Joint study demanding unity over SME planing

摘要

Local and central government must to do more to 'align' policies closer to the needs of local businesses, according to a new report by think-tank, Centre for Cities, and insurers, Zurich. The Small Business Outlook 2013 report, which was published on 15 July, warns many small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are facing real challenges as spending cuts and the recession continue to bite. According to the report, businesses in cities like Cambridge, Crawley and Reading are likely to survive further spending cuts, but firms in Hull, Liverpool and Blackpool are more vulnerable, because trading in those areas is more likely to be hit by job losses, welfare cuts and frozen wages. The report calls on the Government to work with local enterprise partnerships to find effective ways of supporting small businesses.