Today is #MicroBizMattersDay an initiative aimed at highlighting the hugely important role that micro and small businesses play in the UK economy. Micro Businesses and small and medium size enterprises (SME’s) make up the vast majority of all businesses in the UK today – the latest House of Commons Library research paper, of the 5.2 million businesses in the UK, Micro’s & SME’s make up over 99% of them.
Micro businesses like Plan Bee Ltd are those with 1-9 employees and there are currently 5 million of them in the UK. Alongside SME’s, they employ 15.2 million people – contributing a total of £45.4 billion in PAYE. In their Performance Review of 2013, The European Commission estimate that the gross value added by SME’s accounts for 49.8% of the UK economy. It concludes that the UK has “a very competitive environment for SMEs compared to other EU Member States”
One reason such businesses are currently thriving in Scotland, are the support and programs and potential funding available here from both local and national governments and entrepreneurial support agencies. The help, advice and support from agencies such as Scotland’s Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Spark and the Edge Fund, help turn innovative or fresh ideas into businesses and this is what makes the difference. Without that, companies like Plan Bee Ltd would not be given the opportunity and platform in which to grow. The public can help micro businesses too, head over to http://microbizmattersday.rocks/ and see examples of what you can do to help micro businesses like ourselves.
