Small businesses put off engaging in e-commerce

Britain’s Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has highlighted the significant numbers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) being deterred from e-commerce, following a report by the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee. 

Despite the fact that the geographical reach of the Internet makes it possible for SMEs to compete in the global market at low cost, just 18% of SMEs are selling on-line.  Less than one percent of those derive all of their sales through the Internet. 

The risk of credit card fraud is a significant concern to 19% of businesses, yet only 6% have actually experienced on-line credit card fraud. 

Recent recommendations made in a report on Personal Internet Security by the House of Lords Science & Technology Committee, many of which are backed by the FSB, include

• increased research into e-crime,
• e-crime victims having the opportunity to report Internet crime to the police,
• and to receive a crime number in return,

just like in the reporting of any other type of crime.

The FSB supports work to establish a national e-crime co-ordination unit with the Metropolitan Police, and applauds efforts by organisations such as GetSafeOnline to engage with small and micro-businesses. 

The FSB also supports recommendations for legislation that banks should take some responsibility for losses incurred as a result of electronic fraud.  Many small businesses and online retailers are caught by charge-backs from card fraud which they often receive months down the line, even after they think a transaction has been successfully processed.   (more…)

Failure of secondary schools hidden by GCSE results, says business

The British Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) 22 Aug 2007, called for a major rethink of secondary education as GCSE results are announced.  The FSB believes that the continuing upward trend of GCSE results is masking a deterioration in the level of basic skills that schools are providing their pupils who enter the world of work at 16.  This leads to reduced productivity in small firms who have to spend the first several weeks of new starters’ careers filling in the gaps in their education.

A quarter of small firms reported facing one or more skills shortages when seeking to fill a job vacancy. 

Over ten per cent of businesses reported that both basic literacy and numeracy skills were lacking in new recruits. 

A further ten per cent reported a lack of communication skills as a problem.

The FSB also believes that the Government’s ‘skills pledge’, where businesses are encouraged to sign up to bring their staff to a level equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grade A*-C, is aiming to force businesses to pick up the pieces of a failing school system. 

The Government has threatened to legislate to force businesses to train staff to this level after 2010 if this has not been achieved voluntarily (more…)

The UK’s Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned that the British Health and Safety regime holds back the growth of small businesses that would otherwise be able to create more jobs.  Small firms employ almost sixty per cent of the private sector workforce and therefore this burden is stifling the UK economy.

This warning comes as the FSB publishes a report, based on a survey of 1,700 small firms, examining the impact of Health and Safety legislation.

The report examines -

• the burden of Health and Safety legislation and compliance,
• the impact of the new Fire Safety Order regime,
• the nature of Health and Safety inspections,
• Employers’ Liability, Compulsory Insurance
• and health in the workplace, including the requirements of business from the NHS.

The report is based on a survey that found that 72% of small firms believed that the administrative requirements of Health and Safety legislation are more bureaucratic than they were five years ago. (more…)

Smalls firms warned on corporate ID fraud

Britain’s Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to ensure they are safe from corporate identity fraudsters.  The warning comes at the start of National Identity Fraud Prevention Week (8-14th October).  Identity fraud is still the UK’s fastest growing crime. 

The FSB is emphasising that identity fraud is far from being an issue which only affects individuals, but is just as much a threat to small businesses.  (more…)