SME Business News

Credit risk specialists Graydon have called on the Government to reassess regulations introduced ten years ago aimed at assisting small businesses in tackling the issues of late payment.
The 1998 regulations allow companies to impose interest on bad paying debtors, but  research has shown that the vast majority of SMEs do not  exercise that right. It […]

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The campaign to delay the new Sexual Harassment Law coming into force on Sunday April 6th showed good signs of support from SMEs, although the new rules were implemented as planned by the Government.
The campaign was started by BusinessZone.co.uk and HRZone.co.uk, who on behalf of small business owners, viewed the plans as something that SMEs […]

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A Lobby group working on behalf of SMEs, has urged small business owners to sign a petition on the Downing Street website, to delay the implementation of the new sexual harassment laws, laid down by Parliament three weeks ago. The changes will come into force today.
The group argue that SMEs need more time to ensure […]

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A Survey carried out by Barclays in Wales found that 48% of Welsh SMEs experience problems with late payment.
This isn’t really news to small business owners across the UK and I think it is fair to say that Barclays would find a similar result in any part of the country.
More disturbing for me, was to […]

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The chief executive of internet marketing company Bigmouthmedia, Steve Leach, will be the key speaker at the Growing Your Own Business Exhibition and Conference, to be held at Olympia, London, on April 4th.
Leach was recently announced as the International Entrepreneur Of The Year at the European Business Awards in Paris, a title he added to his […]

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A report earlier this year by Cranfield School of Management, analysing SMEs attitude to the internet, showed encouraging results with 84% of small business owners having a website and 97% having an e mail account.
This is extremely good news on the face of it, more business is being done on the internet and SMEs should […]

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Specialist insurers Hiscox, and brokers Allison & Partners, have this week launched a partnership aimed specifically at offering insurance to small businesses and SMEs.
The partnership will go under the banner of INSPIRE and will specialise in professional insurances for UK and European small and medium size businesses.
The company will offer a range of business and […]

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Post Office owners in some parts of the country have received a shot in the arm from local County Councils. Portsmouth councillors have become the latest local authority to throw a potential lifeline to local Post Offices, faced with the threat of closure.
Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth council has backed ideas put forward by Essex […]

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The first Budget speech presented by new Chancellor Alistair Darling, was generally received pretty well by the small business community.
There were no real shocks to be had, after a bevy of blunders earlier in the year by the Chancellor over various tax reforms.
Some of the things that were particularly welcoming news for small businesses are […]

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Peter Jones, businessman and tv Dragons Den judge, has teamed up with the government to launch a network of ‘enterprise academies’ across the UK.
The purpose of the academies will be to identify the next generation of entrepreneurs. The first of the institutions will be launched in September 2009, and will be in the South East […]

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