Tories take heart from SMEs' wave of optimism

by Susie Hughes at 11:34 05/05/17 (News on Business)

While Prime Minister, Theresa May can’t guarantee the support of the small business community, she can be reassured that its confidence in its own growth is the highest in four years, according to recent research.

The latest Enterprise Index results from accountancy group, Smith and Williamson shows that 85 per cent of entrepreneurs and small business owners are planning for growth and 80 per cent are optimistic about their own prospects over the next 12 months. Crucially, they are nearly 30 per cent more positive about their own growth than at the end of 2016, the highest point since mid-2013. Support declined However, the Tories can’t assume they have locked-in widespread support from small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Enterprise Index highlighted this as the fourth consecutive quarter where SMEs perception of support offered by the Government has declined, with less than half (45 per cent) expressing positive opinions toward government policy. Guy Rigby, head of entrepreneurial services at Smith & Williamson, said: “There is no doubt that small businesses continue to have gripes about the Government policy. However, the Prime Minister seems to have caught them in a buoyant mood. It’s possible that, by triggering Article 50, entrepreneurs at least feel some progress is being made. In addition, the high profile climb-down on self-employed National Insurance Contributions (NICs) appears to be evidence of a Government that is listening. Advertisement “Notwithstanding this, there has been a growing mistrust in the Government due to a credibility gap between what the government is saying and what it is actually doing. Within the past few months they have delivered an industrial strategy green paper, a scale-up champion and a scale-up taskforce but this has yet to deliver meaningful change. However, at the same time, the Government has slashed the tax free dividend allowance by 60 per cent, causing problems for many. “The Apprenticeship Levy is a great idea in theory, but less than half of our respondents believe it is likely to be valuable in practice. The administrative necessities could mean that most small businesses will not participate, leading to disappointment over the number of new apprentices. It is therefore a concern that the levy could just become a stealth tax on larger businesses.” Brexit The Enterprise Index highlights the fact that just over half of respondents believe that the uncertainty associated with the triggering of Article 50 negatively affected their business. However, this does not appear to have negated any plans for growth, with nearly two thirds looking to increase headcount over the next three months [an 11 point rise from the last quarter]. Mr Rigby said: “The negotiation of a Brexit deal will have many layers, with the ramifications from any individual part having potentially widespread consequences. While the current mood is buoyant, SMEs need to be aware that changes to our relationship with the EU could affect them on a day-to-day basis. Recent growth decelerators, such as stagnating real wage growth and lower consumer spending, could be a portent of things to come. “Confidence is important, but it is vital that SMEs keep a close eye on the changing landscape and guard against any irrational exuberance.” Tweet -- If you wish to comment on this article, please log in and use the Reply button below. Registering is free and easy - see 'Join Shout99'. - Susie Hughes © Shout99 2017

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