RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 I’m a small business......get me out of here. Sandi Rhys Jones 26 February 2004

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 How small is small? a micro business employs up to 9 people a small business employs up to 50 people a medium business employs up to 250 people … and of the 200,000 construction companies in the UK, 90% of them employ fewer than 6 people European Union

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 The cost of red tape “Owner/managers of SMEs spend an average of 10 hours a week complying, at an estimated cost to the economy of £17 billion.” The Forum for Private Business 2002 Survey

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Noel Ford Evening Standard 1985

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Counting the cost employing people takes 31 hours a month complying with regulations and paperwork average cost of compliance is £ £4000 pa, or between 4% and 6% of turnover tendering for public sector work is too complex A Government Action Plan for Small Business Small Business Service

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Small business bedrock 3.8 million small businesses employ 12.6 million people represent 99% of UK firms generate 52% of private sector turnover … and nearly 50% cite regulation as a key obstacle to business success

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Reality test many businesses don’t know what is required to comply and when seeking support from government, often find they are not eligible. services and organisations are fragmented, confusing and hard to find too often the process is too complicated, takes too long and is not relevant to businesses DTI

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Mel Calman The Times 1980

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Where are the women? Women in the UK represent 45% of the workforce 27% of the self employed 15% of business owners …lower than in the Canada, USA, Australia and most of the Far East and South America

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Barriers accessible/affordable childcare inappropriate/inaccessible business support transition from benefits to self employment access to finance DTI

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Clive Collins, Daily Mirror

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Government initiatives ‘see at a glance’ guidance on new regulations consider incentives for alternatives to regulation standardise and co-ordinate change improve procurement opportunities for SMEs increase turnover audit threshold from £1m to £5.6m, potentially exempting 69,000 firms DTI

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Don’t get mad, get active! “The paperwork associated with a first employee costs £5, whereas big business actually makes money out of payroll tax deductions.” Vision for the future ACCA Small Business Committee

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Network for help Forum of Private Business Small Business Service Federation of Small Businesses Association of Chartered Certified Accounts Institute of Directors

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004 Play to your strengths make the most of your size and independence insist on the right advisor, not the usual advisor think creatively to build a happy workforce challenge convention

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February 2004

RhysJones ICE/CIOB 26 February