Mone to lead start-up review
The Department for Work and Pensions has asked Michelle Mone, founder of Glasgow-based designer lingerie brand Ultimo, to conduct a nationwide independent review to identify barriers and find ways the Government can better support start-ups in disadvantaged communities and areas of high unemployment. Mone will travel the UK to meet "people from all backgrounds", before presenting her recommendations to business secretary Sajid Javid and work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith. Mone said: "A truly modern and successful economy [must] unleash the entrepreneurial energy and skills of everyone. My philosophy is that it does not matter where you're from, what education you have, or if you're from an affluent background or not, you can make it if you work hard, set your goals and never give up."
Startling shift in employer attitudes to employee duty of care
A new study conducted by Morgan Redwood suggests that 54% of business leaders and HR heads do not believe their organisation has a duty of care to protect employee health – despite 26% of respondents believing that business performance was 'very closely connected' to staff wellbeing (only 7% said it was not connected at all). These latest findings come in stark contrast to the leadership development specialist's 2009 study, it says, which showed that 95% of businesses believed they had a duty of care for their workforce's health.
Morgan Redwood MD, Janice Haddon, said: "The latest findings indicate a startling shift in employer opinion. A swing from 95% to 46% is a huge difference."
Quarter of SMEs face late payment cash flow crisis
Nearly a quarter of UK SMEs are facing potential financial crises caused by late payment of invoices. That is the worrying conclusion of a survey of 1,000 companies carried out by Tungsten Corporation ("the global e-invoicing, invoice financing & analytics company"). The average SME is owed £40,857 in unpaid invoices, it found, with £20,937 of that total overdue. Richard Hurwitz, Tungsten CEO, said: "These figures are a telling reminder of the challenges faced by SMEs in this country. [Proposals to establish] the new role of Small Business Commissioner shows the Government is taking the problem seriously, but it's clear that there's work still to be done to ensure that SMEs are paid on time."
Government consults on Small Business Commissioner plans
The Government is seeking views from small businesses on its proposals to establish a Small Business Commissioner to help resolve supply chain disputes with other larger businesses. Launched on 26 July, the Government's Small Business Commissioner consultation "sets out its current understanding of the problems that small businesses face and [its] thinking about possible solutions". The Commissioner's services, it says, "will enable smaller firms to resolve disputes with other businesses quickly and easily", while preserving "important commercial relationships without the need to go to court". You can share your views online, complete a response form or send an email.