Does your workplace need a facelift?
New research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has found that more than a third (35%) of employees working for small businesses want upgrades to the properties they work in. And 93% of SME employees who work indoors say that the workplace plays a major role in whether or not they accept a new job. Only pay and people are more important. Guy Stallard, head of facilities at KPMG said: "These findings reinforce the fact that, surprisingly, many companies are still not doing enough to improve their employees' surroundings despite demand."
The decline of the small business overdraft
The amount of lending to SMEs through overdrafts has fallen by 40% over the last four years, from £20.9 billion in April 2011 to £12.5 billion in April this year. Analysis of Bank of England data by Funding Options shows that in the last year alone, the amount of lending to SMEs through their overdrafts has fallen by 11%. Conrad Ford, ceo of Funding Options, said: "This data shows there is a race against time to get the new Bank Referral Scheme up and running. It should be of real assistance, as businesses who have been refused a loan often do not understand the huge range of alternatives open to them."
Europe dominates UK online exports
Exports account for almost 20% of the UK online retail economy according to research by Volo. Its Online Retail Export Index also shows that Western European markets make up over 50% of the export destinations for UK online businesses. Volo's ceo Paul Watson said: "Export is a critical part of the thriving and rapidly developing online retail sector in the UK and much of this growth and success depends on the UK staying within the EU."
HMRC promises to raise its game
HMRC has allocated £45 million to help improve its phone and post service. This is paying for around 3,000 additional staff to join customer service teams, on top of around 2,000 staff who are being moved from other departments. HMRC receives more than 60 million calls a year, peaking around key tax deadlines. While 73% of calls were answered last year, service standards were inconsistent and in some months as many as one in five customers heard a busy tone and could not join a phone queue.
The best UK location for one-person businesses
The North East has emerged as a growth hotspot for one-person companies, with these freelancers charging almost 50% more than in 2013, according to new research from Crunch Accounting. The findings are based on the daily charge-out rates of more than 4,700 one-person companies across the UK since 2013. Other fast growing regions include Wales and the South West, where daily rates have increased by 31% and 28% respectively. One-person companies charge the most in East Anglia, with workers billing an average of £318 per day.