Quite often, entrepreneurs who start new businesses are surprised by the problems they face in their first few years in business. For sure, when I first started my firm, I felt that if I could just overcome a particular problem that had arisen, it would be downhill thereafter.
But those of us who have been in business for a while know that business is all about problem solving and facing challenges on an ongoing basis. As one challenge passes another will ALWAYS take its place. That is the nature of the beast.
As entrepreneurs we work hard to meet these challenges. Most of us make lots of mistakes on our way to success. Many of our ideas just don't work - but we think again and try another idea until we find one that does work. This battling can be stressful - but also personally rewarding when things do eventually come right!
But none of us is in business simply to feel good! We have taken personal and financial risks to start our businesses and we want to see the financial rewards.
The disappointment for me (and surely the owners of small businesses up and down the country) is that our government does nothing of significance to promote and encourage small business. Indeed, our government's legislation and beaurocracy are road blocks for small businesses.
Small businesses are critical to our economy's success. They create employment and wealth. According to the government's own statistics (which I have taken from the Small Business Service) the number of single person small businesses at the start of 2005 was 3.2 million. There were a further 1.2 million small businesses which had extra employees.
The entrepreneurs who have started these businesses have started them in spite of our government, not because of it. This is what needs to change.
Without the small business sector there would be large scale unemployment. On top of that, we would lose the commercial innovation that comes from the small business sector - estimated by the Federation of Small Business to be 64% of all commercial innovation in the UK.
Our nation needs a government that will take an in depth look at the way its legislation and beaurocracy impact small business, one that will free entrepreneurs from red tape and make it simpler for them to start and run successful businesses. We need a government that offers good and permenant tax breaks for enterprise. Most importantly, we need a government that makes a SERIOUS and GENUINE effort to encourage small business. We need a CULTURE and ETHOS that promotes enterprise instead of token gestures that are clawed back in the end anyway.
We need to let our entrepreneurs off the leash!
PLEASE HELP MY BLOGS AND LINK TO THEM FROM YOUR WEBSITES.
UK-Freelancers: www.uk-freelancers.blogspot.com
UK-Small-Business: www.uk-small-business.blogspot.com
Antony J. Holdsworth & Co is a firm of Tax Advisors & Chartered Management Accountants that specialises in small owner managed businesses and IR35 freelancers. Visit us online at: http://www.antonyjholdsworth.co.uk/
Please feel free to use my blog postings on your websites. If you do use a posting, please re-produce it in its entirety including the 3 links. This will help to promote my blog.
Friday, 13 April 2007
Thursday, 5 April 2007
Where should I start?
For me, the 2007 Budget was the last straw! It was a kick in the teeth for small businesses in so many ways.
As the owner of a firm of Chartered Management Accountants that provides services to small owner managed businesses (including freelancers), I have become more and more dismayed at our government's attitude to small businesses.
Our country used to be a place that encouraged enterpreneurs and risk takers - a country that rewarded people who were prepared to work hard and get up off their back sides and help themselves.
But now, entrepreneurs and hard working people must feel as if they are taxed to the hilt and unrewarded for the contribution they make to our economy - perhaps even to the extent of taking their skills with them to a country that DOES reward enterprise and hard work.
I feel that it is time for me to express my views in a place where others can see them. I am sure there must be thousands of other business men and women out there who feel exactly the same.
I have started two blogs. One is for small businesses in general (which is this one) and the other is for freelancers. I thought a separate blog for freelancers was appropriate as they seem to have attracted the Chancellor's attention in a big way.
I hope my blogs will become well known and popular. Perhaps I am over ambitious. But one thing I do know is that as a nation we are too passive about the things we care about. This is the start of my effort to champion small business and enterprise. We should make our voices heard!
PLEASE HELP MY BLOGS AND LINK TO THEM FROM YOUR WEBSITES.
UK-Freelancers: www.uk-freelancers.blogspot.com
UK-Small-Business: www.uk-small-business.blogspot.com
Antony J. Holdsworth & Co is a firm of Tax Advisors & Chartered Management Accountants that specialises in small owner managed businesses and IR35 freelancers. Visit us online at: http://www.antonyjholdsworth.co.uk/
Please feel free to use my blog postings on your websites. If you do use a posting, please re-produce it in its entirety including the links. This will help to promote my blog.
As the owner of a firm of Chartered Management Accountants that provides services to small owner managed businesses (including freelancers), I have become more and more dismayed at our government's attitude to small businesses.
Our country used to be a place that encouraged enterpreneurs and risk takers - a country that rewarded people who were prepared to work hard and get up off their back sides and help themselves.
But now, entrepreneurs and hard working people must feel as if they are taxed to the hilt and unrewarded for the contribution they make to our economy - perhaps even to the extent of taking their skills with them to a country that DOES reward enterprise and hard work.
I feel that it is time for me to express my views in a place where others can see them. I am sure there must be thousands of other business men and women out there who feel exactly the same.
I have started two blogs. One is for small businesses in general (which is this one) and the other is for freelancers. I thought a separate blog for freelancers was appropriate as they seem to have attracted the Chancellor's attention in a big way.
I hope my blogs will become well known and popular. Perhaps I am over ambitious. But one thing I do know is that as a nation we are too passive about the things we care about. This is the start of my effort to champion small business and enterprise. We should make our voices heard!
PLEASE HELP MY BLOGS AND LINK TO THEM FROM YOUR WEBSITES.
UK-Freelancers: www.uk-freelancers.blogspot.com
UK-Small-Business: www.uk-small-business.blogspot.com
Antony J. Holdsworth & Co is a firm of Tax Advisors & Chartered Management Accountants that specialises in small owner managed businesses and IR35 freelancers. Visit us online at: http://www.antonyjholdsworth.co.uk/
Please feel free to use my blog postings on your websites. If you do use a posting, please re-produce it in its entirety including the links. This will help to promote my blog.
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