SME Business News

The Financial Times reports that chancellor Alistair Darling is set to introduce new measures aimed at helping small businesses secure finance during the economic downturn.
The report suggests that Darling is preparing measures that will underwrite  new loans to small business and by extending tax payer guarantees to the banks that lend money to SMEs.
Increased funding  [...]

[Read more →]

The Caerphilly based commercial insurance broker, Moorhouse Group has expanded it’s online insurance comparison site to offer a full range of cover to the SME market.
The website was launched in February last year, initially as a one stop insurance shop aimed at the construction industry, but recently the comparison site has been upgraded to cover the [...]

[Read more →]

It seems that common sense has prevailed in the Post Office Card Account fiasco, with the government Works & Pensions minister James Purnell seemingly bowing to pressure from all corners and confirming that the current contract with the Post Office will be renewed.
The decision comes two weeks earlier than expected, following criticism that delays were [...]

[Read more →]

The Small Business Finance Forum has been set up by the governments business secretary Peter Mandelson, in a bid to monitor how high street banks treat SME business lending.
Following the first meeting of the Forum it has emerged that the UK’s high street banks have agreed to furnish the business secretary with data determining the [...]

[Read more →]

Back in September we reported that UK SME Wiggly Wigglers emerged as the winner of the UK Dell Small Business Excellence award. Part of the prize for winning that award, was to go on to the World finals of the competition.
Innovation and leadership in social media has earned the rural England based natural gardening mail [...]

[Read more →]

The Sift Media Software Satisfaction Awards took place at The Brewery in London this week. These awards are unique in that the results are based on customer satisfaction and not by a judging panel.
The input came via almost 6,000 members of small business campaigners BusinessZone.co.uk, AccountingWEB.co.uk, Finance Week, MyCustomer.com, Finance Week, HRZone.co.uk, TrainingZone.co.uk and UK [...]

[Read more →]

On the day that the USA  elected it’s first black president, I have just a short post.
The headline grabber on BusinessWeek suggests that small business owners can learn from Barack Obama’s victory by following these three lessons for business.
1. Clear Vision
2. Clean execution
3. Friends in high places!
Now who do I know?

[Read more →]

An increase in funds available to small business has been announced by the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB aim to increase the funds available by £4bn over the next four years.
Despite funds already being available for the UK’s small business owners, British banks must first apply to the EIB to access the finance. This [...]

[Read more →]

The Federation Of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a new financial helpline to it’s members, the new service became available on 23 October.
FSB refers to the new service as a ‘vital lifeline’ for small business owners. The Federation already offers it’s members access to it’s 24 hour legal helpline, insurance services, business banking and finance [...]

[Read more →]

Groups representing small retailers have attacked Mastercard over plans to increase membership charges and the introduction of a new ‘development’ fee.
Lobby groups including the British Shops And Stores Association (bssa) and British Retail Consortium (BRC) have taken on the fight for their members, calling for the increases to be withdrawn.
In a climate where high street [...]

[Read more →]