SME Business News

The manufacturing sector saw output rise at the fastest rate in 15 years in the three months to July, as demand for UK-made goods continued to strengthen and firms rebuilt their stocks, the CBI said today. But the UK’s leading business group said that the pace of manufacturing growth is expected to be slower in [...]

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The UK’s economy expanded by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year, official figures have revealed.
The rate of GDP growth for the January to March period was lower than had been anticipated on the back of a 0.4 per cent expansion in the last three months of 2009.
According to the Office for [...]

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After cutting operating costs to the bare minimum, many smaller firms are hiring sales staff, improving their websites and boosting marketing activities in an effort to tackle tough trading conditions.
Research carried out by the FPB also found that business owners expect their efforts will pay off. More than half (56%) of those surveyed expect to [...]

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UK  Small businesses are wary about the economic climate, it has been revealed, with less than a third  expecting  things to improve this year.
The annual Voice of Small Business survey, conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses and ICM Research, found just under half (48 per cent) of respondents experienced a drop in sales last [...]

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John Wright, FSB National Chairman  comments:
“As the country goes to the polls next year, unemployment and public debt will still be high. An incoming government – of whatever hue – will be placed in an awkward position; it will be forced to make some tough decisions to steer a steady course through very choppy waters [...]

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Figures from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) released today show that the services sector in Britain grew again in November, as it did in October.
The continuing growth is good news for the economy as a whole as the services sector accounts for nearly three-quarters of the total economy. For this reason the [...]

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The recession has raised concerns about commercial models, supply chains and finance that will reshape business behaviour well into the next decade, the CBI said today.
Launching its report “The Shape of Business - The Next 10 Years”, the CBI said that the recession and credit crunch had become the catalysts for a new era.
The report [...]

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As the leaders of the main political parties prepare to deliver their keynote speeches during this year’s crucial party conference season, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has issued a warning that all three parties must present a clear vision that gives business the freedom to create opportunities, jobs and growth to drive the UK’s [...]

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The Chancellor, Alistair Darling is looking at ways of enabling small and medium-size firms to borrow money from sources other than the major high street banks.
There have been consistent complaints that SMEs are struggling to raise capital from the banks.
Under the mooted plans, SMEs would be able to apply to borrow money from City pension [...]

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The U.K.’s economy is showing signs that it is recovering after the sharp gross domestic product slump reported for the first quarter of 2009.
The purchasing managers’ index for the manufacturing sector rose to a 13-month high of 47.0 in June, from 45.4 in May, Markit Economics and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply said. [...]

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