wefinda weekly small business news (week ended 16th July)

Let’s start the week off on a note of warning. The National Fraud Office reported last week that 15,000 people have reported being scammed by fraudsters in the first six months of 2010. With £3.5 billion being lost by individuals and businesses to fraudsters every year, even taking a few small steps to protect your firm will pay dividends. Top of the list for July is a warning on phishing e-mails which look as though they have come from HMRC. For more information see:
http://www.actionfraud.org.uk/phishing-warning-tax-credits-deadline-july10

For businesses interested in environmental issues, NetRegs (NetRegs.gov.uk) provides free environmental guidance to SMEs in the UK. Whilst some areas of the country enjoyed rain last week, others are still officially in drought and suffering hosepipe bans. NetRegs has several handy hints on saving water in your business including recycling waste water and rainwater collection, both of which could cut your water bills.

In our news for the week ended 18 June we reported the end of the trial in respect of the Buncefield Oil Fire in 2005. Five companies have now been ordered to pay fines totalling £9.5 million for their part in the disaster. In imposing the fines the judge, Mr. Justice Calvert-Smith, said the companies had shown "a slackness, inefficiency and a more or less complacent attitude to safety." With local businesses and homes still affected following the fire, claims for compensation are likely to be substantial. SMEs should take this as a warning to tighten up on their Health & Safety and Business Continuity plans.

So what do we have to look forward to in the coming week? As far as SMEs go, there is not a lot happening in Parliament although there is a select committee review on Tuesday looking at the work of the Department of Business Innovation and Skills. On the 19th the Office for National Statistics will release both the latest consumer prices index and the economic & labour market review.
The EU also seems to be winding down for the summer although it was interesting to hear the European Vice-President for the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, talk last week about the need for “facilitating a competitive environment for SMEs to develop future Internet business models”.

And finally, whilst London’s commuters often complain that the M25 is more like a car park than a motorway, spare a thought for the weekend commuters of the Rhur. Forty miles of motorway were closed on Sunday 18th July so that three million people could celebrate the Rhur being chosen as the European City of Culture. Whilst millions picnicked in the middle of the road, over one million people cycled and skated along the closed autobahn.