As the eight Small Business Saturday was hailed as a further success for independent traders, The Forum of Private Business has renewed its call on the government to increase support for small businesses with a particular focus on Britain’s high streets.
The Forum welcomes this important annual event, but feels the government still has some way to go in terms of understanding and support for what is often described as the backbone of the UK economy.
Managing Director of the Forum, Ian Cass, said: “We believe that the government lacks an understanding of the environment that small businesses find themselves in. As part of our Get Britain Trading campaign we are offering politicians the chance to work alongside businesses so they can better understand the struggles they deal with and provide the support they desperately need from government.”
While the Forum believes the Business Rates announcement in last week’s budget is a welcome one, they think there is still a lot of work to do to help revitalise the retailers on the high street, with the need for a real plan and some tangible steps if we want to see high streets thriving.
Ian Cass added: “We hope everyone has a successful Small Business Saturday and call on the government to include Britain’s high streets as part of its industrial strategy plans.”
