Business News Articles

Entrepreneurs tell government to tackle late payers
Entrepreneurs believe that the government should make tackling late payers its priority in order to help small firms, reveals a poll by the UK Business Forum. Over 40% of small business owners commented that getting customers to pay bills within 20 days is the most important measure that would assist them in the current economic climate. While bank lending has received lots of media attentio... more

Small firms increase sales by using internet advertising
Nearly half of small businesses that use the internet to advertise saw their turnover increase by 20%, according to figures released by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB surveyed over 8,000 small business owners and discovered that 43% said their sales improved after using their website to advertise their firm. The survey also revealed that since last year the number of small... more

RoSPA moves to reduce health and safety burden on small firms
A major initiative to raise standards and reduce the health and safety burden on small and medium-sized firms by implementing a single set of criteria has won the support of leading organisations. The initiative is headed by the The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA )and more than 20 organisations, including the Federation of Small Businesses, have so far pledged their suppor... more

Pensions bill change could lead to added admin burden
A Pensions Bill amendment designed to reduce pension pressure on employees could actually increase the administrative burden on small firms, warns the Association of British Insurers. The amendment announced by the government allows employers to ‘self certify' their company pension scheme if it meets the quality standard based on pension contributions over a 12-month period. The quality st... more

German economy enters recession
The German economy has officially moved into recession after recording two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. Europe’s largest economy shrank by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2008 following a 0.4% drop in the second period. ... more

Carbon Footprint voted new business of the year
Carbon Footprint Ltd has been voted new business of the year at Inspire08's award ceremony. The company offer businesses a comprehensive Carbon Management programme that will help the environment and save on there utility bills. The programme gives firms an initial appraisal of their carbon emissions then takes businesses through how to development an environmental policy and strategy and ho... more

Government to provide free training for small firms
Britain's new business secretary, Lord Mandelson, has promised to help small and medium-sized businesses re-train staff during the current economic downturn. Mandelson's announcement follows research showing that firms that invest in staff training are better equipped to survive the current recession. "We want to make sure that small businesses can get short courses for their employees," sai... more

Stamp duty suspension fails to revive house sales
The stamp duty holiday on house purchases has failed to stimulate demand among homebuyers, according to the Council of Mortgage lenders. In September the government announced a one-year suspension of stamp duty, raising the minimum threshold from £125,000 to £175,000 in an attempt to provide the declining property market with fresh stimulus. Despite this change the number of mortgages for ... more

Free legal advice available to small firms
Technology, internet and digital SME companies can attend a free ‘boot camp' that covers legal issues faced by businesses in these fields. The sessions are run by American legal firm Winston & Strawn and are supported by a website which includes a forum for members to post comments and ask questions. Evening sessions are to be held once a month at the company's London office with the next ... more

Third of small business owners working over 50 hours a week
Small business owners work on average an extra 2 hours every day - 700 hours a year - than an employee working an average 37.5 hour week, according to a study by business insurer Hiscox. The study shows that more than a third of small business owners put in over 50 hours a week, with 14% working more than 60 hours every week. Despite the long hours, running a business remains an attractive p... more