Business News Articles

Average of 10 jobseekers for every vacancy advertised in UK
There is an average of ten jobseekers for every job advertised in UK job centres, according to the Trade Union Congress (TUC). This ratio has more than doubled over the past year - in January 2008 these was only four applications for every vacancy. In some areas of the country the outlook is even worse; The Isle of Wight is the worst hit area with 60 applications for every available space in... more

Air France-KLM one of the winners at Business Travel World Awards
Air France-KLM group was one of the winners at the 2009 Business Travel World Awards, being named best short-haul travel provider. The airline beat of stiff competition from British Airways and high-speed rail operator Eurostar. "Receiving the award in such a challenging time for the industry has a greater value than at any other time as it shows that the industry recognises and endorses our... more

'Business failures to rise 59% this year' say BDO Stoy Hayward
One out of every 56 businesses in the UK is expected to cease trading this year, according to research conducted by accounting firm BDO Stoy Hayward. The firm have predicted that business failures will increase by 59% and that by the end of the year 36,000 companies will have collapsed - up from 22,600 in 2007. "The deteriorating economy and expectations of a drawn out recession has led to a... more

Small firm owners most cautious in employing young women
Small business owners are the most cautious company owners when it comes to hiring young women, according to a survey by recruitment agency HireScores.com. The survey found that 49% of business owners take into account a candidate's age and gender with 81% admitting they would ask female job seekers their future and current family plans if the law permitted. Employment laws prevent these typ... more

HMRC issue incorrect notices
HM Revenue and Customs has issued thousands of incorrect penalty notices for late personal and partnership tax returns. Firm Baker Tilly have stated that clients whose returns were filed before the January 31st deadline received incorrect notices and that when they complained the HMRC replied that the complaint would be, "added to the growing pile." "The £100 penalty, albeit small financial... more

RoSPA conference aims to cut staff road accidents
Road accidents involving someone who is at work at the time and transport accidents are the two biggest causes of work-related fatalities in the UK, and The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) will focus on these issues at its May conference. RoSPA's Practical Transport Solutions conference on May 14 at the Hilton in Birmingham will address both issues and provide practical ad... more

Governments should 'share information to support small firms’
Governments from countries across the world should share information about how to best support small and medium-sized companies, according to a report issued by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The ACCA's paper, ‘Supporting Enterprise Globally' reports that SMEs around the world face similar obstacles, including limited resources, management capacity and lack of barg... more

90% of firms unsure over access to enterprise loan scheme
Nine out of ten British businesses do not know whether their bank offers the government's Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, according to a recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Research of 250 companies by the BCC revealed that 90% of firms do not know if their bank is signed up to the scheme, and only one firm out of the 250 had actually received an Enterprise Finance Gua... more

Aspiring entrepreneurs can apply to appear on next series of Dragon’s Den
Aspiring entrepreneurs have the chance to pitch to a one of the most intimidating business panels assembled, and to achieve national exposure for their product on the new series of Dragons' Den. The long running television show is looking for aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to the panel of Dragons' for the latest series. The Den has seen a number of success stories, perh... more

European Parliament report calls for new laws to help small firms
The Small Business Act should be made legally binding to support small and medium-sized companies grow, according to a report from the European parliament. The European parliament report claims that UK SMEs are underperforming regarding productivity, growth and innovation compared to their American counterparts and that more supportive legislation would help them expand quicker. The report o... more