Business News Articles

Call to boost small firm loans
The government should make it a priority to ensure banks lend to small firms to prevent a wave of healthy companies going out of business, the Liberal Democrats have said. The party’s leader Nick Clegg has called on the government to lend directly to small firms through the Post Office, local authorities and should even consider creating a new bank specifically for this purpose. ... more

Women entrepreneurs ‘better placed to survive recession’
Female entrepreneurs are faring better in the current economic climate than their male counterparts, according to a survey by Delta Economics. The survey of over 1,500 founders of businesses between two and ten years old found that only 50% of women entrepreneurs are concerned about financing for their companies, compared to 75% of men. This is likely to be because women entrepreneurs are mo... more

Green cars priority for company drivers
Company car drivers are becoming increasingly conscious of the damage they do to the environment, according to a study by Leasedrive Velo Group. The survey found that 87% of drivers would be influenced by a vehicle’s carbon emissions when it came to choosing their next model, and 64% would be willing to pay a fee of £40 or more to offset their vehicle’s emissions. ... more

UK inflation falls sharply to 4.5%
Consumer inflation in the UK fell by more than analysts had predicted as the falling price of fuel, food and cheaper consumer goods all had an impact. The Consumer Prices Index fell from 5.2% in September to 4.5% in October; the biggest monthly fall in 16 years, figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed. ... more

Survey reveals over 90% of staff have been bullied at work
Nine in ten staff believe that they have been the victim of workplace bullying, according to a survey by the Andrea Adams Trust. The survey of 10,000 employees found that 92% felt that they had been the victim of taunts and intimidation in their office. The research also found that 56% think bullying is a big problem in their workplace, with almost half of those polled revealing that their m... more

London set to lose ‘370,000 jobs by 2010'
London will suffer the largest employment losses in the UK because of the credit crunch, according to analysis produced for the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA commissioned Public and Corporate Economic Consultants to conduct the research, which discovered that the capital could loose 370,000 jobs by the end of 2010 - just under 8% of London's current workforce. The study conclud... more

Declining pound attracts foreign students to UK
The falling pound could result in a boost for the training and education industries in the UK. According to research from iGraduate, the cost of studying in the UK has fallen sharply for many foreign students. In the last year studying in the UK has become, on average, 46% cheaper for Chinese students and 29% for Malaysian applicants. "A weak pound will make the UK higher education more c... more

UK recession ‘worse than thought’ says CBI
The UK recession will be longer and harder than had initially been thought, the CBI has warned. The business group has now downgraded its economic forecast from a 0.3% fall to a huge 1.7% drop in 2009, and has also predicted that unemployment will hit 2.9m by 2010. ... more

Cranfield Management survey shows staff training can save money
A report by the Cranfield School of Management has revealed that organisations that invest in their staff are best placed to save money. The report finds that business that invest in their staff are 44% more likely to save money, have better staff retention by just over 50% and have staff that re more motivated by 33%. The report also found that although their most successful companies were ... more

One in five customers to stop pension payments
One-fifth of people who regularly pay into a pension scheme are likely to stop doing so during the next two years as they attempt to make ends meet. According to a poll by Axa, half of all customers are likely to reduce the amount they pay in to cope with recent increases in the cost of living. ... more