The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
UK business cautiously group UK200 welcomed some of the government’s proposals to stabilise the financial system, announced in today’s Queen’s Speech – although it said more information was needed on how the measures would work in practice before a final judgement could be made on how effective they would be.
Last night, Minister for London, Tessa Jowell, called on London’s business leaders to help the capitals young people into work and to ensure they make the most of the Government support available to firms during the recession. Her call to action came as 1070 jobs for young people in London were announced as part of the Future Jobs Fund (FJF), with eight organizations in the capital to provide new posts.
Over 1200 business leaders and guests including keynote speaker Alistair Darling, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, were at the Orange-sponsored National Business Awards, to celebrate the success of the UK’s most innovative, ethical and resilient businesses in 2009 at the Grosvenor House Hotel last night (Nov10th).
The Apprentice star admitted he felt “frustrated” and considered his own position after facing calls for his resignation from small business leaders following his comments that struggling businesses were “moaners” living in “Disney World”.
A survey conducted at the end of last week shows that almost half of small businesses have maintained their profitability over the past year.
Lord Sugar needs “a taste of his own medicine” and should be fired as the Government’s “enterprise champion”, according to a company which advises hundreds of businesses every week as “his comments echo those of Marie Antionette.”
We spoke to this year’s winner of Online Retailer of the Year Zak Edwards who asks Richard Branson to consider launching Virgin Post whilst couriers say Royal Mail is digging its own grave.
75% of small businesses believe the economy will see an upturn next year, with 35% predicting an improvement by January 2010 according to new research out today.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has said two 24-hour nationwide postal strikes will start on Thursday 22 October.
The union said it had no choice but to announce a strike after the Royal Mail rejected its latest set of proposals.
On the first day, mail centre staff and drivers will strike. The next day it will be delivery and collection staff.
The Office of Fair Trading has launched a number of studies to investigate a range of online sales practices in a bid to rid make the web more open and transparent in sales transactions.
Birmingham has been named as the best performing European city in which to do business, having risen more places in Cushman & Wakefield’s influential European Cities Monitor than any of its competitors. It is now second only to London in the UK for business.
Royal Mail postal workers have voted to take strike action over job security and working conditions.
Postal workers voted three to one in favour of action, with 61,623 out of a total of 80,830 workers who voted saying they wanted to strike.
The company and unions have been unable to resolve differences on how best to modernise the postal service.
Royal Mail says it needs to make big changes to combat a fall in the number of letter and parcel deliveries.
There have already been a series of regional strikes around the country in recent weeks that have created a backlog of millions of letters.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents the workers, must give seven days notice before any strike begins.
Royal Mail was last night reported to have lost a £25 million contract with Amazon, its second largest customer, as a national strike looms over the crucial Christmas period.
The struggling company, which has been buffeted by a series of wildcat strikes since July, could suffer more cancellations if its service continues to be disrupted.
This week a survey of Britain’s leading store group executives found that 34% do not expect strong growth until 2011 and are preparing for a ‘flat Christmas’ Couple this with August’s findings by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), stating that retail sales in Central London had fallen by 5.9%, and Christmas is not looking very jolly for retailers.
It has been confirmed that Business Minister Baroness Vadera is to leave Gordon Brown’s government.
She was appointed in January 2008 following a Cabinet reshuffle.
