Business News Articles

Minimum wage set to increase
The minimum wage will rise by 3.8% in October taking the adult rate from £5.52 to £5.73 an hour, the government has announced. The rise is in line with the increase in average earnings but below the retail price index of inflation. ... more

Interest rates held at 5.25%
The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 5.25% as fears over inflation prevented another cut. Rises in the price of food and fuel – along with a survey that revealed the price of British-made products is increasing – are behind the decision of the monetary policy committee not to cut rates for the third time in four months. ... more

Government plans new SME body
The government has announced plans to create a new working group to advise on issues affecting small businesses. The move follows lobbying from the Forum of Private Business after the decision to replace the Small Business Council with the Business Council for Britain in 2007. ... more

Small firms ignore IT talent
Small businesses are failing to take advantage of employees’ IT skills because they have joined the company in another function, according to research by database company FileMaker. The survey found that 82% of school-leavers feel confident in their IT skills but are often not given the chance to put them into practice when they start a job. ... more

UK manufacturing prices rise
The price of goods manufactured in the UK rose at the fastest rate in eight months in February, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. The output price of goods hit a score of 59.9 on the organisation’s index, where anything over 50 represents an increase. ... more

Hunt on for green business leaders
Barclays Commercial Bank is launching the Green Leaders in Business Awards to recognise businesses developing innovative new solutions to help protect the environment. The Awards are open to all UK and Irish companies and have three separate categories for firms with a turnover below £1m, between £1m and £20m and above £20m. ... more

Microsoft lowers Vista price
Microsoft has announced plans to cut the cost of its Windows Vista operating system bought through high street retailers. The company has yet to give a firm date as to when the price cut will come into effect but has confirmed the price will fall from £201 to £161. ... more

Firms face work checks burden
Small businesses face fines of £10,000 if they are caught employing people who should not be in the UK even if they did so in good faith, after new legislation came into force. Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act, small business owners will have to be able to understand up to 13 possible forms of identification, including recognising passports from 27 EU member states, to check ... more

Search for top business mums
The hunt is on for the ‘inspirational business mum of the year' in 2008 Prowess Awards. The award, sponsored by Yell.com, aims to recognise the achievements of female entrepreneurs who combine running a successful business with bringing up children and will be judged by a panel of leading businesswomen including Penny Newman from Café Direct and Coffee Republic founder Sahar Hashemi.... more

Top office locations revealed
London and Birmingham led the way as the UK’s commercial property hotspots in 2007. According to data compiled by officebroker.com, demand for office space in Birmingham increased by 41% making it the most popular choice after the capital. ... more