Late payments to businesses are causing a ‘ripple effect’ impacting on more than half UK businesses which could be costing them as much as £2 billion a year.
Category: In Business
Advice on growing your small and medium sized business, SME, in the UK. Hiring and managing staff and finance plus marketing all on one website
Britain’s workers on six day weeks to keep jobs
Overtime is becoming the norm for almost 50% of staff since the financial crisis began, according to new research from BT Business. More than a third of those Brits feel compelled to work over their contracted hours every week because of the current climate, with most working an average of 7 extra hours per week – the equivalent of an extra day – and collectively putting £200 million in extra hours into the British economy each week.
Young Enterprise company finalists
The prestigious HSBC Young Enterprise Regional Company winners have been announced.
Smart technology can give businesses the edge
Paul Bray looks at how if you prang your new BMW and the air bags deploy, the car can automatically tell the manufacturers so they can alert the emergency services. If you’re in hospital in Madrid and a nurse tries to administer the wrong drug, an alarm automatically sounds. If you buy a chop in a Norwegian supermarket, you could be told the name of the pig it came from.
Bosses urged to tackle debts instead of using administrations
Business owners in financial difficulties are being urged to adopt the “moral” approach to tackling their debts and agree to pay them back rather than using pre-agreed administrations to simply walk away.
Are you a ‘Green’ Entrepreneur? You could win £220,000
The search begins today [8th June] to find Europe’s green entrepreneurs for a new TV series to be screened on CNBC later this year. Called ‘The Good Entrepreneur’ the new business competition, backed by business and financial news channel CNBC and financial services provider Allianz, aims to find the entrepreneur with the best eco-business concept which is sustainable, responsible and innovative.
Sir Alan looks for a new set of eyes and ears
Margaret Mountford has announced that she is quitting The Apprentice after five series.
The 56-year-old corporate lawyer has monitored contestants’ progress during tasks alongside Nick Hewer since the programme launched in 2005.
Absences soar morning after Champions League final
Record numbers of people called into work sick this morning (thu) following Manchester United’s defeat in the Champion’s League Final.
London’s top female entrepreneurs celebrated
Some of the UK’s brightest female entrepreneurs are defying the recession by developing and growing new business ventures. They were celebrated recently at The FreshIdeas Events Mentor Competition Awards, held at HSBC, Mayfair.
Investors tag onto tweety pie
Unless you have been living in splendid isolation in recent months, you will have struggled to avoid the latest online social networking craze ‘Twitter’. Andy Lopata, business networking specialist, looks at how Twitter, Hot on the heels of ‘Facebook’ as the next great communication tool, it is being championed by celebrities such as Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry, used by politicians such as Barack Obama and adopted by people of all ages and walks of life at a rapid rate.
Are you ready for The Pitch 2009
Doug Richard, former Dragons’ Den panellist; Tim Campbell, the first winner of The Apprentice; and Deirdre Bounds, star of Channel 4’s Millionaires’ Mission, have all signed up to take part in The Pitch 2009, a competition which is going on the road to track down the UK’s most innovative small companies.
Staff turn bedrooms into boardrooms to save cash
Over half of employees are working from home more often since the financial crisis began, according to new research from BT Business and Remote Employment, released as people prepared for the National Work From Home Day.
Bannatyne Fitness makes £8.2m profit
Dragon Duncan Bannatyne’s health club business has prospered despite the recession after it shifted focus from expansion to maximising profits.
Ten tips to negotiate a payrise
In these times of rising living costs, we could all do with a bit of extra income. But before you storm into your boss’s office and demand a bigger salary, read our top ten tips on becoming a smooth negotiator.
The Budget: The Business World’s verdict
We find out what the Budget really means for small firms from the most important and influential business lobbyists and support groups including the FSB, The Forum of Private Business and The British Chamber of Commerce.
