Since the election the political parties have been trying to form governments, make coalitions and work out who is going to run the country.
However, for the rest of us it has been business as usual, and the business community has been getting on with life – finding new customers, delivering orders and looking to expand.
The Liberal – Conservative pact may be historic and groundbreaking, but the day-to-day of business life remains constant.
It is reassuring that the key individuals in the new government are keen to let us know that economic recovery and stability are vital and central to their plans for our country.
With the announcement of the emergency budget on June 22, many in the small business community are turning their thoughts to what that budget might contain.
Of course, it is pretty clear that the new budget could contain some difficult measures, and while no-one wants to see anything like the scenes we saw on the streets of Athens after their public sector cutbacks to deal with their own funding crisis, it is generally acknowledged that the government will be making some fairly substantial cuts to the public purse.
However, cuts do not always equal savings, and many would argue that more should be done to help support the country’s businesses that in turn will help through providing industry and employment for many people.
No-one running a business would argue that economic recovery is of primary concern to the business community.
One particular worry is the budget deficit. A survey commissioned by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) sought the views of over 1,300 of its members to find out what they would like to see from future budgets in order to promote business growth and to secure further economic recovery.
Two-thirds of respondents said that a cut in fuel duty would help growth and 36 per cent would like to see an increase in the personal tax threshold.
The overwhelming majority, 93 per cent, said that the new government would need to outline robust plans for reducing the UK's budget deficit in order to secure the country’s economic future.
Whatever decisions George Osborne, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, announces in his emergency budget, the business community will be watching and waiting to see what economic shape the future of the country will take.
Hannah Holdroyd is the London policy officer for the Federation of Small Business, the UK’s leading business organisation. She can be contacted at hannah.holdroyd@fsb.org.uk
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