Business

Small businesses across the South West are being advised to prepare themselves for pensions auto-enrolment says ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Figures show that there are 513,000 companies across the region that are classed as being a small or medium sized business.

The government reaffirmed their commitment to auto-enrolment (AE) in the June 2010 budget. The rollout has been phased so that larger companies were required to bring the scheme earlier, this started in 2012. Throughout 2015 the scheme will be extended to cover smaller businesses. Official...

Businesses in the South West can get hands on practical advice about social media, working with the ‘cloud’, understanding analytics and the benefits of utilising other digital technologies at two separate events taking place in February. Specialist Business support services from Superfast Business, The Digital Marketplace, Heart of the South West Business Support and Get up to Speed, all delivered by Peninsula Enterprise, have joined forces to deliver Technology Mega Trends 2015.

Taking place in Barnstaple on Tuesday 24 February and Exeter on Thursday 26 February, business owners...

Everys Solicitors has pledged to help ease the buying process of new-build properties with its Exchange Ready package.

Everys’ Exchange Ready service makes sure all the paperwork is prepared in a timely way to meet tight deadlines, such as those imposed by new-build developers.

Property conveyancing solicitor Anju Newcombe said: “We have been using Exchange Ready very successfully to help speed up the process once our clients have found a buyer for their property. This allows them to be prepared with all the key documentation in place to be sent immediately to the buyer’s...

PMI® survey data signalled a strengthening upturn in the South West private sector economy in January, following a weaker phase of expansion during the fourth quarter of 2014.

Output, new business, backlogs and employment all rose at faster rates than seen in December. Meanwhile, inflationary pressures eased sharply, with both input and output prices rising only marginally.

The seasonally adjusted Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking South West Business Activity Index rose solidly in January to 58.0, from 55.0, indicating a strong rise in business activity in the South West...