SME Business News

The European Commission has made proposals to allow VAT cuts on labour intensive and locally provided services, a move that could help many small businesses and high street shops.
The commission began a three year experiment in 1999 to see whether reduced rates of VAT in certain sectors would have a positive impact on job creation [...]

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A recent survey on the UK Business Forum asked the question, “Has The Slowdown Affected Your Turnover’”
Results from the poll showed that 40% of small business owners report that turnover has actually increased during the first part of this year.
However. of those that are seeing a growth in business the majority admit to being more [...]

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The Federation Of Small Businesses is calling on the government to maintain and improve a successful scheme that rewards local authorities for supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs.
The FSB says that the government should recognise the success of the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme by extending it’s life span.
Instead there are plans to bring in a [...]

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When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
With business confidence hitting a three year low it is surprising that a report by Tenon Forum finds that many small business owners are upbeat about their opportunities of exploiting the current situation by winning business from those companies being worst hit by the economic downturn.
Over half [...]

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Credit management company Graydons UK, have warned that on the back of the credit crunch and economic slowdown, SMEs are facing a tough time with suppliers tightening their credit terms or requirements.
Businesses that have been trading for less than 20 months are currently the most likely to suffer, because they are considered to be most [...]

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Small businesses are getting the lions share of work from the London 2012 Olympics contracts, organisers have claimed.
Of 82% of businesses where employee numbers are known 71% are considered to be SMEs. Around 650 companies have benefited from the project so far worth a total of £2bn.  Almost half of the firms winning business are [...]

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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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