companies house made easy

SMEs concentrate on marketing to make money

Small businesses are concentrating their time and efforts into sales and marketing strategies to offset difficult trading conditions.

economically inactive mask true jobless figures

Unemployment has fallen to 7.8% during the three months to January, but the number of people in work fell by 54,000 during the quarter according to official statistics.

30% more risk without a website

Small businesses that do not trade online are 30% more likely to fail than SMEs with a web presence, according to a new report.

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The UK economy grew by 0.1% in the last quarter of 2009, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), technically bringing the recession to an end – but times are still tough for small businesses.

With VAT back up to 17.5% and banks still restricting access to credit, SMEs are still facing an inhospitable business climate.

Analysts had expected a stronger growth in GDP, and economists are describing the recovery as “lacklustre” and “disappointing”, with many citing the car scrappage scheme and the lower rate of VAT coming to an end as the main drivers behind the return to growth.

Director General David Frost, of the British Chambers of Commerce stated, “This is good news, but clearly growth is anaemic, and it certainly means that the economy is far from being out of the woods.

“It is essential that the government demonstrates an unwavering determination to support wealth-creating companies in 2010. Additional business taxes must be avoided, and the 1% increase to employers’ National Insurance contributions, planned for 2011, should be scrapped.

”Unless the private sector is given the freedom to create jobs and wealth, the UK’s economic recovery will be slower than it should be, and we will face the serious risk of a double-dip recession.”