UK/Ireland Small Business News Round-up - 10/10/2008

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:

• Corporate giants failing to pay on time: Corporate giants are sucking the lifeblood out of thousands of small businesses by imposing new delays in the payment of their bills, it is claimed today
• Brown plans £12bn help for small businesses: Gordon Brown will today propose a £12bn fund to help small businesses deal with the credit crunch
• How to reduce your tax bill: Expenses claims for the home working: Paul Webb from the small business tax experts, Robert James Partnership, explains how this new home working legislation works and what business owners can do to claim their full entitlements.
• Brown promises £250bn bailout will save SMEs: Downing St has put SMEs at the centre of its bank bailout plan, but is relying on European funds and the banks’ own word to deliver much needed relief to small business.…
• FSB: Small businesses must be recognised in bank rescue package: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) today called on the Government to put small business at the forefront of the bank restructuring program.
• FSB reaction to interest rate cut: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) today welcomed the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates by half of one per cent from 5 per cent to 4.5 per cent.
• SMEs Faced With Making Redundancies: As the global financial crisis deepens, it is no surprise to learn that unemployment figures for August rose at a pace not seen for 16 years.
• FSB Calls For Interest Rate Cut To Help Small Business: The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has sent results to the Bank of England of a snap poll demonstrating the devastating impact of the credit crunch, and is calling on its Monetary Policy Committee to cut interest rates this Thursday.
• Westmorland and Lonsdale MP signs ‘Think Smallest First’ pledge: Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, is backing a campaign to place small businesses at the heart of the Government’s decision-making process. Launched in June by the FPB, the campaign calls for politicians to sign a pledge in support of the smallest firms – those with fewer than 10 employees.
• Good news at last as Bank of England cuts rates to 4.5%: The FPB is welcoming the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates from 5% to 4.5%. The FPB believes that slashing the cost of borrowing will significantly boost the confidence of the owners of small businesses suffering because of the economic downturn.
• FSB protest as Barclays hikes its rates: LOBBY group the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) called on banks to reconsider `hurtful’ rises in overdraft rates.

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

One Response to “UK/Ireland Small Business News Round-up - 10/10/2008”

1. Lucia
   http://www.accentonlighting.co.uk
   
   Said on October 13th, 2008 at 10:56 pm

   I have been having real trouble with bank finace even though I have very small gearing and a profitable business, I hope the recent government bailouts will change this for the better of all small businesses.

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