President of AAT gives her thoughts on Small Business Saturday
“I represent AAT members, many of which support UK SMEs or own their own small business, and I see time and again how small businesses would benefit from greater support to succeed.
“Small businesses continue to face an immense cumulative burden of challenges, from the rise in employer NIC to limited support in the recent Budget. We know that small businesses are critical to the growth the government needs and so it’s vital they have support.
“This means taking tangible action to understand the challenges SMEs face and a commitment to boost their success and unlock growth. I’m confident that with government support we can robustly address the burden of taxation and the support available from banks to best boost our small business economy.’
“I’ve experienced the challenges businesses face first hand as a founder and CEO. We need to rethink how we support small businesses in the UK; and it’s time for larger institutions to understand the reality on the ground. SMEs are the backbone of Britain and are crucial to driving growth and productivity for the UK.
“Owners and entrepreneurs shouldn’t be saddled with all of this risk. This means working with government to reconsider the burden of tax and the role of banks to best support the UK’s small businesses.
“It’s through practical interventions that we can break down the barriers SMEs face and not take their hard graft for granted when it underpins so much of our economy.”
Lucy Cohen, president AAT