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	<title>#1 SME Magazine &#124; SME News &#124; SME Opinion &#124; Financial Information for SMEs</title>
	<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk</link>
	<description>Your independent source of financial information for SMEs</description>
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		<title>Business Debtline takes record calls in 2011</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Following recent insolvency figures announcing a rise in company insolvencies, Business Debtline, the free, independent advice service for small and micro businesses, is warning that there are many thousands more small businesses across the UK struggling with their debts. Last year Business Debtline spoke to a record number of small business owners and directors. In [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/02/03/business-debtline-takes-record-calls-in-2011/</link>
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		<title>TUC warns lending must double</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Total bank lending to firms outside of finance and real estate must more than double in order to meet the investment needs of the UK economy over the next decade, says a new TUC report. The TUC report Banking after Vickers says that government has identified £450 billion-worth of physical investment, vital to the UK [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/02/03/tuc-warns-lending-must-double/</link>
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		<title>Pay as you go office scheme launched</title>
		<description><![CDATA[A flexible office service has been launched in the UK, enabling professionals to use fully serviced workspace on a pay-as-you-go basis. Dayoffice Card, the brainchild of former Regus sales director Matthew Stubbs, enables start-ups, SMEs, sole-traders and companies with a mobile workforce to occupy office space at more than 150 business centres across the country [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/02/03/pay-as-you-go-office-scheme-launched/</link>
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		<title>UK firms improve payment performance in Q4 2011</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The latest figures from Experian reveal that during the final quarter of 2011 the payment performance of UK firms saw a small but positive improvement from 26.17 days in Q3 2011 to 25.97 days, with the biggest improvements coming from the largest firms. Firms with 101 to 500 employees paid their invoices three quarters of [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/02/03/uk-firms-improve-payment-performance-in-q4-2011/</link>
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		<title>Government adds burdens to SMEs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has expressed disappointment at the approval by Parliament of a measure which will impose significant additional burdens on some small firms. The Enactment of Extra-Statutory Concessions Order 2012, passed on Monday afternoon by the House of Commons First Delegated Legislation Committee, gives legislative effect to six extra-statutory concessions (ESCs), [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/02/03/government-adds-burdens-to-smes/</link>
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		<title>Franchising. Could it rescue the economy?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The announcement from the sandwich chain Subway that it will open 600 new branches and create 6,000 jobs came in a sea of big redundancy announcements, but it is no surprise to the Franchise industry who are finding business is thriving, even in these turbulent times. The announcement comes straight on the back of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/01/31/franchising-could-it-rescue-the-economy/</link>
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		<title>One in 10 SMEs struggle with tax bill</title>
		<description><![CDATA[One in 10 (11 per cent) small business owners have experienced difficulties paying their tax bills. A further seven per cent have even missed a tax payment in the last 12 months as they haven’t been able to raise external finance. Paul Aitken, CEO of personal asset lender borro commented: “The deadline is fast approaching [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/01/27/one-in-10-smes-struggle-with-tax-bill/</link>
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		<title>High-street sales fall in January</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Retail sales fell in the year to January, after modest growth last month, and sales were considered poor for the time of the year, the CBI said. According to the latest monthly CBI Distributive Trades Survey covering the first two weeks in January, 44 per cent of retailers saw sales volumes fall on a year [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/01/27/high-street-sales-fall-in-january/</link>
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		<title>HSBC commits to UK SMEs in 2012</title>
		<description><![CDATA[HSBC has announced a number of commitments aimed at supporting UK businesses in 2012. The bank will continue to provide support for businesses which trade or aspire to trade internationally and commits to providing lending facilities to support business growth and job creation. The bank has confirmed that it met its Merlin lending intentions in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/01/27/hsbc-commits-to-uk-smes-in-2012/</link>
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		<title>Govt announces new campaign to launch businesses</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8216;Business in You&#8217;, a major new campaign aimed at inspiring people to start or grow their own businesses and helping small businesses and entrepreneurs understand the array of information and help available from the Government and private sector has been launched by the Prime Minister. The Government and private sector campaign is based on the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.britishsme.co.uk/2012/01/24/govt-announces-new-campaign-to-launch-businesses/</link>
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