New feel-good website aims to cheer up crisis-hit Greeks

Seven of the country’s major alternative funders today launch a web portal – alternativebusinessfunding.co.uk – designed to signpost SMEs to the most appropriate source of non-bank funding, providing a short-cut to finance options that business owners may not be fully aware of. In addition, each organisation will “recycle” their rejected applicants to the site to access other potential non-bank funding sources.

Two in three SME leaders agree that their early hires were critical to the growth of their business. Yet, less than half believe employee health and wellbeing will be a key consideration in their future growth strategy. With employees playing such a crucial role in helping SMEs to succeed from the start, Bupa is calling for businesses to recognise the impact of a healthy workforce on the growth and sustainable future of their companies.

ATHENS: Greeks overwhelmingly rejected conditions of a rescue package from creditors on Sunday, throwing the future of the country's euro zone membership into further doubt and deepening a standoff with lenders. As the euro slid more than 1 percent against the dollar and European stock and bond markets were poised to take a sharp hit with the resumption of trade on Monday, stunned European leaders called a summit for Tuesday to discuss their next move.

There are clear business benefits to supporting employee health and wellbeing, says a new CBI and Medicash report today. The UK’s leading business group has outlined how improving employee health can contribute to better business performance through lower absence, higher productivity and better employee engagement.

Wolf Richter   www.testosteronepit.com   www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter The solar-panel industry, once fattened by taxpayer subsidies and false hopes, has been in a death spiral around the world. In the US, a slew of photovoltaic standouts like Solyndra went under, taking billions of subsidies and investor capital with them. In Germany, it has been just as brutal. Even large companies are licking their wounds.