Business News Articles

Tesco moves to ban cheques
The UK’s biggest retailer has announced that it will stop accepting cheques from customers from 25th February. The supermarket giant believes customers will benefit from increased levels of security and faster checkout service as a result of the move. ... more

Customers want quick online reply
The majority of online customers expect a response to an email within 24 hours, according to research carried out by data capture agency Lifestyles Online. A huge 84% of respondents said they expected a reply to a specific product request within a day, with 17% saying they would want to hear back from someone within 15 minutes. Just 16% would be prepared to wait more than 24 hours before they c... more

Brown calls for more apprentices
Prime minister Gordon Brown has called on employers to take on more apprentices to tackle the UK's skills shortage. Brown said he wanted one in five young people to take on apprenticeships in 10 years' time, rather than the current rate of one in 15.... more

Britain faces power shortages
Britain is likely to face energy shortages over the next seven years because of the number of nuclear and coal power stations coming to the end of their lives. That’s the warning from energy consultancy Inceno, which claims there would be a gap between the old stations coming out of service and the new generation of nuclear powered plants announced by the government earlier this year. ... more

Entrepreneurs win CGT concession
The government has announced a partial revision of its controversial capital gains tax proposals, which will go some way to protecting small business owners. The 18% flat rate will still come into force from April 6 but small business owners will be able to exercise a one-off allowance which will see up to £1m taxed at 10%. ... more

Over-65 workers set to soar
The number of people wanting to work beyond the age of 65 will increase dramatically in the next 15 years, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The organisation’s research revealed that 38% of individuals now intend to work beyond the traditional retirement age, compared to a figure of just 11% who currently do so. ... more

Ruling allows overpaid VAT claims
Companies could be able to claim back overpaid VAT going back decades after a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal. The Law Lords rejected an appeal by HMRC against a decision to overturn a three-year limitation period on companies making back claims. The move could cost HMRC £100m ... more

One in 10 lives beyond means
One in 10 adults in the UK spends more than they earn every month, according to figures released by Uswitch. The utility comparison site estimates that 5m people are living beyond their means while a further 10m have no spare money left over at the end of the month. ... more

Property market peaked in 2007
The UK property sector saw its strongest lending year to date in 2007 but the market is likely to weaken over the next 12 months, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has predicted. The CML's figures revealed that gross mortgage lending was 5% higher in 2007 than the previous year, rising to a total of £362bn as the property market boomed. ... more

Entrepreneurs miss sick benefits
Over a third of entrepreneurs would be tempted to return to working for someone else because of the benefit of paid sick leave, according to research. A study by Olbas Powerflu found that self-employed workers lose out on £3.7bn worth of work by being sidelined by colds or flu, with every day lost costing an average of £500. ... more