimate that employers could cut around 15% of employee benefits and still provide adequate arrangements for staff. "... more

Employers given training incentive
Companies will be given £2,500 for every individual they train who had been unemployed for more than six months. ... more

Falling pound boost for Eurostar
Ticket sales on the Eurostar rose by 10.9% in 2008 despite the impact of the September tunnel fire. ... more

EU propose cut to small business red-tape
The amount of red-tape that small firms have to deal with could be cut, following new proposals by the European Union (EU). The new Czech presidency has submitted plans that would give small companies new rights to ensure that their bills are paid on time and would enable them to do business with other firms in EU countries without having to register subsidiaries. The Czech presidency has al... more

Small firms not gaining access to European loans
Small businesses have not been lent as much money as promised under a government deal with the European Investment Bank (EIB) that provided British banks with access to £4bn worth of loans. The deal was made last autumn and the treasury commented that, "£1bn of EIB funds will be available to SMEs by the end of 2008." It has been revealed that the actual figure lent to UK firms in 2008 via the... more

Businesses call for Heathrow extension
Business leaders and trade unions have called on the government to approve the construction of a new runway at Heathrow. ... more

FSB unveils five-point jobs plan
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has published a five-point plan that it claims would help create and retain jobs in the current economic downturn. ... more

Interest rate cut to lowest ever level of 1.5%
The Bank of England has announced a rate cut of 0.5% in the base rate of interest, taking the cost of borrowing to the lowest level ever seen in Britain. The rate cut from 2% to 1.5% has been welcomed in principle by the Federation of Small Business (FSB), although there are concerns over whether the banks will pass this saving onto their customers. "With rates now at their lowest ever level... more

Banks told to spend £1bn on IT to ensure savers can access funds
he Financial Services Authority (FSA) has told Britain's banks that they must spend almost £1bn upgrading computer systems so that customers can recover their money if a bank collapses. The FSA has called for a five-year investment of at least £892m to ensure that individuals and business owners can access a list of their deposits within 48 hours of a financial institution failing This wou... more