People looking to start their own, or grow their fledgling business has been given a major boost with 60 leading brands have pledging millions of pounds worth of support under a major new campaign launched by the Prime Minister and some of the UK’s leading business leaders today.
With just under half of UK SMEs reporting that they have been turned down for a loan in the past 12 months the question over how businesses can balance their cash-flow and indeed grow is one that continues to trouble business owners.
The other day I saw some comments made by businesswoman and West Ham Vice-Chairman, Karren Brady, which could’ve come from my own mouth.
We talk to TV personality and owner of JBW Group, Jamie Waller, about his business philosophy, and what inspires him to get out of bed in the morning.
The leading business information provider, Equifax, has released its Business Failures Report for the second quarter of this year today. The reports shows a welcome slowing down in the pace of businesses going under compared to earlier in the year and all of 2009, however, the actual number of failures is not quite back to the pre-recession levels of early 2008.
The final TV debate, to be held on Thursday 29th in Birmingham, will focus upon the economy. The most important element of any future government’s plans to fix our country rest upon sound economic principles. It’s almost time to make up your mind. Forget all the debates so far. This one is the biggy!
The general election campaign has kicked off to widespread voter apathy. The three main parties have launched their campaigns and the electorate is none the wiser.
For anyone who missed the last Budget that Chancellor Alistair Darling delivered before the General Election, you can read the full transcript here.
A nationwide study by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has found that some councils in the UK are still failing to pay invoices promptly. Struggling firms face a ‘postcode lottery’ meaning their chances of prompt payment often depend on where they are based.
BT has announced it is the first UK communications provider to offer unlimited fixed line calling packages for small businesses. The high value BT Business One Plan Inclusive packages offer unlimited calling minutes to UK landlines, UK mobiles, international destinations and 0845 and 0870 numbers for a fixed fee of £15 per month. This fee is further reduced to £12.50 per month if customers take the unlimited package on a VoIP line and on the face of it represents significant savings for small business.
If talk is cheap, genuinely practical advice and support is invaluable for business owners struggling to access finance and left numb by the politicians’ promises. The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has launched www.smallbusinesschannel.co.uk a free new online service advising entrepreneurs on a range of key business issues – including approaching banks for credit.
We chat to one of the UK’s most famous angel investors, and part of the famous Dragons’ Den quintet, Peter Jones about his business activities, his tips for success and what mistakes he has made along the way.
We have spoken a number of key business owners and business support organisations to get their immediate feedback on Alistair Darling’s make or break Budget and highlight what is good, bad and missing as far as small and medium sized business owners are concerned.
Leading business organisations have given a guarded response to the government’s £11bn loan guarantee package with many voicing the opinion that it ‘did not go far enough’ to help businesses starved of credit.
The employers’ organisation, the CBI, said certain important companies needed to refinance £100bn of credit facilities this year. "The scale of the problem goes well beyond what the government has announced today. The sense of living on borrowed time is palpable," the CBI’s director-general, Richard Lambert, said.
The Government says that the proposals – including extending its pledge to lead the way on tackling payment by paying its own suppliers within 10 days – are designed to preserve small firms’ cash flow by improving access to finance. The FPB is calling on banks to commit to preserving and improving credit lines for small firms.
