Recommendations for small business suppo

Recommendations for small business support

A series of recommendations to support small businesses and encourage entrepreneurs to set up on their own have been made.

Laid out in the Small Business Report from Enterprise Nation, the recommendations are based on the views of 1,224 small businesses, and include:

•Recognise childcare expenses as a business expense, and tax deductible
•Extend and expand the National Insurance holiday
•Encourage innovation in business support via digital/mobile channels
•Accelerating the roll out of mentoring from experienced business owners to next generation
•Offering loans to graduates to start up their own businesses
•Establish HMRC partner programme with business support groups
The survey, which fuelled the recommendations found resounding evidence of a positive outlook among small enterprises. Asked of their intentions for growth, 91 per cent of those surveyed said that they plan to grow in the coming months, 49 per cent of whom intend to grow through outsourcing as opposed to hiring.

Commenting on the report, Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, and co-founder of the StartUp Britain campaign said: “The UK faces a clear opportunity to unleash its entrepreneurial spirit. We must act now to present self-employment as a viable option to the millions of people dreaming of turning an idea into a business and these businesses should be supported by products and services from the public and private sector, enabling technology and peer support from fellow owners.

“Campaigns such as StartUp Britain, of which I am a co-founder, are making a difference and having an impact. The recommendations presented here are a further step towards realising an enterprising nation.”