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New enterprise centre for creative arts opens

Culture secretary Margaret Hodge officially opened a new Midland enterprise centre for the creative arts yesterday. Read

Building centre takeover secures jobs

Two Birmingham entrepreneurs have secured the jobs of eight people by taking over a builders merchants in Small Heath. And they are now looking to double the workforce. Read

Cashflow problems hit SMEs as credit crunch bits

The credit crunch is having an effect on lending and cashflow for SMEs across the West Midlands – but the appetite for growth and investment is still there, it is claimed. Read

Asian businesses gather for the Central Jewel Awards

Asian entrepreneurs in the Midlands are gearing up to celebrate the successes of the region’s Asian business community. Read

EU an unlikely champion of small businesses

Mention the European Union and small business owners will say they don’t get the best deal from it – in fact many will go further, saying it seems to be hell bent on working against them. Read

Older generation can solve the skills gap, says Forum

Older workers are crucial to the West Midlands economy, as young people do not have enough skills, a business think tank has said. Read

Teenager Gemma in the frame with new business

Teenager Gemma Endacott had no worries finding a job when she left school as she had her sights firmly focused on starting her own photography business. Read

Truly Julry takes the shop to the customer

A female entrepreneur from Coventry has made a flying start after launching a jewellery business with a twist. Read

Special needs youngsters to run new business centre

A pioneering new business centre staffed by children with special needs will be launched in the Black Country this week. Read

Ranbir scoops regional entrepreneur title at Prowess Awards

West Midlands PR director Ranbir Sahota has picked up a prestigious award for women’s enterprise at a ceremony held in Birmingham. Read

United Nations deals available to SMEs

Help is at hand for SMEs in the West Midlands looking to get a slice of the United Nations’ highly lucrative procurement market – worth about £4 billion a year. Read

Young people think only the rich can start-up businesses

More than half of young people in Birmingham dream of starting their own business, but think that only rich people can afford to go it alone, according to research by the Prince’s Trust. Read

Crossmatch Solutions expand their training service

A Birmingham business which specialises in providing work and training for disadvantaged people has expanded. Read

Redundancy spurs David to go it alone with Eco Valve Solutions

A Stratford-upon-Avon businessman has bounced back from redundancy to helping companies detect dangerous chemical leaks. Read

Coventry University teams up with Hewlett-Packard

Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) has linked up with IT giant Hewlett-Packard to run an internationally-recognised business support programme for micro enterprises in the West Midlands. Read

Small firms walking an insurance tightrope

Well over a third of small enterprises in the West Midlands are putting their business, employees and customers at unnecessary risk by operating without any business insurance, according to new research from Coventry-based Insurantz.com. Read

Call goes out to save the Birmingham small traders

Birmingham has been urged to do more to help smaller retailers as an increasing number of bargain stores spring up in the city centre’s High Street. Read

Business leaders hopeful of end to red tape nightmare

Businesses have welcomed Government signals that it is to loosen the burden of red tape strangling firms. Read

Derek Harris to stand down as head of Aston Science Park

A leading champion of entrepreneurship in the West Midlands has announced his impending retirement as chief executive of Aston Science Park. Read

Karen's up for the cup as bras get bigger

Karen Tomalin always had a good head for figures, but when it came to her own figure, she always had difficulty finding the right bra. Read