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.

view all news

Official figures show that the UK economy is still in recession, despite predictions from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) of 0.2% growth for the third quarter of 2009.

The economy contracted by 0.4% between July and September, the sixth consecutive quarter of negative growth. This is the longest period of economic contraction since quarterly records began in 1955.

The reaction from much of the small business community is a call for continued assistance through access to finance and investment to help bring the UK’s economy back into positive growth.

"These figures make sobering reading, both for the Government and for British businesses. Continued intervention - including help for businesses to access finance, and incentives to promote investment - is still needed. Above all else, business confidence must be nurtured, to ensure that recovery is not further delayed,” stated David Kern, Chief Economic Advisor for the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The Bank of England’s quantitive easing programme is expected to be spent by the end of November, but there is now pressure for the Monetary Policy Committee to extend the initiative.