The latest news affecting small and medium sized (SME) businesses in the UK
Mark Prisk MP, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, has announced a major boost to the North East’s economic prospects. The British Library, NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), Newcastle City Council and Northumbria University have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to examine the set up of a new business support centre in the North East based on the British Library’s critically acclaimed Business & IP Centre.
Britain’s manufacturers have notched up the strongest year of growth for more than a decade and a half as they recover from the deep slump triggered by the financial crisis, according to government figures released today.
The one year National Insurance holiday for start ups, announced in the budget, is set to begin on September 6 but now the Government has now said that some sectors as well as regions of the country will be exempt.
Bank fees and costs for SMEs have risen sharply since the end of last year according to a report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. The report also says that many small businesses are unable to borrow from banks, because their lending criteria are too restrictive.
When Sharon Wright, wanted to increase the profitability of her fledgling business Talpa Products, which produced the award-winning Magnamole product, she did what many entrepreneurs dream of and walked up the famous steps in TV’s Dragons’ Den and walked back down again with a deal done and with the two dragons that she had wanted, for more money than she had asked for. Sounds perfect doesn’t it? However without the cameras, the deal became anything but perfect. We talk to Wright about what went wrong and why the perfect deal turned so sour.
The bosses of six of the UK’s leading banks are joining forces to form a taskforce designed to help get lending to businesses back on track.
Claims by the Government that UK banks are failing to lend has challenged by the head of RBS today as he detailed their efforts to get cash to small businesses as he announced the banks first profit in three years.
We all know the importance of having a strong brand in business, but, in this age of social media, where we expect personal interaction rather than corporate spiel, and especially for start-ups and SMEs, where there may only be a small number of people involved, the idea of a personal brand is becoming more and more important.
New report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development claims UK economy has lost nearly 1m full-time jobs since the start of the recession
Let me explain why cold calling is such a big issue for many…..and why vital first stages should be completed before a cold call is made….
In the Den, and broadcast last week, The Dragons were asked to invest in a product called Shopbox, which is a secure, temperature-controlled container for groceries that are ordered online, which then became the subject of a heated discussion on the subject of patents – and a very important lesson for anybody with an invention.
A new report out today claims that more than half of headhunters believe that women will have to forsake a career break in order to reach the top senior executive positions.
The head of Risk Capital Partners, and former chair of Channel 4, Luke Johnson has today launched a scathing attack on the BBC for what he calls grotesque programmes like Dragons’ Den & The Apprentice which fit their in-house prejudices perfectly making business out to be ‘ruthless, domineering and egotistical.’
Sound financial decision making and emotional intelligence are the two most defining qualities of successful leadership, according to a recent study, with bosses looking to King & Osborne as role models.
The customer is king so engage them with an experience fit for royalty. Gone are the days of admiration for shop windows and acceptance of repetitive brochure sites. Today’s consumer prizes customer service and their own time above all else when shopping online but most brands are not delivering on these demands.
Maintaining great customer relations requires something of a ‘cult’ instinct. Disregarded by many, but cultivated by true believers, an unadulterated commitment to customer service sets brands apart from competitors.
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