Welcome to the Latest News section. Listed here are the ten most recent news items. For previous news items, see the Archived News section.

Half of small businesses plan to increase technology spend, says survey
18th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Over half of small businesses are intending to increase their spending on technology and communications, despite the economic downturn, a survey has revealed. A poll of firms by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) has shown that 51% of small...

Entrepreneurship is in the mind
18th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Research by scientists at the University of Cambridge has raised the prospect of an "entrepreneurial Viagra" that could encourage people to make risky decisions.In an article published in the journal Nature, the scientists assert that entrepreneurs are riskier decision makers...

Entrepreneurs defy the gloom
18th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Entrepreneurs behind businesses less than a decade old are defying the downturn gloom with a return on their original investment of more than 1,000 per cent in many cases, according to a new report.The study, produced by Delta Economics on...

Shell Livewire Finalist first winner of 'The Last Millionaire'
13th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
The 'Last Millionaire' was aired on BBC Three last night and includes two Livewire Finalists from 2007. This brand new BBC Three show takes 12 of Britain's most successful young entrepreneurs and drops them into six of the world's most...

Banks are one of the biggest barriers to growth for small businesses, says survey
12th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Banks are among the biggest blocks to the growth of small businesses, the Federation of Small Businesses' (FSB) biennial survey of sector trends has revealed.The FSB analysis of around 8,700 members identified banks as key to getting financial support. But...

Accountants trusted over bank managers
12th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Small and medium businesses do not trust their bank managers to give good financial advice, according to a new study.The research shows that 70% of small businesses choose their accountants over bank managers to consult on financial issues, while only...

Birmingham will be ‘at heart’ of UK’s recovery
6th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
Birmingham will be at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery, a recent poll by data analysts KDP suggests. England's "second city" ranked top in the research which identifies areas of the UK where shareholder-directors are most concentrated.According to KDB,...

Government’s a slow payer, says survey
6th of November, 2008 (United Kingdom)
The Government may struggle to meet its pledge of paying small businesses within 10 days, according to a poll which found that two-thirds of company owners already rated the state to be a “slow” or “average” payer.Out of 238 small...

STARTER FOR 6 – NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
30th of October, 2008 (United Kingdom)
NESTA’s Starter for 6 programme provides enterprise training, support and grant awards of up to £10,000 to innovative business start-ups across Scotland. Now in its 3rd year, applications for the 2009 programme are open to individuals and teams with a...

FSB recommends £1 billion 'emergency survival fund' for small businesses
28th of October, 2008 (United Kingdom)
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has suggested the Government set up an emergency £1 billion 'survival fund' for small businesses in order to safeguard the UK economy and secure thousands of jobs.It has called on ministers to scrap the...