MPs seek entrepreneurs' views on government's small business growth strategy

An influential group of MPs has launched an inquiry into supporting small businesses and is encouraging founders to get involved.

The government is due to launch its new small business strategy later this year, but the Business and Trade Committee said that "unlike the industrial strategy, there has been no Green Paper to allow small businesses to consider what's on the table or input their views".

As a result it has begun an inquiry into the strategy which will feed into the government's planning for rolling out its new support measures.

Liam Byrne MP, chair of the committee, said:

"Britain's small businesses are the quiet powerhouse of our economy, but too often they are locked out of the decisions that shape their future. While a fortunate few dominate the corridors of power, too many small firms fight battles alone: battling soaring rents, battling unfair business rates, battling to access capital, contracts and customers.

"This inquiry is about one thing: giving small businesses the voice in the national debate that they deserve, to build a growth strategy that works not just for the giants but for the grafters, the builders and the job creators who power our communities and high streets."

Business owners can take part by completing this survey and/or submitting evidence here on any or all of these questions by 16 July:

Strategy

• What key issues should be addressed through the small business strategy?

• How can policymakers ensure that the voice of small businesses' is heard in government?

Starting a business

• How straightforward is it to start a business, and what difficulties do entrepreneurs face when starting up?

• Do small businesses currently face any challenges in competing with larger firms? What can be done to "level the playing field"?

Supporting growth

• How accessible are public procurement processes for SMEs, and what are the consequences of the Procurement Act 2023 for small businesses?

• What is your assessment of the export support available to small businesses?

• What are the current challenges to the long-term sustainability of the high street, including ownership of the high street, and what are the consequences of these trends for SMEs?

Costs

• What are the key cost pressures, such as energy prices, facing SMEs, and how should these be addressed?

• What is your assessment of the current overall tax regime, including reporting requirements, for SMEs, and how could it be improved?

Business support

• Does the government's current business support offer meet the needs of SMEs, and how could the offer be improved?

• Do family-run businesses face any specific challenges, including 'red tape', and what support do they require to meet these challenges?

Improving productivity

• What has been the experience of small businesses in accessing banking services, and how does the Post Office Banking Framework support their needs? To what extent does this framework also provide adequate access to financial guidance and advice?

• How effectively are productivity-enhancing practices, such as new technologies, being shared and adopted among SMEs? Is the Innovate UK Catapult Network meeting the needs of small businesses?

Implementation

• How should work across multiple government departments, mayoral strategic authorities, and local authorities be coordinated to support the growth of SMEs?

• What metrics should the small business strategy use to measure its success, and how should delivery against these objectives be monitored?