David Cameron: my message for Britain's small businesses

David Cameron: my message for Britain’s small businesses

“The future of Britain’s economy depends on Britain’s small businesses — on those with the courage to strike out and start their own thing, who work all hours to succeed, who through love, sweat and tears make their business grow.

“These people - you - are the embodiment of British pluck and enterprise, and we need you.

“We need you to keep on creating good private sector jobs, so that more people can earn a living for their families and have financial security for the future.

“We need you to help get Britain exporting more, because in this competitive world our success will lie in making things and selling them to the world.

“We need you to help rebalance our economy away from too much debt, borrowing and spending and towards private enterprise, dynamism, ideas and innovation.

“That’s why I spoke today at the Federation of Small Businesses' first Policy conference - and it’s why this Government is pulling every lever possible to back small business.

“We’re cutting employers’ National Insurance by £2,000. We’re leading a review on late payment, for all those small businesses who struggle while their invoices go unpaid for weeks on end. We’re beefing up the Government’s trade body, UKTI, to help you export. We have provided thousands of Start-up Loans to those who need finance to start a business.

You can hear from some of those people here.

We have also rolled back thousands of bureaucratic rules and taken on European Union red tape, securing an exemption for many small firms from European laws.

We will be the first government in modern history to have reduced – rather than increased – domestic business regulation during our time in office. We have trawled through thousands of pieces of regulation – from the serious to the ridiculous, and we will be scrapping or amending over 3,000 regulations – saving business well over £850 million every single year. That’s half a million pounds which will be saved for businesses every single day of the year.

“We have stood up to the energy companies that put small businesses on roll-over contracts that cost them dear.

"And we’re promoting you all over the world - as when I took the biggest-ever delegation of small businesses to China.

“Too often in the past the relationship between Government and business has felt like ‘them versus us’, with Whitehall officials dreaming up new taxes and regulations to make your life harder. Not any more.

“The way I see it, we are all engaged in the same endeavour: trying to build a more prosperous, balanced, secure economy that brings more opportunities, more hope and more peace of mind for everyone in our country. That is what the Government’s long-term plan is about - and small business is absolutely critical to that plan.

"We will let you get on with what you do best – enterprising, innovating and – most importantly – creating jobs which give this country the long-term security we need."

David Cameron

Prime Minister