Stevenage 75th anniversary magazine | biz4Biz - Magazine - Page 6
“Micro and small businesses are the engine room of the
UK and they are also the leveller, the answer to tackling
inequality, creating a fairer society and levelling up.
For too long they’ve been derided as a way for the
unemployable to make a living, as ‘lifestyle’ businesses,
as the haven of people who want to pay less tax.”
Entrepreneurs are showing signs of
resilience and confidence. Online
retailers, property businesses and street
food stalls are leading the way. Stevenage
will see a lift in all of those and much
more.
NatWest’s report shows that despite the
past few years of economic challenges,
entrepreneurial spirit in the UK has
survived. Now we need to make sure
they have what they need in regeneration
projects like that in Stevenage to thrive.
We need to harness the record-breaking
entrepreneurial enthusiasm and nurture
and encourage it in Stevenage to give
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it the best possible chance of morphing
into the productivity and growth the
Government wants to see, that our public
services will benefit from and that the
economy needs. But more than that we
need that entrepreneurial spirit to spill
over into the local communities and lift
everyone up.
Micro and small businesses are the engine
room of the UK and they are also the
leveller, the answer to tackling inequality,
creating a fairer society and levelling up.
For too long they’ve been derided as a way
for the unemployable to make a living,
as ‘lifestyle’ businesses, as the haven of
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people who want to pay less tax. Yes: I’m
angry about that characterisation. We’re
the backbone of society. We give it our all.
We’re flexible, agile, and willing to take
the risks. We deserve respect and we can
make all the difference. When the Isle of
Dogs was being regenerated it was devoid
of colour and hope until the small firms
arrived, and then it blossomed. Stevenage:
take a ‘small first’ approach and support
the micro and small and the rest will
bloom.
MPs hail small businesses as the lifeblood
of our economy. They account for half
of employment (60% if medium sized
