Festival for entrepreneurs, a call to cut VAT & summer schools

Sheffield festival aims for 2,000 entrepreneurs: Business Secretary Vince Cable and Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk have already agreed to speak at the 2011 MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, which will take place from Wednesday, September 21 to Saturday, September 24.

Federation of Small Businesses calls for VAT to be cut to 5pc in construction and tourism industries
 to head off stagnation after a survey showed a dramatic slide in confidence among its members

Family businesses ‘have happier staff’ Family run businesses have happier, more loyal staff than their private and public sector counterparts, new research published in The Telegraph has found.

Planning applications fast-tracked for SMEs SMALL firms must be able to fast-track their planning applications so they can grow their business and benefit the economy, the Coventry Telegraph has said in a new report.

Will summer school for entrepreneurs uncover the next Richard Branson? In a fresh attempt to kickstart the small business sector, The Guardian are reporting that the government has thrown its weight behind the launch of a summer school for student entrepreneurs. The YouGov initiative, called StartUp Summer, launched in collaboration with University College London and Imperial College and feature Martha Lane Fox, Luke Johnson – and Dragon’s Den-style contests in front of top business people