Gaining access to finance has rarely been such a key issue for companies, with research showing that lending to small and medium-sized firms remains low

Last year Tony Earnshaw appeared on Dragons’ Den and secured £100,000 from judge Duncan Bannatyne. This year, his business could turnover £4m

One in three businesses have been rejected by their bank when they asked for a loan or an overdraft, research reveals today

Community Development Finance Initiatives provide loans and support to small firms and are typically based in disadvantaged communities

Small firms working as sub-contractors are having to wait increasingly long periods for their bills to be settled, even when the main contractor has been paid promptly

Twitter may be best known for the ramblings of celebrities such as Stephen Fry, but fledgling firms are discovering it can be a way to access investment cash

Government plans to put social enterprises at the heart of its ‘big society’ reforms could mark a major change for socially responsible businesses

The Budget was largely positive for small businesses, say experts, though firms will not escape the pinch entirely

Jeff McWhinney lives the kind of life that is the envy of many other 50-year-olds. He has sailed the Atlantic, set up and run charities and is managing director of his own successful company.