October 28, 2011 - Anonymous
Small firms should be subjected to no more than two inspections a year by regulatory bodies in order to cut red tape, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced.
October 28, 2011 - Anonymous
Banks should be given financial incentives to boost lending to cash-strapped small businesses, according to Bank of England (BoE) governor Sir Mervyn King.
October 28, 2011 - Anonymous
The credit ratings and limits offered by three leading agencies are so different from each other that getting an accurate credit score is a lottery for businesses, an investigation by accountants Shelley Stock Hutter LLP has found, writes Simon Wicks.
October 28, 2011 - Anonymous
Micro businesses are settling their bills more quickly than big firms, new research from credit agency Experian has highlighted.
October 28, 2011 - Anonymous
Almost two-thirds of small firms are hoarding cash rather than investing in growth because of fears over future financial difficulties, new research from Venture Finance has suggested.
October 25, 2011 - Anonymous
Confidence among small businesses dropped sharply in the third quarter of this year, research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
October 25, 2011 - Anonymous
Start-ups outside London, the south east and the east of England are exempt from paying employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the first ten recruits they hire, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has reminded new businesses.
October 25, 2011 - Anonymous
More than half of employees would like guidance on pensions at work, research by MetLife Assurance has found.
October 25, 2011 - Anonymous
Small-business owners with ambitious development plans can win a year’s free mentoring with Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden, following the launch of the Local Business Accelerators competition.
October 21, 2011 - Anonymous
A third of consumers would not give a firm a second chance after a single bad experience, a survey by accountancy software company Sage UK has found, writes Simon Wicks.
October 21, 2011 - Anonymous
Small businesses in the north east are top of the table for recent performance and optimism, according to a new survey by Barclays Bank – while those in the south east are seeing confidence slipping, writes Simon Wicks.
October 21, 2011 - Anonymous
Three-quarters of small businesses have admitted to dismissing an employee unfairly, research by business advisory firm Peninsula has highlighted.
October 21, 2011 - Anonymous
Innovative businesses looking to expand or develop new products or services are being given the chance to win £50,000, following the launch of HSBC’s Business Growth Grants competition.
October 18, 2011 - Anonymous
Businesses can check the status of their patent applications for free online, following the launch of a new service by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
October 18, 2011 - Anonymous
An extra 100,000 small businesses could become exempt from completing an annual audit, under Government proposals to reduce financial reporting obligations.