The report’s net employment balance, which measures the difference between the proportion of employers that intend to increase total staffing levels and those that intend to decrease total staffing levels in the first quarter of 2012, has risen to +6 from -8 since the Winter 2011/12 quarter. This is the report’s first positive figure for more than a year.

However, the institute warns that optimism should be tempered by employers’ continued caution about the medium term, which taken together with recent weak economic data, suggests a high risk that many employers may find it necessary to reassess staffing levels before the year is out.  The survey’s twelve-month balance, which gives a longer-term perspective on the net effect of recruitment and redundancy intentions, has risen to +3 from -6.

The Labour Market Outlook Spring 2012 report shows that improving overall employment prospects are being driven more by a fall in redundancy intentions in the public and private sectors than a rise in recruitment intentions. The private sector is driving much of the upturn, with the net employment balance for the private sector rising to +25 compared with +10 three months ago. Meanwhile, the net employment balance for the public sector (-32) is at its least negative since the winter 2009/10 report – and compares to -49 last quarter.

The continuing pressure that employers face to cut costs is evidenced by an increase in the proportion of organisations that are intending to offshore jobs to other parts of the world in the 12 months to March 2013, from 6 per cent to 8 per cent. Eight out of 10 (79 per cent) employers cite cost cutting as the main reason for offshoring jobs.

However, the survey also highlights the potential risks of offshoring, with more than a quarter (26 per cent) of employers that have offshored jobs overseas now looking to relocate operations back to the UK.

Gerwyn Davies, public policy adviser at the CIPD, said: “The jobs market is desperately seeking good news, so this latest set of positive figures is very welcome. However, any short-term jobs recovery may not be sustained because of the zigzagging economic backdrop. News of a double-dip recession may cause some employers to reassess current staffing levels, especially while labour costs are rising and productivity is falling. The current economic situation facing recruiters looks unusually difficult to read, which may lead to swings in confidence for the rest of the year. Overall, this may suggest greater volatility in the labour market during 2012 compared to the slow, gradual rise in unemployment recorded during the past year.”

“The continuing pressure on employers to cut costs is highlighted by the increase in employer intentions to offshore UK jobs to other parts of the world. However, the survey also highlights the dangers facing employers that focus too narrowly on costs at the expense of quality when offshoring, with around a quarter of employers now planning to relocate jobs back to the UK. Employers need to weigh up the wider impacts when considering offshoring decisions, such as the potential adverse impact on customer service or employer brand.”

Powered by CreditCall, a robust and reliable infrastructure, Actinic Payments offers Actinic Online merchants an affordable, secure payment processing option that accepts all major credit cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro and Delta.

Benefits include:

Protect yourself and your clients – Actinic Payments is 100 per cent PCI-DSS compliant (to level 1), offers a sophisticated fraud screening service as well as 3D Secure (Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode), AVS for verifying a customer billing address and CVV2 (the 3 digit card verification number).

Cost effective payment processing – Its highly competitive price bands are designed to benefit different business sizes with varying order volumes. There are no set-up or monthly fees and pricing is per transaction so you only pay for what you use.

Save time with order processing – With Actinic Payments, you can void orders, refund clients when necessary right from the Actinic Online back office, and your stock is automatically synchronised.

According to Actinic’s marketing manager, Simon Armstrong, “Another major benefit of signing up to Actinic Payments is that merchants only have a single contact to resolve any technical or operational issues. And obviously, the very keen pricing model from 16 pence per sale, with no monthly fees, is attractive to retailers who want to preserve their margins in today’s competitive online market.”

Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK said: “During this age of austerity, an increasing number of organisations have realised the benefits of smarter working practices. Enabling staff to work more flexibly has reduced costs and at the same time significantly increased staff wellbeing. There are a range of innovative business management practices that have emerged which have changed the way we work. Smarter working practices have developed as a result of technological advancement and enable a far better use of limited resources and time.

The recent CBI/Harvey Nash employment trends survey 2011 supports Powwownow’s statistics. The survey found that flexible working is now a standard feature of the modern workplace, with nearly all employers (96 per cent) offering at least one form of flexible working. The survey also found that there has been a rapid expansion in recent years in the use of teleworking, with now 59 percent of employers using this form of flexible working, increasing from 46 percent in 2008 and only 14 percent in 2006.

Simon Curry, CEO of Powwownow, said: “In this age of technology, work no longer needs to be confined by the boundaries of an office or even 9am-5pm. Technology enables us to interact on the move, from anywhere at any time. It allows a greater flexibility for businesses. Powwownow is free, easy to use and accessible 24/7 and we offer a free mobile app to schedule meetings, meaning you really can fit business in with your life, not life in with your business. We are moving towards a fully unified communications approach which means people really won’t need to leave the home or stay stuck in the office to interact with colleagues. People will be able to connect from anywhere in the world, all from one platform.”

Claiming a further victim in the form of Clintons, the UK’s high street remains a tough place to be.

UK fashion disasters have been averted nationwide as online clothing sales in April increased by 43 per cent to over £3 million. Keen to finish an outfit off, shoppers contributed to a 92 per cent and 59 per cent increase in fashion accessories and shoes respectively.

