Welcome to the Latest News section. Listed here are the ten most recent news items. For previous news items, see the Archived News section.

Big firms accused of abusing small businesses’ trust
22nd of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Large companies are exploiting small businesses by delaying invoice payments and imposing new terms and settlement fees on owners, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).The FSB says it has unearthed evidence that big organisations are unashamedly making smaller...

Updated Livewire Community User Guide
18th of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
As more and more users of the Livewire website make use of the Discussion Forum and Social Network, we have updated a set of guidelines to help people get the most out of using the tools. These will help aspiring...

Small business told to look to jobless as source of new staff
16th of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Small businesses should take on more unemployed people from the Government's New Deal programme, according to one of Scotland's leading business figures. Russell Griggs, chairman of private training provider A4e and head of the CBI's small business council, maintained that companies...

Make your mark
16th of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Are you… innovative? creative? ready to take risks and manage them? Do you have…a “can-do” attitude and a drive to make ideas happen? You should start a Make Your Mark Club! All over the UK a unique network of teenagers...

Minority groups ‘more likely’ to start social enterprises
16th of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
People from minority ethnic communities are more likely to start a social enterprise than members of the white community, new research has suggested. The findings, by entrepreneur think tank Delta Economics, also indicated that although white women are only half as...

Britain is on brink of recession, warn business leaders
9th of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Britain is on the brink of a recession and unemployment is set to rise 300,000 by the end of next year, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.In a dire warning it said the economic outlook for the business sector...

Lower VAT could help small local firms facing consumer slowdown
9th of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Britain's small firms yesterday received a welcome boost from new European commission proposals to allow lower rates of VAT on locally provided, labour-intensive services including hairdressing, bicycle repairs, gardening and restaurant meals.They and their European counterparts also endorsed moves by...

Ipod winner at the Royal Norfolk Show
3rd of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Thanks to all those budding entrepreneurs who visited us at the Royal Norfolk Show. It was a fantastic 2 days and as well as being able to chat with local young people interested in starting a business, we got a...

Small business owners struggle to find work-life balance
2nd of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Small business owners are struggling to maintain a work-life balance with nearly a quarter working late into the night, according to a report by Alliance & Leicester.Concerns about the economic downturn, regulatory pressures and day to day worries are adding...

£10m fund launched for female entrepreneurs
2nd of July, 2008 (United Kingdom)
A £10m fund has been established to finance loans, training and mentorship for women entrepreneurs in the UK.Women can apply to borrow up to £30,000 in any one application from the loan fund which has been set up by business...