Here is this week’s news round-up for home business, micro business, sole-traders, freelancers, self-employed and any one who is interested in small business news from the United Kingdom and Ireland:
- SME Lorry Drivers HEad For London Fuel Duty Protest: Hundreds of lorry drivers, many self employed or small business owners, have descended on London’s Marble Arch today, for a rally to protest at rising fuel costs that are driving many out of business.
- Chancellor Tops SME Poll For Excessive Red Tape: It is often said that people have a short memory when it comes to politics, and so it should be no surprise that chancellor Alistair Darling should top a poll as the person most UK entrepreneurs hold responsible for excessive red tape and bureaucracy.
- ISME and eBay give ‘online-selling’ masterclasses: The Irish Small & Medium Enterprises Association (ISME), has announced that it is to team up with eBay.ie to host a number of masterclasses on how to sell on line.
- Impact on credit crunch is beginning to be felt, FPB warns small businesses: The FPB is highlighting research showing that, while some industries have experienced a fall in the number of firms going into administration, despite the credit crunch, there has been a significant rise across most sectors.
- Small Business Confidence Remains High: The majority of business owners are forecasting rough times ahead for others but not for themselves.
- Tax discriminates against self-employed: Discrimination in the Irish tax system against the self-employed is threatening entrepreneurship the president of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants has said.
- Sharp rise in North West businesses going into administration: The FPB is calling for more support for smaller firms in the North West, which are becoming increasingly vulnerable because of the credit crunch. Research carried out by accountancy firm Deloitte has found that the number of businesses going into administration in the region has increased dramatically in the first quarter of 2008. The FPB believes that measures to stimulate entrepreneurship and allow smaller firms to compete with their larger rivals, such as cutting tax and red tape, should be far higher on the Government’s agenda.
As always this list is not exhaustive, but I hope it will give you a little overview. — ST.
