companies house made easy

self-assessment deadline extended

Sole traders, entrepreneurs and other individuals who are required to fill out self-assessment tax returns will not receive a late filing penalty if they make their submission on the 1st or 2nd of February.

schools must develop entrepreneurs

The Forum for Private Business has called for schools to play a leading role in encouraging entrepreneurship amongst young people.

google targets welsh SMEs

Search engine giant Google has announced a 12 month campaign to get businesses in Wales to start using the web.

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Following on from the previous quarter’s decrease of nearly 3%, operating costs for SMEs have fallen by 1.4% in the first quarter of 2009, according to the Business Inflation Guide (BIG).

The BIG has mixed implications for SMEs, as lower running costs are also tied in with falls in demand and the reduction of prices in order to generate higher sales.

"While it is cheaper to run a small business, it is clear that demand for goods and services is dropping off considerably and that is why prices are spiralling downwards," stated Mike Bowman, from MORE TH>N BUSINESS.

The report, produced by MORE TH>N BUSINESS and Warwick Business School, uses 20 different items of expenditure to measure the rate of inflation. These include rent, advertising, labour costs and office equipment.

The general deflationary trend was contradicted most sharply by inflation in the price of insurance, reflecting the value of protecting businesses and assets during the recession.