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Planning system affecting small businesses

Small business acquisitions are still taking place on a regular basis despite the economic climate.

However, it appears that their growth is being held back by problems with planning permissions as recent research has suggested that 69 per cent of small businesses have to wait more than the maximum eight weeks for local authorities to decide on most planning applications.

Conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses (... Continue Reading


Preston pub for sale

A popular pub in Preston, which draws many football fans, has been put up for sale on a leasehold basis.

The Sumners, in Watling Street Road, Fulwood, is owned by landlady Joanne Bridge. However, she is considering a move overseas and is looking into the sale of the lease on the pub to see if it is worthwhile.

Speaking to the Lancashire Evening Post, Ms Bridge, who runs the pub with her partner Mark Beattie, explained th... Continue Reading


Pressure continues for small businesses in leisure sector

Small businesses in the leisure sector are facing tough market conditions as consumers push for bargains wherever possible.

According to research from KPMG, pubs, restaurants, clubs and cinemas are all struggling to turn a profit this summer as consumers continue to tighten their expenditure.

In fact, 40 per cent of consumers now make choices about restaurants based on the offers and discounts they can get their hands o... Continue Reading


SMEs 'wasting money'

Many businesses are finding that their finances are still very tight but research suggests that more could be done to ease the situation.

Buying a business, especially a struggling company or one that has fallen into administration, often involves turning around the trading situation. With this in mind, recent research from unbiased.co.uk may be of interest to buyers.

The study found that SMEs could be wasting as much as... Continue Reading


SME lending improving

Lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looks to be improving, with recent figures showing that those in Scotland are increasingly being awarded finance.

The Scottish government's SME Access to Finance report for 2012 showed that 87 per cent of firms were able to access 100 per cent of the money they were seeking. This is an improvement on the 79 per cent recorded in the 2009-10 survey.

Meanwhile, nine... Continue Reading


Newport music venue for sale

A well-known Newport music venue that has hosted a number of popular bands is on the market.

Le Pub, located on Caxton Place, is celebrating its 20th birthday next month. But it is now to be sold as a going concern and while the local community is hoping that it will continue as a site for live music, there is no obligation for the buyers to maintain this aspect of its function, the South Wales Argus reports.

Among the b... Continue Reading


Broadford Hotel for sale

The Broadford Hotel on the Isle of Skye, off the West coast of Scotland, is up for sale.

The property, which is thought to have been originally established as a Drovers inn in 1611, is believed to be one of the oldest continually operational inns in Scotland.

Today it features 11 letting bedrooms, a lounge bar and bistro area, a reception lounge, dining room and a public bar located in its garden grounds. Further plannin... Continue Reading


Small business lending woes continue

Small businesses are still facing difficulties when it comes to finding finance, research has suggested.

The latest Voice of Small Business Index from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) revealed that four in ten small businesses applying for credit are refused. Meanwhile, confidence has fallen in every industry sector, other than health and motor services.

Property markets and the financial service sectors saw the... Continue Reading


Wanstead pub for sale

A pub on the Wanstead high street is up for sale with no preferred buyers currently lined up.

The George is leased by JD Wetherspoons and will continue to be leased by the firm until 2034, according to a spokesperson from the business. However, the ownership of the striking period building itself is up for sale.

A price tag of around £2.48 million has been put on the property, which totals around 11,724 square feet and ... Continue Reading


Small businesses urged to plan for legal costs

Legal matters can be a scary prospect for small firms, which often don't have the funds to tackle problems head on as they crop up.

However, Taylor Wessing's Simon Walker has urged business owners to try to seek expert legal advice wherever possible in order to avoid higher costs in the long-term.

Writing for the Guardian, Mr Walker noted that many companies look into DIY methods before seeking professional ass... Continue Reading


FSB recommends more small business support from government

Despite overall business confidence in the UK being stubbornly low, it may come as a surprise that 40 per cent of small firm owners plan to expand in the next 12 months or so, and that a similar number expect to benefit from the oncoming Olympics.

Despite this optimism, John Walker of the Federation of Small Business (FSB) says the government could still be doing much more to encourage small businesses to invest and create more jobs.... Continue Reading


Butcher business for sale

A family butcher business is for sale in the Yorkshire area for £680,000, it has been confirmed.

Charter's Butchers was originally established in 1896 and continues to make Charter's Pork Pies to the century-old recipe. It also operates two shops, one in Brandesburton and another in Leven.

The business has maintained a strong sense of family tradition and benefits from this reputation within the local communit... Continue Reading


Wetherspoons considers new pub location

A former Post Office could be converted into a pub my major chain Wetherspoons, it has been revealed.

JD Wetherspoon is currently making preparations to invest more than £1 million into the location in Abingdon town centre and has already filed a planning application to make the conversion, the Oxford Mail reported.

The move is likely to shake up the pub scene in the town, with local landlady Hilary Collis noting that t... Continue Reading


Premium Pest Control acquired by Cleankill

Surrey-based Cleankill Environmental Services has purchased Premium Pest Control in a move to expand its customer base in the Greater London area.

The purchase will take Cleankill's contract portfolio to just under £1 million thanks to the additional various new customers, including government agencies, local authorities, housing associations, letting agencies and a number of other well-known businesses.

Managing d... Continue Reading


Entry open for National Business Awards

Businesses are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the National Business Awards to attract the recognition they deserve for working through this difficult economic period.

Sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking, the event's Small and Medium-sized Business of the Year Award acknowledges companies that have maintained consistent growth and a strong financial performance.

Any organisation with a turnover ... Continue Reading