Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United Kingdom and Ireland:

• City needs to make space for small firms: AROUND 40 units for small businesses need to be created in Edinburgh every year to keep up with demand, a new council-commissioned report has said. Of the units, which are for a range of new businesses with up to ten employees, at least 20 need to be built every year to replace old unsuitable premises. The study was carried out by commercial property firm Ryden after Edinburgh City Council comissioned it to find out the current levels of need for small business space.
• SFA Welcomes CSO Small Business Report: SFA Welcomes publication of Small Business In Ireland 2008 Report. - Small Business at forefront of job and wealth creation. “Small businesses are both different and important. They are important because they create jobs. They are different because they are managed by people who take risks …
• FPB helps to lift small businesses out of ‘fuel poverty’: Following news that small businesses in the UK are suffering from ‘fuel poverty’ because of spiraling energy prices, the FPB is advising members to take advantage of its partnership with Utility Options and seek out cheaper utilities deals.
• FPB calls for better support for entrepreneurship to bridge the north-south divide: The FPB is calling for better support for small businesses in England, following a study revealing that, when it comes to entrepreneurship and job creation, there really is a north-south divide.
• Shake-up of workers’ rights could backfire, warns FPB: The FPB is concerned that government proposals to overhaul UK workers’ rights could backfire, creating serious staffing problems for many small businesses. The FPB believes that small firms are likely to suffer because of a plan to extend the benefits enjoyed by full-time employees to temporary workers and another to encourage ‘flexible working’ by extending to employees who are parents with older children the right to request time off work.
• Government should listen to small firms: Following a recent Government announcement that a new ‘tax forum’ is to be set up to tackle the problems of the UK’s tax system, a small business pressure group has claimeds that, once again, the Government is snubbing small businesses.
• Adam Hart-Davis joins FSBs Keep Trade Local Campaign: The Federation of Small Businesses Keep Trade Local campaign today received the backing of the scientist, social historian and broadcaster Adam Hart-Davis.
• Employment announcement could prove a nightmare for small firms: The Federation of Small Businesses today warned that the Prime Ministers announcement on the planned extension of the right to request flexible working together with new rules on agency workers could create an employment nightmare for small business owners.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from India:

• On demand virtual assistants for busy professionals and Businesspeople: Most of us have heard about Elance, getafreelancer orguru where users can outsource work to freelancers on project to project basis. These services are quite popular number of individuals and small business earn their livelihood through these sites.
• The wiki for Indian Startups: Do you know what are the biggest pain points faced by entrepreneurs while starting their new venture? It is the lack of knowledge in legal, financial and company incorporation areas, especially if you are an online startup.
• Low pace works mars cricket bat cluster: Islamabad, May 12:andnbsp; Secretary, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), Dinesh Rai, expressed his concern over the delay in setting up a cricket bat cluster in the Valley.
  andnbsp;“The work on the cricket bat cluster is going at snail’s pace. I have asked the Product and Process Development Centre (PPDC) to visit the site to speed up the work,” said Rai while speaking to Greater Kashmir after supervising the Treish mineral water plant, a product of Safa
• Cut in steel prices an eyewash, says SMEs: Small and medium enterprises doubt if the latest decision by the steel producers to cut prices would bring any immediate benefit to them. SMEs also believe that the category in which steel prices have been slashed is largely used by secondary steel manufacturers, who produce finished products like pipes and sheets.
• Central team assesses function of KVIB units: Srinagar, May 11: Secretary Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, today visited the common facility centre at Sethar Sangam in Islamabad District. He was accompanied by Additional Development Commissioner MSME, Secretary KVIB Srinagar, besides other officers of the Board.
  andnbsp;The centre, in which training facility would be imparted to the entrepreneurs and artisans on modern technical know-how for skill upgradation aims to exploit the huge quantity of Kashmiri

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from Australia and New Zealand:

• SME’s get more Web choices with MYOB: Business solutions company MYOB announced today it will expand its range of products to offer online Web hosting services to its SME customers.
• Business council backs tax review: TREASURER Wayne Swan has won the backing of the Business Council of Australia for his comprehensive review of the tax system.
• Nicola Kenn: Free software has silver lining: For Wellington website development company SilverStripe, international success has arrived through a rather unorthodox business plan - by giving away their product. The small company decided last year to offer its innovative website…
• BPO success demands sophisticated metrics: Business leaders are rapidly changing how they measure the success of their business process outsourcing programmes, reports analyst house Nelson Hall
• Tax overhaul looms in Aussie budget: A comprehensive review of Australia’s tax system will be unveiled with tomorrow’s federal Budget - but GST and tax-free superannuation will be off limits. Treasurer Wayne Swan said it was time for a sweeping inquiry into state,…

