Tough times for some, but new chances are out there.

(From Western Morning News)

Westcountry businesses say that "frustrating" levels of red tape and lack of swift infrastructure investment are continue to hinder their growth. Businesses highlighted their concerns in the latest Western Morning News Business Barometer, compiled by law firm Michelmores. Feedback revealed that Westcountry firms' confidence fell markedly in the three months between April and August.

In April, 70 per cent of those surveyed described themselves as "upbeat" over their trading prospects, a figure which fell to 56 per cent in August.

With the country struggling out of the longest double-dip recession since the 1950s, news this week revealed that the retail sector suffered its worst sales this year in August, down 0.4 per cent on a like-for-like basis according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). It said …