Government support for UK exporters needs to go further in order to tackle Britain’s trade deficit, according to the Cole Commission on exporting.

More than one in four workers has ongoing disputes with colleagues, according to new research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Following strong results in 2014, UK manufacturing and services firms have reported slightly weaker results in exports, domestic markets and investment at the start of 2015.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

As the next tranche of businesses prepare to comply with auto-enrolment legislation, there are concerns that small firms could be adversely affected by the requirement to introduce workplace pensions.

The number of start-ups being set up by students has increased by 54% in the past 12 months, according to PeoplePerHour.

SME owners have protested this week over moves by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to encourage the use of unregulated asset based lenders.

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act has become law after being passed by Parliament. The Act is intended to make it easier for businesses to access funding and also puts an end to zero hours exclusivity clauses.

Our round-up of other small business stories making the headlines this week...

Over one third of the people responsible for handling finances in SMEs don’t have a relevant qualification, according to findings from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).