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from Canada:

• Retailer goes small-town: TORONTO - Canadian Tire Corp. will forge its new growth path in small-town Canada, the retailer said Thursday, taking on Home Hardware, True Value and other independent retailers in at least 100 communities that are not close to big-box stores.
• Saskatchewan a new hotspot for shale gas: A small Calgary-based oil and gas company is hoping to strike it big in the province’s fledgling shale gas play.
• Canadian Tire looks to fine tune its stores:Retail giant will launch two new store concepts this year as it races to capture more business in smaller markets and re-model bigger stores
• Make children’s toys green to compete with the big boys: If you hope to develop a new toy line out of a small home-based business, how do you compete with major manufacturers with big budgets and even bigger name recognition?
• Sask. business honoured: A number of Saskatchewan businesses were honoured Thursday for their commitment to providing employees with opportunities to balance work and family life.
• Balsillie adds his weight to startup igloo: Dozens of technology startups ache to make a name for themselves in the social networking game, but only one has RIM’S co-CEo on board.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United States:

• Center for Emerging Technologies, Technology Entrepreneur Center receive tax credits: The Center for Emerging Technologies and Technology Entrepreneur Center, both of St. Louis, were approved for a total of more than $185,000 in tax credits through the Small Business Incubator Program, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt announced Monday.
• Small Wonders: In the world of nanotechnology, good things come in really small packages.
• Good as New: Whether it’s the love of a good bargain, the shaky economy or the growing desire to reduce, reuse and recycle, shoppers are flocking to resale shops.
• Study challenges stereotype of tech entrepreneurs: Twenty-somethings with dreams of starting technology companies shouldn’t worry about competing with each other. It’s their parents they need to watch out for.
• Legislature Addresses Health coverage for small business: The Tennessee Legislature has passed a bill that would allow a larger number of businesses to get health insurance for employees.
• In the Hunt: Student Consultants Supply Fresh Insights to Businesses: Sending business students to do field work at local firms is nothing new, but the trend has continued to gain popularity in recent years.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United Kingdom and Ireland:

• SMEs Encouraged To Register For Public Sector Contracts: The government enterprise department will allow SMEs greater access to public contracts by registering their business withwww.supply2.gov.uk Under the latest scheme small businesses will have access to public contracts around the UK with a value of £100,000 or less.
• SME Groups Angry Over Competition Commission Outcome: Small business groups FSB and ACS are among many expressing disappointment at the outcome of the Competition Commissions inquiry into the grocery sector. The two year inquiry resulted in the Commission concluding that consumers are enjoying the benefits of competition, while totally ignoring the impact on independent retailing.
• Small business profile: An artistic way of living off scraps: Many people dream about developing a business around their hobby, although few realise that dream. Of those who do, fewer still make a go of it. But Christina Doré, 50, has done just that with her craft centre business, A Maze of Memories.
• Roger Trapp: In an ailing economy, good timing is crucial: Britain’s small business and banking communities have never had the best of relationships. Recent events will have done little to improve things.
• Go on line to boost your chances of winning public contracts: The FPB is advising small businesses to register online to improve their chances of procuring public contracts. Business-owners have been granted free access to the Government websitewww.supply2.gov.uk, but only until 31 July. The FPB believes that, if the incentive paves the way for more small businesses competing for tenders, it should be made available to them indefinitely.
• Restore postal service for small businesses, insists FPB: Following a report on the shake-up of the UK’s postal service, the FPB is urging the Government to restore the essential services that have been lost for many small businesses.
• MBA courses: An ethical dilemma for students: Several years ago, a combination of the Enron scandal and global warming shook up the business environment. Business schools started to introduce modules onto their MBA courses that looked beyond the profit motive - or, at least, recognized fresh dangers to the bottom line. Ethics began to be taken seriously.
• Adventures In Micro-Business: Unsecured loans and Saturday staff: Q. Are there any circumstances in which my business can get a bank loan without me having to guarantee the loan personally?

