Owners of businesses that handle chemicals could have to work late into the night this weekend to hit a legal deadline to register on an EU website details of the substances they use.
Any company that distributes or uses any of more than 32,000 substances, or imports them from outside Europe, must pre-register its interest with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) by December 1.
Companies that fail to do so could face fines and even a jail sentence under the EU’s Reach regulation.
However, the large volume of companies trying to access the online pre-registration facility in recent weeks has forced ECHA to put a note on the website asking users to come back in the evening or early in the morning.
Jo Lloyd, director of Reach Ready, which has been promoting pre-
registration in the UK, said problems occurred partly because so many organisations fall under the legislation’s remit.
“Everybody has been taken by surprise,” she said, adding that about 2m companies are expected to have to register – 10 times more than originally estimated.
Although companies have had since June 1 to put their details on the ECHA website, many have left it to the last minute because they were unaware of the requirement or did not see the need to rush.
Peter Snaith, a partner at law firm Dickinson Dees, claimed several of his clients have also struggled to use the website.
“People shouldn’t leave it until the last minute, but if they do and the system cannot handle them, then they should make sure they have evidence that they tried,” he said.
Tired of Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice? The British Chambers of Commerce and Dell are attempting to tap into what they claim is widespread dissatisfaction among business owners with entrepreneurship programmes by creating their own videos downloadable from the internet.
The first programme, hosted by Sean Walsh, the former CNBC anchor, is available to watch at www.smallbusinessadvice.tv and features tips on managing your way out of the financial crisis from John Dunsmure, BCC managing director.
The next programme, available from December 4, will feature an interview with Michael Dell, founder and chief executive of Dell. The videos will also feature case studies of small businesses in the UK.
The Office of Fair Trading this week published a free guide on how to comply with competition and consumer laws, aimed specifically at smaller businesses.
The leaflet, which includes explanations of the law regarding online selling, issuing contracts and offering credit, can be downloaded at www.oft.gov.uk/businesses or ordered from the OFT publications line at 0800 389 3158.
Providing a supportive environment for business start-ups during the early stages of their development has helped Teesside University win the title of Business Incubation Champion of the year, writes Chris Tighe.
Since 2001, more than 100 graduate companies have been launched with the university’s help on its Middlesbrough campus, creating nearly 225 new jobs. The award, announced at the UK Business Incubation annual conference in Bristol, recognises the university’s dedicated team.
The cost of crime for small businesses has risen to £13,500 per company in the past year, according to research by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
The FSB’s biennial survey of 8,700 members found that two thirds had been victims of crime during the last 12 months, up by 7 per cent since the last research two years ago.
Premierline Direct, the business insurer, has launched what it hopes will be an online neighbourhood watch scheme for company owners. The website, www.beatbusinesscrime.co.uk, will allow users to post reports of incidents to alert other businesses in the area.
Chris Little, Premierline Direct’s managing director, said: “The general consensus among the SME community is that crime against businesses is on the increase.”
