Digital economy minister Ed Vaizey is urging small businesses to apply for £3,000 broadband grants before it's too late.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

New research into the psychology of recruitment has found that many managers are influenced by unconscious biases and often recruit candidates that they can directly relate to.

Women working in equivalent full-time roles earn 22% less than men according to new research.

Independence, improved job satisfaction and a better work-life balance - these are the key drivers for self-employed people according to new research.

Matt Hancock, minister for the Cabinet Office, has unveiled a new target to get more small businesses working on central Government contracts.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

The Institute of Directors (IoD) has described recent employment and wage statistics as a "new stage of the recovery", with the headline rate of unemployment steady at 5.6%, the number of people in work falling slightly and wages growing at a rate of 2.4%.

Although the latest Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs shows permanent placements rose again in July (albeit at a slower pace), skills shortages continue to blight many UK sectors.

New market research by consultants Citrus HR suggests UK employment laws could be damaging small business and preventing them from taking on more staff.