Business news

Businesses say high streets 'can be revitalised'

17 May 13

More than half of independent retailers in England think that their town centre is performing 'poorly' but 70 per cent think that better relationships with local authorities would improve the situation, according to research from the Federation of Small Businesses.

Bank raises economic growth forecast

16 May 13

The Bank of England (BoE) has upgraded its UK economic outlook and said that inflation is now weaker than originally predicted three months ago.

G8 expected to boost Northern Ireland economy

15 May 13

Businesses in Northern Ireland are expecting a £40 million boost from the G8 Summit being held in County Fermanagh next month, research carried out by the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy (NICEP) has found.

Unemployment increases slightly in first quarter

15 May 13

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the employment rate for those aged 16-64 fell by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year, when compared with the final three months of 2012.

SME websites key in driving sales and job growth

14 May 13

Small firms in the UK are being encouraged to increase their online engagement in order to boost sales and employment growth.