04-Aug-2011 By Gurjit Degun
Licensees have welcomed the £2.5m fine issued to British Gas for not handling complaints from small businesses and domestic users appropriately.
08-Jun-2011 By Ewan Turney & Michelle Perrett
Senior pubco executives were grilled on the need for a statutory code of practice to govern the pubco-tenant relationship at yesterday's meeting of...
07-Jun-2011 By Michelle Perrett
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling for Government to re-focus its policy for the small firms.
18-Mar-2011 By Mark Wingett, M&C Report
Business secretary Vince Cable is to outline plans today on how the Government will cut red tape for small businesses, including no new domestic laws...
17-Feb-2011 By Gurjit Degun
Following the news that banks will fund more small businesses, the MA looks at what it is likely to mean for pubs.
Banks to lend £76bn to small businesses
09-Feb-2011 By Hamish Champ
The UK's leading banks have committed to lend £76bn to small businesses this year, as part of a package of new credit measures worth £190bn. The...
09-Feb-2011 By John Harrington
The promise by major banks to increase lending to small businesses should be welcomed by pub operators, says Christie Finance.
Plan to change empty property business rates under fire
21-Jan-2011 By Hamish Champ
Plans to change the way business rates are calculated on empty properties could leave small businesses seriously out of pocket, claims a trade...
Confidence in small business sector hit by VAT rise and bad weather
17-Jan-2011 By Hamish Champ
Last year ended on a low note for many small businesses, according to a trade body representing 210,000 such firms. The Forum for Private Business...
21-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney
The Government, banks and landlords need to act to provide some breathing space for small businesses as they struggle in the cold snap, the...
New rights for residents to buy local pubs
13-Dec-2010 By James Wilmore
Communities will be given "powerful new rights" to buy under-threat pubs, as part of new government plans announced today. The "landmark" Localism...
13-Dec-2010 By Lesley Foottit
Pubs and other small firms could create additional jobs and make savings if the VAT threshold was increased, according to the FSB.
24-Nov-2010 By Gurjit Degun
Hundreds of pubs will benefit from automatic business rate relief under new Government plans. Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles today...
09-Nov-2010 By Gurjit Degun
Four out of 10 of small business owners doubt that the new Government will be able to reduce the rules and regulations they face. Only 28% of...
04-Nov-2010 By John Harrington
New community pubs minister Bob Neill has been urged to ease the "jaw-dropping" burden of bureaucracy and red tape currently choking the life out of...
20-Oct-2010 By John Harrington
The "missing link" in the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review is a programme to help small businesses grow, says the FSB.
'Now the banks are lending even less - loans to small firms worse than six months ago'
21-Sep-2010
Banks were last night warned they must start lending to small businesses or face swingeing new taxes. Bank of England figures showed that small...
Molson Coors slammed for extending supplier payment terms
20-Sep-2010 By Hamish Champ
Brewing behemoth Molson Coors has been heavily criticised for extending the length of time it takes to pay its suppliers. The Forum of Private...
14-Sep-2010 By Lesley Foottit
The FSB is calling for national definition of crimes against small businesses after it found more than two thirds are victims of crime.
01-Sep-2010 By Graham Ridout
The smallest pub in Edinburgh has had its business rates bill quadrupled after Lothian officials decided it did not qualify as a small business....
19-Aug-2010 By Ewan Turney
The FPB has warned that inaccurate property valuations are preventing many small businesses from accessing affordable bank loans.
30-Jul-2010 By Ewan Turney
The Forum of Private Business has slammed plans to abolish the default retirement age as "crippling". The Government said this week it intends to...
29-Jul-2010 By John Harrington
The proposed late night levy could cost the industry up to £9m per year — while the higher licence fees would add a further £6.5m annually....
Small firms still struggling to get banks' help
27-Jul-2010 By James Wilmore
Two thirds of small firms are still struggling to access finance from banks, according to latest figures. The Forum of Private Business (FPB)...
21-Jul-2010 By Lesley Foottit
The FSB has called for an extension of the NI holiday across the south-east after the region was revealed as the most likely to be under-staffed.
Osborne sets out to make tax simpler for small businesses
20-Jul-2010 By Hamish Champ
The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has created a new office to help simplify the country's tax regime for the business community. The...
