News | 'Helpful but not helpful enough'

Helpful but not helpful enough, small firms tell chancellor after Autumn Statement.

Small business owners have welcomed many of the measures in George Osborne’s Autumn Statement but believe he could have done more to support entrepreneurs, research reveals.



In a snap poll of participants taking part in live coverage of the speech by BusinessZone.co.uk and AccountingWEB.co.uk, 60% said the announcements were friendly but not friendly enough in terms of small business support.

Another 20% said the speech was very friendly towards SMEs, while 15% believed it was lukewarm. A small but significant 5% complained that it was anti-small business.

Dan Martin, editor of BusinessZone.co.uk, comments: “The reaction to George Osborne’s speech was generally positive although most entrepreneurs believe there is much more that he could have done.

“The increase in the Annual Investment Allowance, funding for super-fast broadband and the scrapping of the planned fuel duty are among the measures that will be welcomed by small companies but the devil in the detail.

“Small companies will be waiting to see whether the actions have a true impact on the economy and help entrepreneurs achieve business growth and success.”

BusinessZone.co.uk is a leading online publication for entrepreneurs providing free, practical and no-nonsense advice on how to start and grow a successful business.

AccountingWEB.co.uk is the largest independent online community for accounting and finance professionals in the UK - providing award-winning content and online engagement between members in a true community environment.