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The Forum of Private Business (FPB) will be putting smaller businesses on the
political agenda at a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference.
Mark Prisk MP, the Conservative shadow minister for business and enterprise,
will be the keynote speaker at the Small Business Fringe 2006.
The FPB’s chief executive, Nick Goulding, will also be speaking at the event
which is to address the financing needs of small firms.
Mr Goulding says ambitious small firms need access to finance to be able to
expand,
He explained: "It is only when small firms look to expand that the importance of
loan capital becomes apparent.
"The owners of smaller businesses are reluctant to give up equity in their
property and mustn’t feel like their growth is being hampered as a result."
The latest research carried out by the Small Business Research Trust (SBRT)
showed that in the second quarter of 2006, firms that employed fewer than 10
people were reporting flat sales and a reduction in employment.
For businesses with between 10 and 50 employees sales were down slightly
although employment and investment were up.
Mr Goulding says there are a number of barriers to the growth of small firms,
and added: "Tax, employment regulations and unfair competition are just some of
the problems that our members say are impeding their growth.
"The Government must do more to ease the tax burden and deliver on its promises
of cutting and simplifying regulation.
"There is more and more evidence of unfair competition from larger competitors,
the Competition Commission’s inquiry into the grocery market must redress the
imbalances and set a precedent for other sectors."
The Small Business Fringe 2006, the title of which is "Small Firms Thinking Big
– Finance for the Future", is in association with the Finance Leasing
Association. Its director general Martin Hall will also be speaking at the
event.
The fringe event will take place at the Marriott Bournemouth Highcliff in
Bournemouth on 3 October.
Source:
Credit
Control Journal
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