Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) retail figures reveal high street sales collapsed to their biggest fall for nearly four and a half years. ParcelHero says the results prove the findings of its major new report that the death of the high street is just a little over a decade away. High street sales collapsed by
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UK small businesses are upbeat on Trump effect
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
Two thirds of those SMEs surveyed by Citibase Business Confidence Index believe Trump’s win would either be positive or have no impact on business with just 18 per cent predicting a negative outcome. Across the country more SMEs surveyed were in favour of a soft Brexit (42 per cent) compared to hard (33 per
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Brexit concerns outweighed by cash flow and skills as barriers to growth
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
In a new poll of entrepreneurs by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, cash flow is cited as the most significant barrier to growth by more than a quarter of respondents, followed by challenges in recruiting personnel with the right skills (23 per cent). By contrast, Brexit only appears to only be a barrier to growth for 5 per cent of
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Changes to auditing rules has saved small businesses thousands each
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
More than a million small businesses are exempt from audit, which is leading to individual savings of thousands of pounds per year, finds a study by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The poll of 400 businesses affected by the audit changes finds that three out of four SMEs undergoing audits feel they
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Blundering banks: The research that shows businesses are being failed
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
Nearly half (47 per cent) of small and medium-sized business (SME) owners claim the business advice they received in the last year from their mainstream bank had a negative impact on their business operations and one in six (16 per cent) of these suggest their business is now in a worse position as a result. This is
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Why the cyber security skills gap could mean trouble for your business
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
In a global study by Indeed of employer demand for cyber security expertise and the numbers of people searching for such roles, Britain’s cyber security skills gap emerged as the second-worst in the world. The study reveals that the number of cyber security roles advertised in the UK is the third-highest in the world, but
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The biggest concern for small businesses is rising costs
by Ben Lobel • • 0 Comments
The number of businesses that see rising costs as a significant challenge has doubled over the past 12 months, according to findings from Bibby Financial Services’ Q4 SME Confidence Tracker. These fears are of particular concern for manufacturers with almost a third (29 per cent) citing this as their biggest challenge. Increasing competition (18 per cent) and
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1093 small businesses are scheduled to cease trading in January
by Owen Gough • • 0 Comments
Over 760 businesses ceased trading in December 2016, with more than 1000 more to follow this January. The research, carried out on behalf of London insolvency practitioners Hudson Weir, reveals that 14.5 per cent of these companies were operating in the retail and food and drink sectors. This means at least another 110 empty units in
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Expected rates of lending for SMEs to increase as confidence grows
by Owen Gough • • 0 Comments
Lending to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) across the top 10 UK cities dropped by over £2 billion in one year, according to the SME Growth Watch Report 2016, from Hampshire Trust Bank. However, early indicators in 2016 reveal an uplift in lending to SMEs and confidence that they can secure finance. The research,
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How to keep your customers happy this Blue Monday
by Owen Gough • • 0 Comments
Research conducted by telephone answering service CALLCARE has discovered the most frustrating bugbears that people experience when speaking to a customer service adviser over Blue Monday. Blue Monday, which in 2017 falls on January 16th, is reported to be the most depressing day of the year. Although many dismiss the idea as ‘pseudoscience’, tighter budgets,
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