As April’s rain continued to fall, planning to escape it was on the up with bookings for apartments, villas and hotels surging by 33 per cent. Currency being ordered through the site was also up by 21 per cent.

Jo Roberts, head of PR at Quidco said: “We all know that the UK’s high street has been under untold pressure since the recession. Combine this with one of the wettest months and a continued squeeze on consumer spend and the outlook for many doesn’t look great. We are therefore delighted to see these increases, which will come as welcome news to the 3,200 retailers we have with us.”

The West Midlands and London continued to report the fastest rates of private sector output expansion in April, despite the former posting a much weaker manufacturing performance than during March. The latest survey generally pointed to the slowest pace of regional output growth in 2012 so far, with the South West and North West moving close to stagnation in the April survey period.

The manufacturing sector helped to drive growth in the South West and employment in Yorkshire & Humber. In Wales, a manufacturing-led upturn in business activity meant that the private sector overall outperformed the wider UK economy for the first time in eight months, recording the first increase in new work since March 2011.

In line with the trend for business activity, April’s data generally showed weaker rates of new order growth across the English regions. The North East was the only region to register an outright contraction. Reports from survey respondents mostly cited weaker demand from export markets, alongside subdued spending trends among both businesses and consumers. Slower new business growth in turn allowed firms to reduce their backlogs of work in April, with marginal rises in London, Yorkshire & Humber and the West Midlands the only exceptions.

Seven of the nine English regions saw a rise in private sector staffing levels in April, with the exception being employment stagnation in the South East and North East. However, cautious hiring policies meant that the pace of job creation generally remained only marginal, especially among manufacturing companies.

Survey respondents reported another solid rise in their average cost burdens in April, but the rate of inflation eased in every region except London. Anecdotal evidence frequently cited increased energy, fuel and other oil-related input prices during the latest survey period. Meanwhile, output charges continued to rise among private sector firms, particularly those in the manufacturing sector. However, subdued inflation of average tariffs at service companies meant that overall prices charged only increased marginally in April.

John Maltby, group director, Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: “April’s survey shows that overall growth was maintained at the start of the second quarter of 2012 for private sector firms across the English regions, but at a weaker rate than had been the case earlier in the year. This loss of momentum is magnified when set against the news that the wider UK economy dipped back into recession in the first quarter of the year. Despite this short-term set back, there are some positive figures for firms to take into the summer months, not least the continued upturn in new business receipts and the general resilience of private sector labour market conditions. The latest data also showed signs of a moderation in cost pressures throughout the English regions, which will give businesses extra breathing space in their efforts to improve efficiency, while also supporting investment and job creation in the long term.”

Santander saving accounts include cash ISAs, instant access accounts and fixed term savings bonds. Each of these accounts offers something different. Here are all three of these Santander saving accounts in more detail.

ISAs

One of the most popular of the range of Santander saving accounts is the cash ISA. An ISA is an individual savings account that is completely tax-free. You don’t pay any tax on the interest you earn, so you keep every penny. Each year you get an ISA allowance, which is £11,280 for 2012-13. You can use 100% of this allowance in stocks and shares but only up to 50% of as cash. Therefore, with Santander’s cash ISAs you can save £5,640. If you take advantage of Santander’s two-year fixed rate cash ISA you’ll get a tax-free interest rate of 4%.

Instant Access Accounts

If you want to save but don’t want to lock your money away out of reach in times of emergency an instant access account is best for you. These accounts can be entirely managed online and you can start saving from as little as £1. Furthermore, you’ll have access to an attractive 3% AER and a 2.5% AER bonus for the first 12 months.

Fixed Term Bonds

Santander also has another way to save. If you don’t mind locking your money away for one or two years you are more likely to get an attractive interest rate. Fixed term bonds work best for people with rather large sums of money and who don’t want to access their money frequently. If you have a balance of £25,000 or more, you can get a one year fixed rate bond for 3.2% AER or a two-year bond for 3.7% AER. If you have slightly less to spend, Santander’s one-year tracker mortgage offers a rate of 2.7% above the Bank of England’s base rate on balances of £10,000 or more.

Boost Capital enables businesses to use their future credit sales to access the unsecured funding that they need to invest in new equipment, stock, marketing, remodelling, expansion and other business demands. Business owners who accept credit and debit cards as a form of payment can qualify for £5,000 to £500,000 in 24 hours and receive funds in as little as five days.

Through a secure Escrow service, supported by national accountancy firm, Baker Tilly, Boost Capital receives a fixed percentage of future card transactions, ensuring that payments are made in line with sales performance. Based in Chelmsford, Essex, Boost Capital is the UK arm of Business Financial Services, one of the leading providers of business cash advance in the USA.

David Abbott, UK managing director of Boost Capital, said: “Business cash advance is a relatively new concept in the UK and one that has the potential to become a vital part of the SME funding mix. Its arrival on our shores is in response to the growing demand from businesses, many of which are struggling to access bank funding, for more flexible alternative sources of capital.

