Minimum wage: Brown caves under union pressure
By Kate Pritchard
Gordon Brown has bowed to union demands and agreed to extend the minimum wage in a move that will cost businesses an extra £88m a year. “Too much government intervention could damage the UK's ability to compete long after this political cycle is finished,” comments Matthew Goodman, policy representative at the Forum of Private Business.

Equality Bill: a waste of time?
By Kate Pritchard
Harriet Harman’s attempt to end workplace discrimination with a new Equality Bill brought mutterings of discontent from entrepreneurs and the Forum of Private Business. Now lawyers have stepped into the fray: “What it proposes is more discrimination,” says Julie Quinn, employment partner at law firm Nabarro LLP.

Cleaning franchise has strong community
By Catherine Woods
Pam Bader has tried to create a sense of community among her employees, both past and present, at her domestic services business franchise Molly Maid.

The Supper Club diaries
By Rebecca Burn-Callander
Duncan Cheatle runs entrepreneur networking firm The Supper Club. With 200 full-time members and 320 events a month, he’s a veritable treasure trove of entrepreneurial knowledge.

“Generous maternity benefits are sabotaging women’s careers”
By Kate Pritchard
This week Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, said extra benefits may have had the "unintended consequence" of making women less attractive to employers.

Countdown to Human Capital Awards
By Catherine Woods
At last year’s CBI/Real Business Human Capital Awards, prison administrator Vicky O’Dea was crowned the ‘people’s champion’.

Equality Bill is an "added burden"
By Kate Pritchard
The Forum of Private Business has slammed the government’s new Equality Bill, claiming that it will create an even greater administrative burden for small businesses. “Ironically, given that it is supposed to be employee-friendly legislation, it could become an impediment to employment,” says the organisation’s chief executive Phil Orford.

Harriet Harman: "Inequality and discrimination still persist"
By Kate Pritchard
Equality minister Harriet Harman plans to create a “fairer society” by allowing firms to discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minority job candidates. But what do entrepreneurs think of the new Equality Bill?

Catering company shatters preconceptions
By Catherine Woods
John Charles has made a point of employing disabled people at Catering 2 Order because he's heard too many stories about job centres telling such workers catering isn't a viable career choice.

Card company laughs all the way to the bank
By Catherine Woods
The Card and Gift Company may only be small but managing director Andrew Gibson insists they have a lot of fun, partly because of the nature of the business.