Business News Articles

Small businesses in Midlands ‘will drive recovery’
The economic recovery will be driven by small businesses in the Midlands, according to a study by data analyst company KDB. The study mapped the concentration of shareholder-directors as an indicator of high-net-worth hot spots. KBB studied the records of 2.5m companies and found that Birmingham had the highest density of shareholder-directors, followed by West London and Brighton, an indica... more

Salary scheme for business car buyers
A new salary sacrifice scheme has been launched which could see thousands of motorists eligible for a company car. The scheme, run by Tuskerdirect, allows employees to surrender part of their salary in return for a non-cash benefit. The benefit cost is deducted from an employee's gross salary - before statutory deductions - so the workers are able to save on income tax and National Insurance... more

Business angels offering new ventures less money
Due to the current economic climate the valuations offered by business angel networks for stakes in new businesses has decreased in recent months. The Angels also have a wider range of opportunties to choose from, with the number of pitches being heard increasing 31% in the last month. This jump has been put down to the credit squeeze, as more entrepreneurs and SMEs approach angel networks f... more

Eurozone set for recession
The eurozone is on the edge of recession after economic growth fell by 0.2% in the second quarter of 2008. The European Commission predicted further falls of 0.1% in the third and fourth quarters of this year, which would take the zone into its first recession since the single currency was introduced in 1999. ... more

Rise in online tax returns
HMRC’s decision to introduce an earlier deadline for those wanting to complete paper self-assessment tax returns has led to a rise in the number of people filing online. The organisation reports that the number of online applications has risen by a third already this year, despite the deadline for internet returns being 31 January 2009. ... more

First drop for UK online sales
Britain's online retailers have suffered a monthly traffic fall for the first time since records began three years ago, according to research conducted by Experian. UK internet traffic fell 0.5% in October compared to the same period in 2007, indicating that the credit crunch is beginning to affect the previously expanding online sector.... more

One in ten small firms on the 'brink of collapse'
One in ten small firms has been brought to the brink of collapse by the economic crisis, new research figures have revealed. Insurance firm RSA polled more than 300 small businesses and found that more than 500,000 SMEs are under severe financial strain. Of the small business owners surveyed, 11% said they could no longer afford to operate due to the credit crunch and the global financial up... more

Older staff face job losses
Older workers could be worst affected by the expected rise in redundancies over the coming months, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned. A survey by the organisation revealed a quarter of employers had made plans for redundancies with most expecting to have put these in place by the end of January. ... more

Microsoft demonstrate new version of Office
Technology giant Microsoft has previewed its new version of Office that runs over the web. With small businesses around the country using Microsoft Office on their computers the new application could seriously impact how work is done in the future. The final version of Office, which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint, is unlikely to be released for at least a year, but the demonstration ind... more

bmi scraps fuel surcharges
Budget airline bmi has scrapped all fuel surcharges on some flights within the UK and Europe in a bid to woo business and leisure customers. The company, which was recently taken over by German operator Lufthansa, has removed the charges on its mainline routes including flights from Heathrow, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports. ... more