“By the end of 2012 we expect to have extended over £10 million in funding and be renewing cash advances to merchants who have seen the benefits to their business of using a Business cash advance to grow their market share.”

Boost Capital is the UK’s first universal business cash advance provider, which means that businesses with any card processor can access their products without having the hassle of changing their existing relationship. Businesses that take a high volume of card sales are best suited for this service, including the restaurant, retail, beauty, and hotel sectors.

Marc Glazer, CEO and president of Business Financial Services, said: “While business cash advance is a £1 billion a year industry in the USA, the funding source is relatively unknown in the UK with only a handful of providers that are tied to certain banks. Being the first universal provider in the UK is a real landmark for the business, but also a great opportunity to become a key part of the nation’s financial landscape.”

The Business Show takes place in May at ExCel London, and has been developed to cater for SMEs looking to grow their business. The show will run over two days in ExCel London, on the 17/18 May and harbour hundreds of exhibitors and seminars, live events and interactive workshops.

Whether you are looking to grow your business through franchising or preparing to grow your business overseas, The Business Show will arm you with all the information you need to succeed – whatever your sector, whatever your stage of growth. You’ll leave the show feeling reenergised about growing your business, and armed with the essential information and contacts to help move your business forward.

There’s a reason the show runs over two days – the sheer number of exhibitors, speakers and features is huge. The show will comprise of over 250 seminars, delivered by some of the country’s leading entrepreneurs and businesspeople, while running alongside all those distinguished speakers, there will be over 350 exhibitors with products, services, support, know-how and advice you can rely on.

Learn about everything from the benefits of Cloud Computing to the newest business technologies you should be embracing. To add to that, there are networking opportunities, workshops from industry leaders and live interactive features designed to cover everything you need to know for progressing your business.

The Business Show is here to help take your business to the next level, and as a free resource, it is quite simply unmissable. This free event for professionals will bring together invaluable services, advice and support to propel your business forward. Order your free ticket here.

British SME is a media partner to The Business Show

Hilton-Baird Collection Services’ most recent Late Payment Survey, which questioned almost 250 business owners and finance directors in the UK during January 2012, highlighted that late payment remains an issue for small businesses. However, despite the rising insolvency rate, fewer than half our respondents actively credit checked new customers (47 per cent) in the second half of 2011, with fewer than one in three credit checking existing customers (30 per cent). This does not indicate the necessary caution.

The consequences of late payment are well documented, with the annual survey additionally finding that businesses had to wait an average of 17 days beyond their agreed credit terms to be paid in that period. A result of this is that 32 per cent of businesses now classify more than 10 per cent of their debtor book as bad debt.

Unfortunately, late payment has also had a knock on effect down the supply chain which only exacerbates this problem further. Well over half of businesses admitted to paying their suppliers later (59 per cent) as a result of their customer paying an invoice late. Meanwhile 34 per cent said that the single most common reason for late payment was that they are waiting to be paid by their own customers. However, for 13 per cent of respondents the most comment reason for late payment was that their customer simply couldn’t afford to pay. This provides the biggest cause for concern as the financial health of SMEs continues to be under increasing pressure.

Alex Hilton-Baird, managing director of Hilton-Baird Collection Services, commented: “The findings of our Late Payment Survey serve to highlight just why it is so important for businesses to do all they can to ensure that they have run the necessary checks on their customers before agreeing to supply goods or services on credit. Our experience has found that corporate insolvency is a persistent problem which historically escalates until long after a recession. Worryingly we’re seeing that it’s a trend which is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

“It is our hope that businesses really look to safeguard their cash flows against the trend of late payment in the coming months by taking all the vital precautions. Then, in the eventuality that late payment does occur, businesses have all the resources at their disposal to ease the knock on effect businesses so commonly experience.”

The survey of 1500 UK adults found that only 14 per cent would consider the impact of technology such as smartphones, notepads and Internet applications, before concluding whether or not to launch a business. Poor economic factors and fear of losing money remain the primary reasons for reluctance to start a new project. Fasthosts advises budding entrepreneurs to speak to technology providers from the very outset, as web-based tools and eCommerce can often enable far more flexible working than many realise, giving more opportunity to get a new business off the ground and growing.

When asked about the main factors for consideration in whether or not to launch a business project, only 14 per cent would look into what impact technology could make on their work patterns.  This is despite one in four people having doubts about their ability to cope with running a business effectively. In scoping a business idea, the most popular groups to consult for strategic advice are banks (35 per cent), potential clients (31 per cent), stock suppliers (27 per cent) and then friends and family (25 per cent).

Stephen Holford, marketing director, Fasthosts Internet, commented, “It is vital for anybody thinking of starting their own business to know what is technologically possible from the very start. Selling goods and even services online is often incorrectly regarded as beyond the reach of non-technical people. Family responsibilities and financial aspects are always pressures that need to be considered. However, the huge range of Internet-based tools available for mobile working means that work patterns can be far more flexible and mobile than ever before. It is vital that before deciding if a start-up project is achievable, one looks carefully at what technology is available to help”.