News & Views
Chancellor Unveils New Multibillion Pound Plan To Help Small Businesses
Chancellor George Osborne and Governor of the Bank of England Sir Mervyn King have unveiled new plans that the Chancellor says will “defend our economy from the crisis on the doorstep” – referring to the growing Eurozone crisis. The government will make more than £100bn available for the plan which is being dubbed as a [...]
Businesses Hiring Online Workers to Beat Economic Woes
A leading online marketplace that connects businesses and online workers, Elance, has completed its annual global survey which shows that businesses are converting their businesses to an online workforce to help beat the economic situation. One of the reasons for this shift, according to the survey, is that companies can access greater talent online than [...]
Tenants Prefer Accredited Landlords
According to a survey by the National Landlord Association, more than half of tenants would be more likely to rent property from an accredited landlord. However, while 51% said they would prefer an accredited landlord, only 19% knew whether their existing landlord was accredited or not. Accreditation is voluntary but those landlords that do seek [...]
Unpaid Freelance Invoices On The Rise
There has been a significant increase in the number of freelancer invoices that are going unpaid according to Bectu officials. In the broadcasting industry alone there are an estimated £500,000 worth of unpaid invoices which signifies a 25% increase from the previous year and officials also believe that this figure will only increase in the [...]
April Inflation Rates Lowest In 2 Years
The Consumer Price Index rate of inflation fell to 3% in April, its lowest in over 2 years according to the Office for National Statistics. September of last year saw a high of 5.6% but these figures have dropped significantly as supermarkets lower prices and energy and other bills also reduce. However, the reductions have [...]
Supermarket Giant Says Shoppers Are Gloomy Amid The Recession
It may come as little surprise to many but retail giant Asda has released a report which states that shoppers are especially gloomy about the future of their children. Mums, in particular, are worried that their children will not be able to expect a more secure financial future than their own. This is because the [...]
Self Employment At Highest Rate Since 1992
The Office of National Statistics has released information showing that not only did unemployment fall by 45,000 in March but self employment reached a high of 4.6m in the same period which is the highest the figures have reached since records began in 1992. There are those analysts that believe this high is merely a [...]
Government Urged To Allow Residential Property Investment In Pension Funds
The Communities and Local Government Select Committee has urged the Government to allow pension holders to invest their money directly into residential property. Currently, tax laws dictate that such an investment is not allowed and this means that investors looking to benefit from a residential property portfolio need to rely on investment in commercial property [...]
Tender Price Index Shows Contractors Are Soaking Up Increased Prices
In a bid to win more work, contractors are showing willing by soaking up increased costs. Figures released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors as part of their Tender Price Index shows a minimal increase in building costs of just 0.3%. The Building Cost Information Service have said that they expect these figures to [...]
Queen’s Reign Sees Property Prices Increase 86%
There have been many statistics and snippets of information about the 60 year period since the start of the Queen’s reign and mortgage lender HSBC has done some digging. According to the lender, house prices are now 86 times higher than they were in 1952 when the Queen took the throne. Back then, the average [...]
