Why encouraging start ups and StartUp Britain is more important than ever

Riots such as the like we've seen invariably lead to questions of how could this happen in England and what we can do to reduce the chances of it happening again. I'd like to contribute to that debate and suggest it is critical to work on creating more start ups and a more entrepreneurial economy so sections of our population become gainfully employed and don't feel the need to cause panic, steal and loot. Sound simplistic? You bet. But I'm sure small business owners agree that when you run a business you don't have the time, energy or desire to cause trouble on your own streets. When you have a job you don't want to be caught on camera causing trouble. The more people employed and self-employed, the better. Not only does this benefit the economy, it benefits society as you have fewer people who are bored, bearing resentment and with time on their hands to vent anger and frustration. This is why it's more important than ever that StartUp Britain continues its work to encourage people to start a business. And it's why I hope the upcoming StartUp Britain Tour, which is visiting the areas in which riots have and are taking place, will be supported by Job Centres and the Department for Work and Pensions so those who are unemployed but want to go self-employed can come on board and meet the people who are giving their time to help and support such a transition. We can make Britain better through encouraging and supporting enterprise. I hope to see you on board. Emma Jones is founder of Enterprise Nation and co-founder of StartUp Britain Photo credit: belkus