UK/Ireland Small Business News Round-up 05/12/2008

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:

• WinWeb’s OnlineOffice is Entrepreneurs Online Support Service: The Belfast Telegraph writes about entrepreneurs and small business owners needing services and support at an affordable cost. Small business is most venerable during times of recession and credit crunch, receiving affordable support is essential if these small businesses are to survive in this harsh economic environment.
• United Kingdom VAT Rate Change in OnlineOffice.: On Monday December 1st. 2008 the applicable VAT rate will change from 17.5 % to 15 % until December 31st. 2009.
• Where has all the money gone?: If Britain’s banks are to be believed, then they have never done better by their small business customers – rate cuts are passed on in full, lending is up, advice seminars are planned. Yet small and medium enterprises (SMEs) complain of draconian actions by their lenders while the Government blames the banks and piles on the pressure to make them support small companies. How can this be?
• LLoyds TSB pledge to help small businesses: Lloyds TSB has pledged to help its 600,000 small business customers by putting together a six-point ‘charter’ to help them weather the economic downturn. The bank has also confirmed it will pass on, in full, any further cuts in interest rates …
• SMEs lean on taxman to ease payment terms:Kevin Reed, Accountancy Age, Tuesday 2 December 2008 at 16:23:00 SMEs take up offer to ease cashflow burden by easing tax payments More than 2,200 small businesses have asked the taxman for more time to pay their tax bills. The claims to relieve pr…
• HBOS and Lloyds in small business support package: HALIFAX Bank of Scotland today became the latest bank to announce a support package to help its small business customers.
• Chamber’s action call to PM: THE president of Greater Manchester Chamberhas taken a robust action plan to help small businesses weather the economic downturn straight to Downing Street.
• FSB calls for early Christmas present with rate cut: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is today calling for a repeat performance on interest rates from the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee by initiating a cut of a least 1.5 per cent in its monthly announcement this afternoon.
• FSB response to the Queen’s Speech 2008: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) welcomed the announcement in today’s Queen’s Speech to crack down on the banks as part of a series of major reforms to the financial sector.
• Banks face fines fro breaking new lending rules: Britain’s banks could face fines and public reprimands by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) if they refuse to lend fairly to small businesses and individuals.

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

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