Latest News

'Bribery clerk' has sentenced reduced

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:41:37 +0100

The court clerk who became the first person to be prosecuted under the Bribery Act has won a two-year reduction in his sentence.

GrowthAccelerator scheme to help business start-ups

Wed, 23 May 2012 16:44:08 +0100

UK company formations are being given a helping hand by a new government and private sector initiative which aims to invest £200 million to help boost start-up companies.

Corporation tax could be devolved to Northern Ireland

Tue, 22 May 2012 08:35:01 +0100

Northern Ireland could be close to being allowed to set its own rate of corporation tax.

Customer engagement: Should start-ups jump straight in to social media?

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:58:02 +0100

Firms are all too aware of the power of social media as a means to talk to, and maintain relationships with, their customers.

David Cameron to back 'bonfire of regulations'

Mon, 21 May 2012 11:02:39 +0100

David Cameron is this week expected to support a "far-reaching" plan to deliver growth by cutting employment red tape.

David Cameron's enterprise advisor: Let's look to US for start-up growth

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:39:11 +0100

The government needs to facilitate a greater expansion of flexible business space if it wants to foster the same levels of entrepreneurship in the UK as in the US, it has been claimed.

Apprenticeships 'working' for small businesses

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:57:52 +0100

Apprentices offer employers "real value", the government has said.

Ireland defiant over corporation tax

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:57:19 +0100

Ireland will not budge on its investor-friendly corporation tax rate, the country's prime minister Enda Kenny has said.

Employers bid for skills training pilot

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:48:16 +0100

Hundreds of employers have bid to take part in a new government pilot to design and develop their own vocational training programmes, the government has said.

Employers 'more confident' about hiring

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:01:58 +0100

The fall in UK unemployment for a second month running is a sign more companies are confident about taking on new staff, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said.

Firms 'better off' with trademark protection

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:42:57 +0100

Although companies can protect their brands via common law rights, they are better off registering a trademark to manage their intellectual property, it has been claimed.

Over 20 IPs reported for pre-pack non-compliance in 2011

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:21:44 +0100

More than 20 insolvency practitioners (IPs) were reported to their regulator for non-compliance with pre-pack administration in 2011, according to a government report.

Business is booming in Edinburgh

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:20:35 +0100

Scotland's business landscape is booming with new company formations in Edinburgh reaching their highest level for over four years, according to figures.

Bribery Act: 'Time to act'

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:42:43 +0100

Firms can no longer bury their heads in the sand when it comes to the Bribery Act, a leading partner at Ernst & Young (E&Y) has said.

Small businesses embrace flexible working

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:02:09 +0100

Small businesses are incorporating flexible and home working into their working policies, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personel and Development (CIPD).

Small firms could do more to boost online presence

Fri, 11 May 2012 16:25:47 +0100

A number of UK small businesses believe they could do more to improve their online presence, according to new research.

UK Bribery Act 'contributes to global anti-corruption culture'

Fri, 11 May 2012 06:43:10 +0100

The Bribery Act has played a significant role in developing a global compliance culture, the former director of the Serious Fraud Office has said.

HMRC expands RTI

Fri, 11 May 2012 06:41:21 +0100

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has brought in a further 310 employers to its real time information (RTI) pilot, which launched last month.

Small businesses 'increasingly optimistic'

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:03:25 +0100

Small businesses and UK company formations are becoming increasingly optimistic about their prospects, according to a study by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Business sentiment in the second quarter rose for the first time since mid-2011, according to the business group's study, with a balance of 22 per cent saying that they were optimistic regarding their business situation. This optimism was likely caused by a boost in orders, which caused people to anticipate faster growth in the coming year. In addition, the majority of companies questioned said they expected to boost employment opportunities in the coming 12 months. Lucy Armstrong, chair of the CBI's SME council, said: "Small and medium-sized manufacturers are feeling more optimistic for the first time in a year, an encouraging development given the important role that they play in our economy. "Indeed, firms expect orders and output to rise strongly in the coming quarter and plan to invest more in the year ahead, pointing to growing momentum in manufacturing activity." Marilyn Landis, chief executive officer of Basic Business Concepts Inc, recently told the podcast The Viable Business Model for the New Economy, that small businesses are the biggest drivers of the economy.

Offshore M&A activity up

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:32:17 +0100

Transaction values for mergers and acquisitions in major offshore financial centres spiked by 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2012, according to a new study.

Small businesses 'are the drivers of the economy'

Fri, 04 May 2012 16:39:47 +0100

Small businesses are the drivers of the UK economy, according to one expert. Marilyn Landis, chief executive officer of Basic Business Concepts Inc, told the podcast The Viable Business Model for the New Economy, that small businesses and new company formations are vital to the economy. "But most of our education, most of the basic premise of the stories we read give us the impression that big business is really what this economy is about and that is not true," Ms Landis said. "If you think about it, 60 per cent of GDP is made up of small business and 99.7 per cent of all businesses are small businesses. We are the economy. There is no question about that." She added that political commentary always focuses on how important small businesses are and that in reality the vast majority of businesses in the UK are small. Official figures from company house recently showed that more than 17,000 new UK company formations were made in March.

Recruits 'health-check' potential employers

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:34:28 +0100

Jobseekers are increasingly checking the financial buoyancy and legal history of employers before accepting a job, according to a poll of 2,000 would-be recruits.

Govt looks to cut compliance in food manufacturing

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:33:26 +0100

The government is consulting with food manufacturers to see how levels of corporate compliance could be cut.

Wealth managers warned over Bribery Act

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:20:28 +0100

Wealth managers are increasingly looking for guidance to ensure they do not fall foul of the UK Bribery Act, according to compliance lawyers.

Scottish laser firm lands funding boost

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:48:18 +0100

A Scottish laser manufacturer has secured £3.85 million of capital funding to grow its business.