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Merry Maids

Oct 13 2005

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You've probably noticed smallbusiness.co.uk has a brand new look. You can personalise the homepage to suit your needs and there's lots of new content including video, blogs and the small business resource centre.

We're interested to know what you think about the new small business site, so we'd like you to take this opportunity to have your say. All entrants will be entered into our free prize draw to win a bottle of champagne provided by our partners at Laithwaites! Enter here

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News

FSB: Authorities should highlight SME tax savings

The government needs to ensure small businesses are aware of the tax saving opportunities available to them, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Rate hold prediction from 9 of 9 economists

Interest rates will be kept on hold following September's monetary policy committee meeting, nine out of nine economists predict in a new poll.

Confusion at minimum wage increase

Small businesses remain confused about the minimum wage increase on 1 October.

Rising costs and weak spending 'squeezing' businesses

Retailers are suffering under falling customer demand and rising costs, according to Capital Economics.

Late payments hitting SMEs

Small businesses are struggling to cope with an increase in late payments, a survey reveals.

Staff 'should be supported and challenged'

Employers should make sure they 'support and challenge' their staff to get the best out of them, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Government to review flexible working

The government is searching for ways to make dealing with flexible working requests easier for businesses in a new consultation.

Red tape on training needs to be reduced

Small businesses could face additional regulation by the government if they are forced to undertake formal meetings with employees who request time off to train, warns the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Companies should exploit intellectual property, says IPO

All businesses, in any industry, will be creating intellectual property they need to protect, entrepreneurs are warned.

Bank holiday could benefit 1m businesses, union says

Having an extra Community Day bank holiday in October could benefit almost one million businesses in the UK, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Redundancy a spur to business start-up

Fear of being made redundant is encouraging people to set up on their own, according to a survey.

Guides & Tips

Karen Bremner: beyond The Apprentice

It seems there’s nothing Apprentice star Karen Bremner won’t try. Having worked as a solicitor to the RAF, and trained as a stockbroker, she has now set up her own clothing boutique. One year on and her turnover has hit £250,000.

Make your website a success

Having a well designed website can be crucial to the success of your business. Here are some top tips on how to secure your visitors interest and get ahead on the web, from SmallBusiness.co.uk and Bea Hatherley, co-founder and director of online specialist Mr Site.

Deduplication made easy

The amount of data stored by businesses may exceed the world’s storage systems by 2010, claims markets research firm IDC.

Store

FT Guide to Personal Tax

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Tax Guide, the FT Guide to Personal Tax is now published by Pearson Education. Written by Sara Williams, CEO of Vitesse Media Plc and Jonquil Lowe, this unique guide gives step-by-step advice to completing your tax return as well as 100 tax-saving tips.

FT Guide to Business Start Up

Formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, the FT Guide to Business Start Up is now published by Pearson Education. 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.

Growth Company Investor

Growth Company Investor is widely recognised as the leading magazine for investors interested in AIM and smallcap companies. Published 10 times per year, and brought to you by an award-winning analyst team, it offers subscribers unrivalled insight into high-potential smaller companies. Subscribe today with a 50% discount in your first year.