Business News Articles

Entrepreneurs working an extra day a week to beat recession
Entrepreneurs are working an average of an extra eight hours a week in a bid to counter the effects of the credit crunch, according to new research by entrepreneurial thinktank the Tenon Forum. This average increase in working hours by company owners equates to working an extra day a week. "In these uncertain times, bosses and their staff need to work together to ensure their businesses are ... more

Glasgow underground users get mobile phone access
Commuters to Glasgow’s international financial services district (IFSD) are among the first people in the UK to be able to use their mobile phones on the underground network. ... more

HMRC warning over tax return scam
HMRC is warning business owners yet to file their online tax returns to watch out for bogus emails requesting bank or credit card details.... more

80% of small firms using environmentally friendly practices
80% of small businesses have made changes to ensure their firms are more environmentally friendly, according to research conducted on behalf of Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank by YouGov. Over 800 SMEs were surveyed and while 29% said that they expected the improvements to lower their energy costs over 60% revealed that the main motivation was personal principles. Over 40% of the small ... more

BA sees business travel decline 12%
British Airways has reported a 12% decline in business and first class passengers last month as the airline industry continues to be one of the worst affected areas on the credit crunch. This may be good news for business passengers as the world's third largest airline has been cutting prices in an attempt to revive its business. BA's non-premium traffic is showing more resilience, with figu... more

Record decline in jobs leads to lower staff wages
The declining UK jobs market has led to staff being forced to accept lower wages, according to a survey by recruitment consultants KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). December 2008 was the third consecutive month that salaries decreased, and also saw the number of staff in permanent or temporary work fall to its lowest levels since the survey began in 1997. Due to ri... more

Business urged to renegotiate contracts
Small business owners can make substantial savings during the economic downturn by renegotiating contracts with suppliers, according to a management consultancy. ... more

Passenger groups criticise train fare increases of 6%
Rail passenger groups have criticised the latest increases in train fares as being out of kilter with the real economy. ... more

Survey reveals confidence mixed among small firms for 2009
Over a third of small businesses believe that 2009 will be a difficult financial year to begin with and then pick up, according to a survey by Orange SMS Business Jury. One in five of the small firms surveyed were optimistic regarding the coming year with 32% believing that they will struggle to cope. The survey also revealed that 25% of firms have experienced credit facilities being negativ... more

Tough Christmas for high street retailers
High street retailers Next and Debenhams have announced falls in like-for-like sales over the Christmas period, suggesting the credit crunch had a severe impact on consumer spending... more