companies house made easy

female directors on the rise in Oldham

New research from Duport.co.uk reveals female director appointments rose to a record level during the first quarter of the year in Oldham. Between January and March, 35% of director appointments were female - more than any other Q1 on record for the area.

Coventry economy approaching boom-time company growth

While economists talked fearfully of a triple-dip recession in 2012, Coventry was quietly racking up net company growth almost equalling that of booming 2006.

first quarter drop in net company growth in Kingston Upon Thames

New research from Duport.co.uk reveals that net company growth in Kingston Upon Thames dipped during the first three months of the year.

view all news

In the current economic conditions, businesses are doing everything they can to keep costs down, including embracing more inexpensive forms of staff training.

A new report from the Forum of Private Business has revealed that cheaper alternatives to red tape training are becoming increasingly popular, with 48% of companies surveyed using supplier training and 41% using public sector training provided by public bodies such as colleges.

Phil Orford, the Forum's chief executive, said:

"For the sake of small businesses and the economy, it is important that small businesses are able to access the right training for their staff at the right price. Unfortunately, while there have been some improvements recently, this is often not the case at present.

"But entrepreneurs are finding ways to provide the skills training their staff need that are more affordable than traditional routes such as expensive courses. This is particularly relevant given the training and guidance required in order to negotiate the minefield of red tape."

The report showed that personal coaching schemes and online courses are also popular forms of training, though 52% of the companies surveyed said they do not believe responsibility for training should fall on the employer.