Latest News
Brown: Banks should pass on cut
Prime minister Gordon Brown is urging British banks to pass on the one percentage point interest rate cut to help businesses trying to get loans.
Businesses criticise rate increases
Companies are in uproar about plans to allow councils to increase business rates by two pence in the pound to pay for local development projects.
Interest rates slashed again
The Bank of England has announced another aggressive rate cut, reducing the base rate from three to two per cent.
London firms get £23 million
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has welcomed a package of £23 million to help small to medium-sized businesses in the capital.
More EIB funding available to SMEs
The Bank of Scotland intends to make £250 million of funds available to SMEs in the next two weeks.
Crime costs small firms £13,500 a year
Businesses pay on average £13,500 for crimes against them each year, with these acts accounting for 20 per cent of all recorded offences in the UK, new figures claim.
Trade credit insurance hurting retailers
Retailers being refused trade credit insurance is leading to problems in the industry, especially for small to medium-sized businesses, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) warns.
Proposals for SMEs not effective, says BCC
David Kern, chief economist at the British Chamber of Commerce, has criticised Alistair Darling’s Pre-Budget proposals for SMEs.
Tax rise put on hold
The planned one percentage point rise in corporation tax has been put on hold in an attempt to boost small businesses.
VAT cuts 'will not help small firms'
A reduction in value added tax (VAT) of 25 pence in the pound will not help small businesses and many may not pass it on, say some entrepreneurs.
Tax cuts possible to boost spending
The pre-Budget report, due out today, may see cuts in value added tax (VAT) to encourage Britons to increase spending in the run up to Christmas.
£1m for Scottish start-ups
A £1 million fund has been launched for Scottish entrepreneurs to help them set up firms with a social or environmental purpose.
Pre-budget tax cut calls
Tax cuts announced in the pre-budget report on Monday will be targeted to benefit SMEs, says accountancy firm Deloitte.
Small firms 'must be in pre-Budget report'
The pre-Budget report must give companies 'innovative and short-term' solutions for finance such as a £1 billion small business survival fund, an organisation has warned.
Government to loan money direct to businesses
The government will give loans to businesses via regional development agencies (RDAs), as banks are still not lending to companies, a report in the Times says.