Business Finance News

• FPB urges SMEs to prepare for higher interest rates  (8 June 2007)
  A group which represents the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK has advised its members to take advantage of the Monetary Policy Committee's decision not to increase interest rates, and look for good fixed-rate loans.
• Businesses welcome rate decision  (7 June 2007)
  Business leaders have welcomed the Bank of England's decision not to increase interest rates again.
• SME tax case goes to the Lords  (6 June 2007)
  The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has backed a small business as its case against HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is heard in the House of Lords.
• Rain dampens retail sales figures in May  (5 June 2007)
  Bad weather during May was partly responsible for the poor retail sales figures which small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK recorded in the month, a new report argues.
• Further rate rises 'will hurt SMEs'  (4 June 2007)
  Ahead of next week's meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), a group representing the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has urged the Bank not to increase interest rates again.
• Bank offers free services to SMEs  (4 June 2007)
  A leading high street bank has unveiled a new offer to try to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to switch their banking services.
• Bank offers advice to start-ups  (31 May 2007)
  A leading high street bank has launched a new service designed to help entrepreneurs start their own small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• SMEs 'missing out because of poor banking'  (31 May 2007)
  British small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are missing out on over £1 billion of interest because they are not putting their money in sensible business accounts, a new report indicates.
• Small businesses 'not acting to encourage older workers'  (30 May 2007)
  The majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK have not put in place measures comply with recent age discrimination laws, new research suggests.
• Manufacturers 'confident prices will rise'  (29 May 2007)
  The UK's manufacturers - including many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - are confident that they can increase prices in the near future, a new report suggests.
• Bosses 'don't know where to get financial advice'  (24 May 2007)
  Owners of small businesses in the UK do not know where they can get business advice, a new study found.
• Future rate rises 'on the cards'  (23 May 2007)
  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK are preparing themselves for further interest rate increases in the immediate future, after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) published the minutes to its meeting earlier this month.
• FSA 'targets SMEs'  (23 May 2007)
  The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has revealed that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should not believe that they are below the regulator's radar.
• Minimum wage clampdown 'welcomed by most businesses'  (18 May 2007)
  Business organisations have welcomed government plans to increase the fine small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) pay if their employees do not receive the minimum wage.
• CBI investigates UK tax system  (14 May 2007)
  The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has launched a new task force with the remit of examining whether the corporate tax regime in the UK is still suitable for businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
• CAS thresholds increased for SMEs  (11 May 2007)
  More small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be able to better manage their cashflow after the government introduced changes to the rules about how these companies deal with VAT.
• Lending to SMEs increases  (9 May 2007)
  Banks are increasingly providing better support services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a new study suggests.
• SMEs miss FSA targets  (8 May 2007)
  Less than half of the small businesses working in industries regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) managed to achieve targets for treating customers fairly (TCF).
• Banking services for SMEs 'improve slightly'  (4 May 2007)
  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could take advantage of better deals on business current accounts and save themselves significant sums of money, according to a industry expert.
• Move to online tax forms 'discriminates against SMEs'  (3 May 2007)
  The government's continued policy to encourage businesses to fill in online tax forms penalises small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB) has warned.
• New EU directive 'good news for SMEs'  (30 April 2007)
  Last week's decision by the European Parliament to speed up the process of cross-border payments in the internal market will make life easier for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Bosses 'lack strategies for selling their business'  (27 April 2007)
  The owners of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could miss out when the time comes to sell their business because they are not planning the succession early enough, a new report says.
• Economic climate 'good for starting a business'  (25 April 2007)
  The current economic situation in the UK makes it a good time to start a new small business, an industry expert has claimed.
• Some SMEs 'still unhappy with banking services'  (24 April 2007)
  Some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are still not happy with the banking services they are provided with, a new report found.
• FPB urges SMEs 'to check utility bills'  (23 April 2007)
  Small businesses have been urged to make sure they are not being overcharged for their utilities.
• SMEs 'not ready to deal with bribery'  (23 April 2007)
  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK have difficulty distinguishing between bribery and corporate hospitality, a report suggests.
• SMEs 'unaware of funding lifeline'  (20 April 2007)
  Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are unaware of a financial lifeline available to them, according to new research.
• One more rate rise 'acceptable to SMEs'  (19 April 2007)
  British businesses have accepted that one further rise in interest rates is necessary after inflation reached 3.1 per cent earlier this week.
• Insolvency rate among SMEs falls  (17 April 2007)
  There has been a significant drop in the number of businesses going out of business in the UK in the first three months of the year, a new report says.
• Starting a business 'is harder now than a decade ago'  (16 April 2007)
  British small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) think that it is harder to start a new company now that it was a decade ago, according to a group which represents business interests.
• More regulation fears for SMEs  (5 April 2007)
  New regulation could have a detrimental effect on the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) this summer, according to a new report.
• Government 'ignores SMEs when planning regulation'  (4 April 2007)
  The process that the government uses to assess what impact new regulation will have on the economy regularly ignores the concerns of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), a new report suggest.
• Muslim SMEs 'now able to bank in line with faith'  (3 April 2007)
  Muslims who own small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be able to gain access to banking services which comply with their faith's rules in the future.
• EU labour laws 'will not help UK SMEs'  (2 April 2007)
  A group which represents the interests of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has called on the European Commission to reconsider its proposed changes to Europe's labour laws.
• Staff 'take time off to look after pets'  (30 March 2007)
  UK small and medium-sized businesses are losing money because staff take time off to take their pets to the vet, a new report suggests.
• Employers urged to monitor staff pensions  (28 March 2007)
  Many of the country's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not bothering to review the performance of their staff pension schemes, a new report claims.
• SMEs 'should lease' company cars  (27 March 2007)
  Too many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continue to purchase company cars outright, instead of considering contract hire options, a new report says.
• Quarterly rents 'cannot be justified in the modern business world'  (26 March 2007)
  An organisation which represents the interests of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has called on commercial landlords to scrap the practice of charging businesses quarterly rent.
• Energy providers treat SMEs 'unfairly'  (26 March 2007)
  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing debt and even bankruptcy because energy providers are not acting effectively, according to a new report.
• Budget 'bad for SME business'  (22 March 2007)
  Just 24 hours after Gordon Brown announced his 11th Budget several organisations have revealed that the new policies may in fact harm many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Budget includes policies on SMEs  (21 March 2007)
  Gordon Brown has published his 11th Budget and it includes some policies which will have a direct impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• SMEs 'hurt by UK tax burden'  (19 March 2007)
  UK businesses, including many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), risk losing their competitive edge unless the chancellor acts to reduce tax burdens, a leading business organisation has warned.
• Business Budget for a 'balanced economy'  (16 March 2007)
  The upcoming Budget will be a 'Budget for business', according to chancellor Gordon Brown.
• Funding can 'make or break a business'  (14 March 2007)
  A workshop aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) gain a better understanding of business financing will be held in Bath next week.
  
