Manchester businesses come together to learn to grow The Business Growth Summit series, hosted by GMTV Presenter John Stapleton, which Business Matters is the supporting media partner of, kicked off in Manchester today with an insight into the challenges of running the Co-operative from its CEO, the Orange Leader of the Year Award Peter Marks.

BlackBerry addiction adds 10 days to our working years Workaholic British workers just can't turn off their BlackBerrys, mobiles and other digital devices after work, and their inability to turn off the power, while constantly checking for messages and updates, is leading to them each working an astonishing 10 days extra a year.

Businesses in Leeds set to benefit from ultra high speed broadband It was announced today that the northern city of Leeds is set to become one of UK’s most advanced business and financial institutions by installing a high speed fibre network.

Cashflow is hindering businesses technology investment Wide spread budget cuts and concerns over cash flow are leaving small businesses struggling to invest in new technology and IT equipment, according to the results of a study released today.

The National Business Awards now open to entries For the past nine years, the National Business Awards has uncovered hundreds of examples of business leaders and entrepreneurs and have often been referred to as the UK Business Oscars.

British Library Business and IP Centre helps enterprising Londoners increase turnover The British Library Business & IP Centre, supported by the London Development Agency (LDA), has been at the heart of the capital’s small business community since its launch in 2006. A new report, published this week, indicates that the Centre currently helps London’s visiting SMEs generate £22 in additional turnover for every £1 invested by the LDA, highlighting the Centre’s importance and the significant return on investment it delivers.

TV entrepreneurs don’t reflect real life Do Lord Sugar Sugar, Sir Richard Branson and Dragons' Den, featuring our very own columnist, Duncan Bannatyne show what it’s really like to start up and run businesses?

Avanta awarded Best Companies accreditation The Best Companies 2010 two star accreditation status has been awarded to serviced office group, Avanta, in acknowledgment of excellence in the workplace.

BarclayCard adds JustGiving and charity offering to new card JustGiving announced to be the charity partner for the newly launched Barclaycard Freedom rewards programme.

Council clients might not be the best at paying on time A nationwide study by the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has found that some councils in the UK are still failing to pay invoices promptly. Struggling firms face a ‘postcode lottery’ meaning their chances of prompt payment often depend on where they are based.

Six out of ten business owners freeze pay - their own! Small business owners are taking the lead to ensure their firms stay afloat despite the recession, new research shows. The nationwide survey of businesses with a turnover of up to £1 million shows that 59 per cent of business owners have frozen their pay in the past year, while just 33 per cent have frozen the pay of staff.

Free course to help smaller firms win government contracts A free online public procurement course designed to help smaller firms bid for the £220 billion of public sector contracts awarded each year was today launched jointly by Small Business Minister Lord Davies and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liam Byrne.

Training & jobs guarantee for every out of work young person From today every young person who is unemployed for six months will be guaranteed the offer of a job, training or work experience, supported by up to 470,000 opportunities over the next 15 months through the Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee.

Recession fuels surge in internet entrepreneurs The recession has led to a boom in the numbers of first time entrepreneurs setting up small internet based businesses, according to research figures releases today.

2010 is the year of the mumpreneur One in ten mums surveyed by Netmums and BT Business, aspire to have their own business, with one in 5 looking to have more flexibility on choosing the hours they work.

Entrepreneurs, Inventors, Designers- Britain’s High Street Wants You! Have you invented the next Dyson vacuum cleaner? Concocted a successor to Innocent Smoothies? Discovered the next Protect and Perfect face cream? Then the BBC wants to hear from you!

Channel 5 to launch a Small Business Series Are you a small business with big goals? Are you frustrated by the speed of your company’s growth? Would you like someone to inject some energy into your trade?

Are you a Dragon tamer in need of investment? Do you have a killer idea or a 'must-have' product of the future ready for investment? Do you have the powers of persuasion needed to part Dragons from their cash? Well the BBC has opened the application process for the next series of Dragons' Den.

8.4 Million Brits lie awake dreading return to work Huge numbers of Britons dreaded the first day back at work after the Christmas and New Year break because employers are piling on the pressure. Companies desperate to stay ahead as the recession bit last year are keeping people at work longer and increasing workloads, causing 8.4 million Brits to lose sleep in the past year, according to a study by insurer RSA and You Gov. RSA has dubbed the phenomenon has WAWAW – wide awake worrying about work.

Monarch is the Bookies favourite as 'next airline to go bankrupt' Paddy Power has opened a book on which airline will go bust next, and claims that the UK's largest charter airline, Monarch, is favourite to fold.