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West Midlands businesses urged to keep innovating during downturn

Earlier this month some of the region’s business leaders gathered to look at how to support small business during the downturn. Here Dave Smallwood, managing director of event hosts BT Local Business Birmingham, looks at what came out of their discussions Read

Black Country Reinvestment Society doubles loans to small business

BLACK Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS), the business loans company based in Wolverhampton, hase celebrated doubling its lending to small businesses affected by the credit crunch to over £1million this year. Read

Birmingham pupils urged to learn languages to succeed in business

International entrepreneurs of the future were encouraged to develop their language skills at a seminar held in a Birmingham school. Read

Jane Hatton in line for major entrepreneur award

Jane Hatton hasn’t let her disability stop her running an innovative training business for the public sector – and now she’s in the running for a top national award. Read

Steadfast Solutions lands Birmingham Post award for November

The owners of Steadfast Solutions, winner of this month’s Birmingham Post Enterprise Award, hope to be doubling the company’s headcount soon – from two to four. Read

Civil Engineering group outlines plan to avoid job losses

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association has set out a ten point plan to avoid more than 8,000 redundancies in the UK’s small and medium sized civil engineering firms. Read

Shropshire company Quorum Logistic Support Ltd creates £2 million training centre

Quorum’s expertise mission Read

Oswestry arts foundry takes national £10,000 business prize

Arts foundry takes national Read

Funding kids entertainment centre is child's play for Scallywags

Raising cash has proved child’s play for one Midlands-based company after it opened two children’s entertainment centres in the region. Read

Staffordshire entrepreneurs launch support network

Group of entrepreneurs launch professional support and advice network Read

NatWest RBS to freeze overdraft charges for SMEs

A major bank is to freeze overdraft charges for small businesses in a bid to ease growing financial pressure on the sector. Read

Nearly 2,400 jobs safeguarded and created in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire last year

Company increase is boost for job numbers Read

It's time to support our small businesses – the lifeblood of our economy

This week saw a gathering of business leaders from over 100 companies across the West Midlands, at a special West Midlands Economic Summit in Birmingham – drawn together to discuss the current economic downturn with Government Ministers. Read

How female bosses are getting ahead in tough times

Lower debt levels and better networking abilities mean female-run businesses are better able to withstand a recession according to the head of a regional body promoting women’s enterprise. Read

A package of funding can get ideas off the ground

The news is so dominated right now by stories of company down turns, closings, and potential redundancies, I wonder if reporters are actually tasked with sourcing out the most depressing news items possible. Read

Award for see-saw which will help power African classrooms

A see-saw that could solve some of remote Africa’s energy problems, a famous Stoke-on-Trent fine china producer and a biomedical specialist pioneering new treatments for genetic diseases have celebrated success at this year’s Lord Stafford Awards. Read

Villa teams up with schools for enterprise week

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Cannock guitar shop sales rocket

Red Planet in tune with left-handed guitarists Read

Businessman hits out at lack of help from funds body

A West Midlands businessman has criticised regional development agencies for not doing enough to help fledgling companies. Read

Business tax cuts needed to kick-start economy, says chamber

Industry leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire are calling for a series of business tax cuts in order to stimulate the economy and save jobs. Read