Support for small business

8th December 2013

Scotland’s small businesses are benefiting from a range of policies designed to boost enterprise and help them thrive.

Saturday December 7, 2013 saw the launch of Small Business Saturday, an initiative encouraging support for small businesses across the UK, and on one of the busiest shopping days of the year the Scottish Government has outlined the broad range of policy measures that are in place to assist them.

Among the key policies helping businesses is The Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS), which has removed or reduced the rates burden for over 92,000 commercial properties in Scotland, up almost 4000 from last year.

Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing said:"Small businesses are vital to the future of Scotland’s economy, making up over 99% of our businesses and contributing to over half of all private sector jobs.

"In Scotland’s Future we make clear our commitment to providing support to small and medium-sized enterprises in an independent Scotland, building on the current approach that enables Scottish businesses to reach their potential.

"An independent Scotland would give us the ability to better support our small and medium enterprises, with control over tax and measures to boost innovation and exports.

"This government will continue our commitment to the Small Business Bonus Scheme which has reduced, or eliminated entirely, business rates for tens of thousands of properties across Scotland.

"Independence would allow the tax system in Scotland to be designed to reduce compliance burdens facing small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, and we would also examine the case for an increase in the National Insurance employment allowance for small business."

Scotland’s Future contains details of the current Scottish Government’s plans to develop a new industrial strategy for Scotland, key elements of which include:

Support for investment, including research and development
Support for indigenous companies and ownership by strengthening the role of the Scottish Investment Bank
Expanding skills development by bringing together employment and skills policies and putting modern apprenticeships at the heart of our approach
Expanding our manufacturing base, with a particular focus on maximising the manufacturing opportunities of our offshore energy potential
Targeted use of loan guarantees
Current policy measures to help small businesses in Scotland include:

Ensuring small businesses get advice and support through the Business Gateway, which helps around 10,000 businesses to start-up ever year.
Support from enterprise agencies, and making it easier for businesses to find online support through the Business Portal, including the Finance Hub.
Making it easier for small businesses to access public sector contracts through the Public Contracts Scotland service, and supporting them to compete for those contracts including through the Supplier Development Programme.
Making sure regulation is proportionate and supports growth with the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Bill setting out ways to further improve the way regulations are applied in practice across Scotland.
Helping small businesses recruit through the youth employment fund and initiatives funded through European Structural Funds.
Ensuring small business can make best use of digital technology to grow business and compete internationally.
Supporting small businesses to export through Smart Exporter and other support.