Category: News

SMEs responsible for 110 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year

AXA launches carbon calculator to help SMEs reduce emissions.

Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) generate approximately 110 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, according to new calculations published today by AXA. In an effort to help small businesses reduce their environmental impact AXA, one of the UK’s leading insurers of SMEs, today launched a carbon footprint calculator available free at axa4business.co.uk/climate. Created specifically for SMEs it provides a self-assessment tool to enable them to assess and reduce their environmental impact.

Research by a leading social entrepreneur networking website has revealed that nearly 40% of small business owners and social entrepreneurs have experienced cash flow problems in the last few months as a result of the worsening economic situation.

Demonstrating that money cannot buy you everything, Richard Branson has topped a poll of business heroes as voted for by business owners themselves, beating the world’s third richest man, Bill Gates, into 2nd position.

The leaders of the UK’s major franchise companies gathered to reward excellence in marketing when the winners of the 2008 Franchise Marketing Awards were announced on Friday 4 April.
 
Over 400 figures from the UK’s highly successful £11 billion franchise industry enjoyed a glamorous gala dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, to recognise the many companies whose investment in marketing and creativity have contributed significantly to the industry’s continuing growth and development. The winning entries highlighted the impressive quality and range of marketing in this vibrant industry sector.

A Gloucestershire based Public Relations Agency is the first in the UK to use the power of Facebook to help small to medium sized businesses increase their media awareness thanks to holding regular, free, real-time, Question and Answer sessions on the social networking site starting on April 29th.

According to a major new study, two out of every three SMEs are ignoring the current environmental debate.  With many larger companies making fundamental changes in how they do business, 67% of SME owner-managers admitted that environmental concerns were failing to have any impact on their company.

SMEs employ more than half of the UK workforce, so these small companies constitute a major segment of the UK’s business community. There is a huge opportunity for these companies to make a significant impact on environmental sustainability, but it seems few are taking up the challenge.

Small business complacency is harming future growth potential and increasing the chance of business failure across London according to information released today by Business Link in London.
With 29 out of 33 London boroughs experiencing a growth in the number of new businesses, only 67% of them are making it to their third birthday, whilst 91% are making it to their first.

A leading UK based accounting software company can today reveal that year on year; accountants are increasingly leaning towards the Conservatives, with nearly half of voters now backing the Tories, whilst Labour falls further behind.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is warning that freight transport firms, and businesses which provide their employees with company cars, are most at risk from prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter Act, which comes into force on 6 April 2008.

New research carried out by the Small Business Research Trust (SBRT), in conjunction with the Forum of Private Business (FPB), shows that smaller firms are bearing the brunt of the credit crunch. The FPB believes that barriers to growth faced by small businesses, in particular the burden of tax, red tape and late payment, must be urgently addressed.

The director of an online site for business angels and budding entrepreneurs warns that the UK economy will suffer if business start-ups steer on the side of caution.
 
Echoing the thoughts of business angels signed up on the funding site, www.angelsden.co.uk, Director, Bill Morrows believes that higher interest rates and predictions of an economic downturn will prevent many potential start-up businesses from getting off the ground. 
 
Starting up a new business can be a huge risk, with 20,000 UK start-ups failing in their first year of business. Coupled with the initial outlay and the fragile state of the current economic climate, it is no wonder that many business ideas will never get further than an outlined plan.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is urging Prime Minister Gordon Brown to place a new small business working group at the heart of his enterprise policies. The group is to be created within the Business Council for Britain, which currently comprises representatives of big business and celebrities such as Sir Richard Branson and Sir Alan Sugar. The move follows criticism that smaller firms have been left out in the cold.

UK companies residing in China are set to have their tax bills increased following the introduction of corporate tax reforms by the Chinese Government.
The new regulations, aimed at levelling the playing field between domestic and overseas companies, also encourage hi-tech and environmentally friendly industries into China.
Stephen Weatherseed, Head of the Grant Thornton UK China Group, which advises UK companies conducting business in China, says that in most case a new 25% corporate tax rate now applies across the board for both international and domestic companies.

4 in 10 potential customers in London and South East are put off using firms that don’t use business email addresses
Image counts as research shows 95% of people check a company’s website before making a purchase, with over 40% admitting to avoiding a business if it doesn’t use business email
A professional business image is what counts when attracting customers, reveals new research by Loudhouse, commissioned by Microsoft UK. 81% of people think it is more important than ever that a local business appears professional with 84% believing a professional image conveys a good quality service, and 69% stating that it gives a sense of honesty and trustworthiness.

A Kingston student who started his own security business has won a place in the national final of a competition for entrepreneurs.