  
• 'Retaining graduate talent is key to a company's future success'  (9 March 2007)
  Companies, including many of the country's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must work harder to retain their graduate employees.
• Mayor asked to evaluate cost of c-charge to business  (7 March 2007)
  A London-based political party has called on the Mayor of London to assess the monetary impact of the extended congestion-charge zone on business.
• Interest rates rise opposed by BCC  (6 March 2007)
  The possibility of further interest rate rises by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has been opposed by UK businesses.
• Brown's last budget 'must be best'  (28 February 2007)
  The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling for Gordon Brown's "widely anticipated last budget" to be his "best".
• Red tape cost businesses £56 bn  (27 February 2007)
  British businesses have been burdened with a record cost of nearly £56 billion because of red tape, a new report this week shows.
• £1m lost by firms every year to fraud  (26 February 2007)
  Fraudsters are making off with £1 million every year from one in 20 UK companies (5 per cent), new research suggests.
• SMEs boost growth of Northern firm  (20 February 2007)
  A firm in the north-east has become a multi-million pound business - thanks to entrepreneurs and property owners.
• IASB publishes draft reporting standards  (16 February 2007)
  The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) will publish an exposure draft of its international financial reporting standard (IFRS) for SMEs.
• Manufacturing SMEs unsure about 2007  (12 February 2007)
  The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned that many small- to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) face an uncertain year.
• 2006 saw increase in business start-up failures  (2 February 2007)
  Last year saw a significant rise in the number of start-up businesses that failed, says new research.
• Abbey weighs up interest rate increase  (31 January 2007)
  Abbey today weighed up the circumstances and likely impact of January's surprise 0.25 per cent rate increase.
• SMEs hit by inflation 'double whammy'  (26 January 2007)
  Rising inflation is exacerbating financial problems for many SMEs, experts warn.
• Rate relief for small firms could be doubled  (23 January 2007)
  Small businesses could soon be benefitting from an increase in rate relief if calls from the Federation of Small Business Scotland (FSB) are heeded.
• Diverse workplace best for business  (12 January 2007)
  New research suggests that a diverse workplace could attract more potential workers and help improve sales for SMEs.
• SME employees losing out on pension plans  (11 January 2007)
  Fewer than one in five SME employees and bosses are signed up to a company pension plan, according to one survey.
  
  
• Wage inflation 'could hit 4%'  (9 January 2007)
  Wage inflation is tipped to reach four per cent this year, according to the latest figures from labour market researchers.
• SMEs could be hit by personal account charge  (5 January 2007)
  Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) proposals for a personal account charge could hit small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) hard if they are implemented, experts warn.
• Unpaid overtime saves £23 billion  (4 January 2007)
  Employers are saving £23 billion a year thanks to employees' willingness to work unpaid overtime.