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A promising venture

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Quarterly manufacturing performance was gloomy

Manufacturing output slumps on the quarter

Sentiment among the UK’s small and medium-sized manufacturers fell for the third quarter running in the three months to January, finds research.

Retailers 'trying to absorb crunch costs'

British retails are "doing their best" to avoid passing on the increased costs due to rising prices, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Manufacturing 'kick-starts back into life'

The UK manufacturing sector started 2012 on a positive footing with a key sector index rising to an eight-month high.

Glimmer of hope for sales in 2012

Consumer confidence in the UK rose in January.

Retail suffers in 2011

Retail sales fell in the year to January despite modest growth last month, finds the Confederation of British Industry.

SMEs hit by bad weather

Heavy snowfall has again taken small businesses in the UK by surprise.

UK trade deficit expands

The UK trade deficit in goods and services widened to £2.6 billion in November 2011, from a revised £1.9 billion in October, according to Office of National Statistics figures.

Businesses cold on Olympic legacy

The majority of small companies believe the London 2012 Olympic Games will not benefit their business in the long term, research finds.

Good news for services sector

The UK’s services sector expanded at its fastest rate since July, research finds.

Consumer caution worries businesses

Three quarters of small companies are concerned that cautious consumer spending this Christmas will negatively impact their business.

SMEs expect a productive 2012

More than four fifths of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK believe that next year will be just as prosperous or even better than 2011.

Guides & Tips

Opening up your business to global trade

Either finding suppliers or selling your products abroad is very important for a successful and thriving company.

Pay per Click Advertising for Small Businesses in 2011

It's been quite awhile since we last looked at Pay per Click (commonly shortened to PPC) advertising on search engines, and while the basics remain the same, there have been some important changes since that last article and there is also a major market-changing event in the pipeline to which you should be alerted.

Taking the business abroad can open up many new opportunities

Doing business abroad

SmallBusiness.co.uk investigates the steps to take when considering expansion into foreign markets.

Don't Miss

Searching for sales

Simon Campbell set up online marketing service The Sandpit less than six months ago, but is projecting £1 million in sales for its first year of trading.

David Strang is flying high with his boomerangs

Big returns

David Strang’s boomerang and toy company Wicked Vision has soared since he first launched it ten years ago.

Keep your customers coming back for more

Retaining customers

Keeping customers coming back for more isn't always easy. Here are ten top tips on how to retain a loyal consumer base.

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FT Guide to Personal Tax

The FT Guide to Personal Tax is published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and John Bloxham, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as over 230 tax-saving tips.

Growth Company Investor

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FT Guide to Business Start Up

The FT Guide to Business Start Up 2012, published by Pearson Education, is written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc. This unique guide has sold over two million copies. It offers practical advice about starting and running your own business.

What Investment

What Investment is the leading and longest-established investment magazine in the UK.

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Social lending websites could make finance a lot more accessible

A new era for small business finance

It is an understatement to say that the past few...

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Sales & Marketing Questions & Answers

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PR and marketing

Paul Green, Publicity Heaven

Start-up tips

Philip Wilkinson, Business Link

Public Relations

Paul Stallard, Berkeley PR

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Latest questions answered

Q: Do I need an import licence?
Q: How do I decide when to export? Q: This is my first Christmas as a retailer. How should I prepare? Q: As an online start up, how can I compete for popular search terms? Q: How can I spice up my social media campaign? Q: How can I choose the best value PR campaign for my startup? Q: How can I successfully promote my brand?

Blogs

Apprenticeship dreams

Ben Lobel 07/02/2012

So, another government incentive has been dangled in front of small businesses in the form of a fresh £6 million fund for hiring apprentices. Have your say »

A promising venture

Small Business Finance 06/02/2012

Rory Earley, CEO of Capital for Enterprise, explores how small businesses should approach venture capital. Have your say »

Winning new business in 2012

Guest Blogger 02/02/2012

Shaun Thompson, CEO of Sandler Training, explains how growth is possible in frugal times. Have your say »

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Selling on eBay

Ebay trader Chris Dawson gives his tips to selling through the trading website.

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