The All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group Entrepreneurship Inquiry will tackle why women and mature people are less likely to apply for bank finance, as well as why small firms still struggle to access finance in its first evidence session.

The National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), speaking tonight at the FSB's Annual Dinner said that the Government's tentative steps in the right direction need to become a giant leap if firms are to see genuine change in their business.

New figures from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that small businesses will look to shed staff in the first three months of 2012, as it warns that the Government needs to be bolder in its changes to existing employment law to incentivise employment.

Small business confidence plummeted in 2011 as businesses were hit by high inflation, rising utilities bills and reduced consumer spending power according to the latest findings from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) ‘Voice of Small Business' Index.

New figures show that six in 10 small firms believe the London 2012 Games will not have a positive impact on their business in the long term despite David Cameron saying today that the UK is "on track" for a lasting legacy, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said today.