Kigu is crowned smartest small business at Smarta 100 Awards November 12, 2012 KIGU, a company that makes animal onesies favoured by everyone from the cast of Made in Chelsea to Lily Allen, has been voted Britain’s brightest small business by business network Smarta. Kigu founder Tom Cohn was awarded a novelty cheque for the very real £10,000 cash prize at the awards, run with O2. BBC Dragon [...]
Shops tell Osborne to lift sector by going easy on new tax hikes November 12, 2012 RETAILERS yesterday sent a list of demands to George Osborne ahead of the chancellor’s Autumn Statement next month, calling for measures to save the struggling sector. Osborne should freeze business rates, scrap the delayed plans to increase fuel duty, and ensure that the minimum wage does not rise at a rate that “does not exceed [...]
Japan edges towards recession November 12, 2012 JAPAN’S economy shrank in the September quarter for the first time since last year, data released yesterday showed, adding to signs that slowing global growth and tensions with China are nudging the world’s third-largest economy into recession. The 0.9 per cent fall in GDP was in line with expectations, although a fall in capital expenditure [...]
Emerging economies set to boost UK firms’ exports November 12, 2012 BRITISH businesses will gain a boost from increasing export opportunities in emerging economies, the latest HSBC trade forecast said yesterday. Exports to eastern Europe, the Middle East and north Africa are expected to rise over the next three years, while demand from China’s middle classes will also prove to be a boon for the UK’s [...]
EU urged to drop barriers to trade with poorer countries November 12, 2012 A WESTMINSTER think tank will today call on Brussels to help development in poorer countries by scrapping non-tariff barriers to trade. The Institute for Economic Affairs, which argues in favour of free trade, will also urge governments in developing countries to boost growth by slashing measures that stifle international trade. “There is an urgent requirement [...]
Open borders to help solve skills shortage November 12, 2012 INFLEXIBLE labour markets mean that many countries suffer from a combination of high unemployment and considerable skills shortages, the recruitment firm Hays has said. Governments could help solve the “paradox” by reforming restrictions on immigration, Hays said while launching its latest global skills index yesterday. “Governments should focus on the skills their economies lack and [...]
India’s economic woes worsen November 12, 2012 India’s economic gloom deepened yesterday with a surprise contraction in industrial production, a fall in exports and higher retail inflation. Industrial production shrank an annual 0.4 per cent in September, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Exports fell an annual 1.6 per cent to $23.2bn (£14.6bn) in October, while the consumer price index rose [...]
OECD bullish on UK prospects November 12, 2012 Growth is due to pick up in the new year in the UK, according to OECD predictions released yesterday. The Paris-based group’s leading indicator ticked up to 100.2 for the UK in September from 100.1 in August, where 100 represents the long-term average. The indicators continue to forecast weak growth across the Eurozone and in [...]
Sudden fall in charitable giving November 12, 2012 Donations to charity fell by 20 per cent in real terms during 2011-12, according to a report released this morning by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). The British public gave £1.7bn less to charity than the previous year, it said. “I’d ask people to commit to regular donations through direct debit, and give [...]
Rusal drops to a loss on weak metal outlook November 12, 2012 ALUMINIUM producer Rusal made a net loss of $118m (£74.3m) over the three months to September, against a profit of $432m a year earlier, as it eyed a rebound in consumption of the metal in the fourth quarter. Revenue came in at $2.56bn during the quarter, down from $3.16bn over the same period in 2011, [...]