27-Apr-2010 By Ewan Turney
Small businesses are still shy of asking the banks for new credit as trust has yet to restored, according to the FSB.
Welsh pub's 527% rates rise
14-Apr-2010 By Gemma McKenna
One Welsh pub will have to pay 527% more in business rates this year, since Wales doesn't allow sharp rates increases to be phased in. That's an...
01-Apr-2010 By Gemma McKenna
Thousands of pubs will pay no business rates for a year — or will see rate relief double — from October. The Morning Advertiser can reveal that...
Budget fails to impress businesses
29-Mar-2010 By Matt Eley Matt
The Budget has done little to help small businesses, according to 90 per cent of people surveyed in a poll. In a snapshot poll of members the Forum...
Forthcoming Budget won't affect small business planning
23-Mar-2010 By Hamish Champ
Cynicism is being cited for the reason that less than a fifth of small businesses believe the looming general election will have any effect on plans...
Warning over business rates cowboys
08-Mar-2010 By Matt Eley Matt
Small businesses, including pubs, are being urged to be wary of 'cowboy' rating surveyors attempting to take advantage of the recent rates...
05-Mar-2010 By Lesley Foottit
Pubs are being warned that rogue rating surveyors are trying to profit from the recent rates revaluation. The Forum of Private Businesses (FPB)...
David Smithers: 'Piece of the Action' tax or 'Fair Maintainable Trade'?
26-Feb-2010
It is outrageous how the police, the local councils and parliament in general are continuosly harping on about the "evils of binge drinking" on our...
'Firms call for Scots lending 'matchmaker' to accelerate recovery'
02-Feb-2010 By James Wilmore
The directors of small businesses in Scotland have been forced to dip into their own savings to stay afloat during the recession. The Federation of...
New energy rules should help trade
21-Jan-2010
New rules that should stop energy suppliers rolling over small business customers' contracts without them realising have been welcomed by the trade....
Plans to scrap retirement age gain support
12-Jan-2010
Calls for the government to scrap the default retirement age have found support in the trade. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) made the plea...
23-Dec-2009 By John Harrington
More than half a billion pounds worth of loans have been secured under a Government-backed scheme aimed at small and medium firms. More than 5,840...
16-Nov-2009 By Ewan Turney
The Forum for Private Business has called for a freeze on all new business legislation to allow Government to re-assess the burden of red-tape. The...
28-Oct-2009 By Ewan Turney
The Government must not sacrifice support for small businesses to plug the gap in public finances, the FPB has warned.
25-Sep-2009 By Ewan Turney
Lord Mandelson has "gone a long way to saving" thousands of pubs by deciding to delay implementation of the mandatory alcohol retailing code. That's...
FSB urges government to take action against the tie
27-Aug-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
Beer prices charged by pubcos is a problem for nearly 90 per cent of tied licensees, according to a survey by the Federation of Small Businesses...
24-Aug-2009 By Ewan Turney
The Carbon Trust has made £100m available in interest free loans to help pubs slash energy costs. The loans are available under the Big Business...
Carbon Trust offers pubs cash-saving tips
24-Aug-2009 By Matt Eley Matt
Pubs and other hospitality businesses are to be given tips on how to make major cash savings by the Carbon Trust. The Big Business Refit is to...
17-Aug-2009 By Ewan Turney
Small businesses could now wait up to four months to be paid by Danish brewing giant Carlsberg. The brewer has come under fire from the Forum of...
10-Aug-2009 By Ewan Turney
The Government needs to do more to break the high street banks' monopoly on finance for small businesses, according to the FSB.
Darling challenges banks over lending to small firms
28-Jul-2009 By James Wilmore
Hopes that banks will change their attitude over lending to licensees were raised yesterday after Alistair Darling met with banks urging them to make...
06-Jul-2009 By Ewan Turney
Rural pubs must be offered 100% rate relief if they are to survive, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
18-May-2009 By Ewan Turney
Half of all small business are unclear about what they need to to become more energy efficient, according to a new poll by British Gas Business....
Mark Daniels: Thanks for nothing, Mr Darling
22-Apr-2009
It's not a very funny joke, but then neither is the Chancellor's decision to once again hike up the tax on alcohol, with a further 2% added to the 8%...
