MET-UK

November 2008: Olympics on track for London, say organisers
With 1,346 days to go before the Olympics, organisers of the London Games are anxious to reassure Londoners that the event is very much on track financially and logistically, reports the Guardian.Lord...

November 2008: Tax cuts ignore self employed
Government proposals to cut income tax will do nothing to help the immediate plight of the UK's self employed workers, according to industry experts.The Tax Advice Network has disclosed that as the co...

November 2008: Contractors chase £3 billion deal
A number of leading contractors are chasing a £3 billion contract which will see building work completed through the south-west of England.The Construction Framework South West model is a four-ye...

November 2008: 'Sound' businesses could go bust
Many economically "sound" small businesses could go bust by Christmas, business leaders have warned the government.As many small firms struggle to cope with the effects of the financial down...

November 2008: SMEs benefit from Olympic contracts
UK-based small businesses have dominated the £3.5 billion of work that has been awarded to complete work at the Olympic Park.The Olympic Delivery Authority has released figures revealing that of ...

November 2008: Small firms could face skills shortage
Small firms could face a skills shortfall as migrant workers return home to escape the economic downturn, according to a recruitment specialist.JFL Search & Selection claimed that this repatriatio...

November 2008: Banks 'block' business growth
Banks are among the biggest blocks to the growth of small businesses, according to a leading pressure group.The Federation of Small Businesses conducted a survey of its 8,700 members and revealed that...

November 2008: FSB's prayers answered
The Federation of Small Businesses' (FSB) calls for interest rate cuts to save the existence of millions of small firms across the country have been answered by the government.Today (November 6th), th...

November 2008: Small firms 'overlooked' by banks
Small firms are being overlooked by large companies and banks despite promises by the government to the contrary, the Federation of Small Business (FSB) has claimed.Speaking to the Business and Enterp...

November 2008: London's small firms 'positive'
Small businesses in London remain positive despite the ongoing financial downturn, according to a new survey.Business Link, an advice and support service, conducted a survey which disclosed that over ...

October 2008: Tories want to cut business red tape
The Conservative Party has urged the government to cut red tape to help small businesses win public sector contracts during the economic slowdown.David Cameron criticised the government for only award...

October 2008: Lending forum announced
The chancellor has met with bank executives to urge them to relax their lending conditions for small businesses.Alistair Darling, along with the business secretary Peter Mandelson, met officials from ...

October 2008: FSB urge SMB bailout
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged the government to create a £1 billion survival fund to help small firms in tough financial conditions.The proposal would replace the current Sma...

October 2008: Employers urged to hire British
A government minster has urged employers not to hire migrant workers in an attempt to protect British citizens from rising unemployment, the Times has reported.Promoted by fears of widespread unemploy...

October 2008: Cameron calls for tax breaks
David Cameron has called for immediate tax breaks for small businesses as a method of helping them through the economic crisis.The Conservative leader has suggested that small businesses, including pl...

October 2008: SMBs can help economy
Awarding more government contracts to small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) would help the economy, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).In a new report published by the industry g...

October 2008: Credit access doesn't worry SMBs
Health and safety regulation, tax and spiralling fuel prices are the most significant barriers to business growth, a new survey has revealed.The poll, carried out by the Federation of Private Business...

October 2008: SMBs unconvinced of Britain's allure
Only one-third of small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) believe that Britain is a good place for commerce, a new survey has revealed.The poll, conducted by the Orange SMS Business Jury, disclosed t...

October 2008: FSB call for govt action
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called on the government to put small firms at the forefront of the bank restructuring programme.The FSB suggested that it is vitally important the relatio...

October 2008: SMBs warned of redundancy risk
Small businesses will have to make redundancies as the UK heads towards recession, the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has warned.The FPB's legal advice line experienced a 68 per cent increase in call...