The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for a separate Government body, which is dedicated to protecting the interests of small businesses, to have a seat in the Cabinet. Synergy Client Solutions looks at the rationale behind the request.
In its Budget submission to the Chancellor, the FSB has suggested that an agency be created that is modeled on the Small Business Administration (SBA) in the USA. Although a number of government departments deal will small business policy there isn’t a single department that focuses specifically on the needs of small businesses and the FSB believes that this is causing them to fall down the list of government priorities.
Synergy Client Solutions, a customer acquisitions company based in Bristol, is all too aware of the problems faced by small businesses. Director of the company, Benjamin Jeanes said of the proposal, “This will be very welcome amongst small businesses throughout the UK. I think the government recognises the importance of small businesses but unfortunately because of lack of representation they don’t always stay at the forefront of policy. The reality is however that there are 4.5 million small businesses in the UK and they need to be given a more prominent seat within government.”
The FSB believes that a group modeled on the US SBA would be incredibly beneficial and would help them improve small business finance particularly credit easing and improving procurement opportunities for small firms. They also believe that it would help provide quick and effective disaster assistance for small businesses when they are hit by exceptional circumstances outside of their control, like the summer riots of 2011. The SBA in America has been in existence since 1953 and has a seat in the Cabinet.
Synergy Client Solutions is fully behind John Walker, the national chairman of the FSB who recently said, “Through implementing a Small Business Administration, it would allow the government to quickly implement policies aimed at helping small businesses.”
Mr. Jeanes believes that much more must be done to help small businesses. “The government has set a 25 per cent improvement target in helping provide procurement opportunities to small firms but they’re failing to really put the measures in place the help the businesses to do this. Perhaps the world ‘small’ is holding the businesses back. They’re definitely not small in number and if an organised lobbying committee could be put in place, we’re confident at Synergy Client Solutions that we would see an improvement.”
