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Disappointment as UK retail sales fall back in April
08/05/2013
UK retail sales values were down 2.2% on a like-for-like basis from April 2012, when they had declined 3.3% on the preceding year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). On a total basis, sales were down 0.6%, against a 1.0% decline in April 2012.
Greater tax transparency will help re-build trust in UK PLC
08/05/2013
UK business needs to seize the initiative and respond to the public’s call for greater tax disclosure, says Ernst & Young’s UK head of tax.
Squeezed UK employees under increasing pressure to commit fraud
08/05/2013
Cuts in pay, salary freezes and intense demands to hit targets in the downturn are putting more pressure on UK employees to commit fraud, Ernst & Young’s Fraud Survey has revealed.
Red tape cuts for intellectual property disputes
08/05/2013
Intellectual property disputes of all kinds can be both complicated and costly for small businesses. The government have recognised this by introducing a newly adapted and modernised mediation service, which Lord Younger announced recently.
Voluntary sector sees jump in employee engagement scores
08/05/2013
According to the CIPD’s Employee Engagement Index, more than half (55%) of employees in the voluntary sector feel engaged at work, compared with 41% last quarter, despite a backdrop of increasing redundancies (25% reporting planned redundancies ahead, a jump of 15 percentage points since last quarter).
European e-tailers streets ahead of US in social shopping
08/05/2013
Facebook Login integration is twice as popular with European online retailers than their US counterparts, reveals the ‘Login to Boost Checkouts’ study by Betapond.
£300k pledged to find hidden entrepreneurial gems
07/05/2013
More than £300,000 from three prominent UK business people and serial investors is sat waiting for the right investment opportunities on a video pitching website, dubbed ‘Dragons’ Den without the nerves’.
Small manufacturers starting to see optimism improve
07/05/2013
Small and medium-sized manufacturers saw orders and output continue to fall in the three months to April, though firms are expecting both to grow in the next quarter, according to the CBI’s latest SME Trends survey.
Convoluted tendering process needs overhaul
07/05/2013
Taxpayers are losing millions of pounds in savings which can be made through a more streamlined bidding process for Government suppliers.
Red tape presents bigger risk than cash flow woes for small business
07/05/2013
Almost half of Britain’s small business owners (45%) remain optimistic about the country’s economic fortunes, but three in four say their future success risks being derailed by red tape, according to new research out today (Tuesday) from energy company E.ON.
