SME Business News

Experian have delivered a report into the ever growing crime of Identity Fraud in the UK, saying that more than 6,000 sought help from their victims of fraud team in 2007 , an increase from 3,500 in 2006.
It reports that London is the UK’s ID Fraud capital, where residents are twice as likely to become […]

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Hundreds of lorry drivers, many self employed or small business owners, have descended on London’s Marble Arch today, for a rally to protest at rising fuel costs that are driving many out of business.
In conjunction with Transaction 2007, the protesters intend delivering a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, calling for the introduction of an […]

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It is often said that people have a short memory when it comes to politics, and so it should be no surprise that chancellor Alistair Darling should top a poll as the person most UK entrepreneurs hold responsible for excessive red tape and bureaucracy.
The survey by software firm Kashflow, showed 40% of small business owners […]

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A deal has been reached between the government and employers, that gives agency workers the same rights as full time employee’s, after 12 weeks.
While business secretary John Hutton sees the agreement as “the right deal for Britain”, small business owners are concerned over what they see as an already expensive option to hiring full time […]

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Doug Richard, former Dragons Den panellist and current head of the Conservative Party Small Business Task Force has called for drastic reforms of the Governments Business support regime.
The report found the current support system is ‘over complex, ineffective and undirected.’
Two thousand public bodies are currently spending £2.5billion on running three thousand support schemes, with Richard claiming […]

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Bus operator Stagecoach have revealed that eight buses on their fleet have been running on 100% biodiesel, manufactured from used cooking oil and other food industry by-products in an experiment, the first of it’s kind, started in October last year.
The project has cut CO2 emissions by 80% saving 550t of carbon.
The move is backed by the […]

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Council leaders in Croydon are demanding a meeting with NCP bosses to protest at the 15% increase in car parking charges in the city.
The borough council had decided to freeze its own car parking charges and hoped that NCP would do the same. Councillor Phil Thomas, Croydon’s cabinet member for environment and highways is concerned […]

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 Adam Hart-Davis is today launching a campaign with the Federation Of Small Businesses (FSB) to “Keep Trade Local” in a bid to save the local High Street from extinction.
Here is a promotional video:

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The government enterprise department will allow SMEs greater access to public contracts by registering their business with www.supply2.gov.uk
Under the latest scheme small businesses will have access to public contracts around the UK with a value of £100,000 or less.
The move is part of the Department for Business’ enterprise strategy outlined earlier this year, to help […]

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Small business groups FSB and ACS are among many expressing disappointment at the outcome of the Competition Commissions inquiry into the grocery sector.
The two year inquiry resulted in the Commission concluding that consumers are enjoying the benefits of competition, while totally ignoring the impact on independent retailing.
Several business groups have lobbied on behalf of small […]

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