Everyday men and women will rebuild economy
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by Roger
House FSB chairman Kent and Medway region
As recent economic data shows a weakening of the economy -
with sluggish growth and unemployment once again breaking through
the 2.5 million barrier - the FSB has launched its Real-Life
Entrepreneurs campaign to encourage the government to act on its
rhetoric and bring in policies that will deliver tangible results
on growth.
The campaign highlights how it is the everyday men and women
that have taken a risk and started their own business that will be
responsible for creating much needed growth and employment
opportunities to get the economy back on track, but that they face
many obstacles when trying to do so.
We believe there are six practical steps the government can take
to make a difference, which include the following:
Increasing the routes to finance by ensuring that the
recommendations set out by the Independent Commission on Banking
are implemented by 2015 so small businesses can benefit from
increased competition on the high street as well as being able to
move banks more easily.
Improving cash-flow. FSB research has shown that more than 70
per cent of businesses have experienced late payment. The
government must make sure that all public sector agencies and its
contractors pay on time.
Adopting a new approach to regulation. With a third of FSB
members citing regulation as their single biggest obstacle to
growth, the government must do more to reduce the burden at local,
national and EU levels.
Reducing and simplifying business taxes to help more people
become entrepreneurs.
Offering incentives for job creation. Many businesses worry
about the cost and responsibility of taking on their first member
of staff and so we are urging the government to reduce this cost by
extending the National Insurance Contributions holiday to all
businesses with fewer than four employees across the whole of the
UK.
Opening up export markets. A quarter of FSB members export and
they would like to do more but are put off by red tape and
regulation, so the we are calling for a single European contract
law to ensure that more small businesses can access the export
market.
To ensure that the prospect of entrepreneurship is open to as
many people as possible the FSB has partnered with six
organisations to put specific recommendations in place that would
help different sections of society to take the leap and start their
own business.
The economy has stalled and as the impact of the public sector
cuts continue to bite, the government needs the UK's small
businesses - those Real-Life Entrepreneurs that have taken a risk
to set up in business - to pick up the slack.
But, for this to happen, we need to see a strong plan for growth
put in place.
While the culture of celebrity entrepreneurs will have spurred
people into starting a business, more needs to be done to make
doing so more accessible to more people.
We are calling on the Business Secretary to listen to the
Real-Life Entrepreneurs that have told us their problems and to
make changes that address their needs.
Not only will this help them to grow their businesses, but it
will also help other people realise that they can go it alone and
become one of these important Real-Life Entrepreneurs.
In support of this, the Kent and Medway region has elected to
put both physical and financial support behind the organisation
most closely reflecting this objective - Young Enterprise.
n More on page 30.
Tuesday, October 11 2011
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