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from India:

• KCCI discusses pilgrim tourism with SASB: Srinagar, May 6: Valley’s apex business chamber, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry today discussed several issues relating to the pilgrim tourism with principal secretary to governor and chief executive officer, Amarnath Shrine Board, Dr Arun Kumar. andnbsp; A high level delegation of the KCCI led by its president Dr Mubeen Shah presented a memorandum to the CEO raising issues connected with the yatra vis-à-vis local businessmen and the people, ecology and environment
• Want to know where your competitors are advertising? Try (!) Yureekah: Yureekah claims to be the worlds first search engine that enables online media professionals to freely search where other brands are running their online advertising campaigns. Their mission is to organize world’s online advertising information to enable this search.
• The good side of US recession: I had earlier voiced my opinion that US recession may be a boon for Indian offshore software companies. Infact, even as America is moving into recession, Indian offshore companies are getting more business than ever before. The impact of recession is undoubtedly higher to small and medium sized enterprises whose bottom lines get squeezed due to lack of spending by consumers. These thousands of small and medium enterprises are increasingly waking up to cash in on the outsourcing wave, a market opportunity explored by their big daddies for a couple of decades now.
• Asset reconstruction arm to operate in 6 months: New Delhi: SME financing institution Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) today…
• Vodafone to bring Apples iPhone to India: New Delhi: Indias mobile phone users will be able to switch to Apples eagerly awaited iPhon…

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from Australia and New Zealand:

• Nanotech talks to help very small business in SA: Materials Australia and the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research will be hosting a series of seminars next week encouraging small businesses across South Australia to get involved with nanotechnology.
• New taxes for small businesses proposed:TWO of the country’s top tax advisers, Deloitte and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, have joined forces to develop a new and less burdensome way of taxing small businesses.
• Brian Fallow: Report slams emissions scheme: It is neither fair nor efficient that households, small businesses and road users will bear 90 per cent of the cost of the Government’s planned emissions trading scheme over the next five years, a report for the Sustainability Council…
• High power prices crippling businesses: Hawke’s Bay pulp manufacturer Pan Pac estimates it is losing $100,000 a day in sales as it cuts power consumption in the face of soaring spot prices. Its comments follow an announcement by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters last week…
• SME conditions worsen, survey finds:SMALL and medium enterprises (SMEs) say business conditions worsened at the start of the year and they expect lower profits in 2008, according to a survey.
• Smaller retailers get bigger: THE retail sector in Australia is about to change and it can only be good for shoppers, small retailers and suppliers, said retail expert Phil Bonanno, from insights consultancy The Leading Edge.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from Canada:

• Shifting Careers: Why Leisure Matters in A Busy World: Leisure has many different definitions — we can even have leisure at work and be more productive, healthy and creative.
• As banks tighten up, small businesses find other sources for loans: Scott Metzger wanted to start a restaurant-microbrewery in San Antonio. His credit was good. His business plan was sound. He should have had an easy time getting financing. He didn’t. After spending a year developing relationships with three large banks, he…
• Marketing in the Recommendation Age: As customer review venues and their influence increase, business owners should capitalize on this trend.
• The Ultimate Little Black Book: Once upon a time, there was one telephone company. Routing phone calls was pretty straightforward.
• All about the IRS rebate numbering system: The Internal Revenue Service’s decision to distribute economic stimulus payments based on the last two digits of your Social Security number got me wondering: How does the government assign these numbers? Is there anything you can tell about a person from his…
• Fed reports tighter bank lending standards: The Fed reports that more banks are tightening lending standards on home mortgages, other types of consumer loans and business loans in response to a spreading credit crisis.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.

Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United States:

• A Classroom Path to Entrepreneurship: As college courses in how to start small businesses are becoming as ubiquitous as Economics 101, gone is the conventional wisdom that such skills cannot be learned in class.
• Don’t be Afraid to Delegate: Small-business owners need to delegate, if they wish to grow, and that is a concept that can be difficult for many to accept.
• Fighting Fakes: It’s not just Gucci and Rolex. These days, counterfeiters will knock off pretty much anything.
• Health-care costs rising faster for N.J small business: Employer health insurance costs continued to climb last year in New Jersey, with small employers seeing the steepest increases, according to the New Jersey Business and Industry Association’s 2008 Health Benefits Survey.
• State unveils pandemic flu planning kit: The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has developed a planning guide to assist small businesses to prepare for and respond to a pandemic influenza outbreak.
• City?s small business get creative: For the city’s 220,000 small businesses, facing down economic uncertainty before it begins to take a large toll on sales and profits can be key to surviving and even thriving during a downturn
• Helping hand from the city: After six years on the job, Rob Walsh is still trying to convince entrepreneurs that the city Department of Small Business Services isn’t another bullying bureaucracy. He understands their reluctance.
• The Key to Retaining Sales Talent: Good salespeople are worth their weight in gold. That’s why it pays to reward them with a pair of golden handcuffs.

As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.