Your support network
What kind of support network would small businesses like to see? What services would be genuinely useful? And what would be the best way to access them?
As in Wave 1, networking with fellow small business owners is the main source of help and advice, with 68% stating this.
But in Wave 2, we looked closer at how businesses go about networking. Speaking to friends who are small business owners is the most common means (82%), and is presumably relatively informal. Speaking to other local businesses is also popular (63%). After this we see a drop off in popularity – industry seminars are used by around a third of respondents (33%), as are small business advice websites or publications (29%), while a quarter (25%) go to online small business networks.
What is the one thing the government could do to help?
Reducing taxation was the most popular suggestion for the government amongst respondents to our survey. Only 5% saw providing advice and support as a key role for the government.
However there were positive suggestions as how the government might help. One business owner proposed ‘a helpline manned by experts in tax, employment, VAT, financial advisors etc all under one roof – a bit like Citizens’ Advice but business advice where questions could be asked and advice given out’.
While another would like to see ‘a one-stop-shop preferably (or optionally) available online for payment of taxes, submission of paperwork etc, rather than having to duplicate information when dealing with different agencies’.