News

August 31, 2012

Also in the news this week - 31 August 2012

Regional split in SME confidence

New research carried out by YouGov for RSM Tenon finds that UK SMEs are split on the outlook for their business following the downturn in the economy. The RSM Tenon Business Barometer shows that 45% of SMEs think that prospects for their business will improve post-downturn, while 44% think it won't. However, businesses in the north of England are more negative — 54% said that aren't confident that things will improve for their business, compared to 41% in the south. Meanwhile, 58% of SMEs in Scotland are confident things will improve.

Finalists announced in National Business Awards

The finalists have been announced in the National Business Awards and small and medium-sized businesses are well represented. Categories include the start-up business of the year, the small to medium-sized business of the year, entrepreneur of the year and small online business of the year. Awards will also go to companies that excel in innovation, sustainability and customer focus. The winners of the awards will be revealed on 13th November 2012 in London

One in four workers have phone phobia

One in four British adults (28%) avoid picking up the phone at all costs, according to a survey of 2,000 office workers conducted on behalf of Daisy Group. The research finds that 53% of workers prefer to conduct the majority of their business over email and one in six completely ignore incoming calls on their landline unless it's completely unavoidable. One in ten people have even received a warning for their reluctance to answer calls. And many workers go to extreme lengths to avoid phone conversations — including faking bad reception (one third) and pretending they had to run into an urgent meeting (one fifth).

EU clarifies consumer rights

New measures to deliver greater transparency on consumer rights have been published as part of a consultation on the Consumer Rights Directive. The Directive, agreed by the European Commission in 2011, focuses on simplifying rules in a few key areas of consumer rights. It is also aimed at making sure those traders who treat consumers fairly are not disadvantaged. Consumer affairs minister, Norman Lamb, said: "The Consumer Rights Directive will put an end to certain bad business practices. It will also boost business confidence, setting out clearer rules and responsibilities and cutting red tape by reducing compliance costs."