Member Article

Enterprise Revolution – Politicians told to stop meddling and peddling

One of the UK’s leading champions of enterprise know-how for all has spoken out against successive Government’s ’Start your own business’ and ’Grow your business’ type programmes likening them to the schemes promoted by US peddlers of business opportunities and self-improvement.

Tony Robinson OBE, a self-confessed micro business revolutionary with more than 27 years behind him running a micro business and helping others earn a decent living from doing the same, says that Government and major corporates are just like the big names in multi-level marketing, and the stadium filling motivational speakers – where big bucks are earned by the promoter, rarely by the new business owner.

Does it matter? After all, more people than ever before are starting their own business and there are 6 times more self-employed people than 40 years ago. Robinson says it does because the American Dream turned Nightmare wrecks people’s lives, and none of the business opportunity promoters, including Government, will talk about the real reasons, the non-entrepreneurial, the lack of other opportunities reasons, why more people are starting their own business today. Nor will they say how little most of the 5 million business owners in the UK earn and how increasingly tough they are finding it to make ends meet. Even Prince Charles was stonewalled by politicians recently when he complained about the unfairness of the supermarket’s treatment of hill farmers earning £12,000 a year.

Robinson, co-founder of the free to join community of micro enterprise owners, Enterprise Rockers, has started an independent petition which has already attracted nearly 1000 business owners’ signatures, and is calling on fellow self-employed, freelancers, and enterprise owners to help him bring about a micro enterprise revolution to create a more level playing field in which micro enterprises can survive and thrive. He says:

“It’s not a very radical revolution – we’re only asking Government and the corporates to give us fair terms of trading and fair prices - we don’t want any other help, no schemes - we are perfectly capable of helping each other as business owners to survive and thrive.“ He continues:

“This is about micro enterprises collaborating and realising their strength as a community. What we see from Enterprise Rockers is owners developing a coherent vision of the value of micro enterprise within the culture and economy, and beginning to appreciate the strength that collective action and co-operation can give them.

The success of this sector will shake the UK out of its apathy and provide the jobs and economic growth that will lead to a much more vibrant society, better local communities and a much fairer distribution of wealth and greater equality of earnings - we just need to stop the meddling and peddling of Governments and focus on sorting out the real issues such as unfair payment terms from corporates, rip off business rates, escalating childcare costs, sky high energy costs, an unfair burden of taxation, and the cost of compliance with legislation affecting 95% of the businesses in the UK.“

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Notes to Editor

About Tony Robinson OBE

Tony is one of the UK’s leading experts on enterprise and an internationally known speaker and author, with over 27 years’ experience running a micro business and helping others to earn a decent living from doing the same. Before starting his own business with partners in 1986, he was Chief Executive of Amway UK, and Vice Chairman of the Direct Selling Association.

In 2011 he received an OBE for his services to small firms and training, and has received two Lifetime Achievement awards – in 2012 from the IAB at the House of Commons, and last year from Start Your Business Magazine. Tony is co-founder of the independent community interest company Enterprise Rockers.

Tony’s personal petition, which has already attracted nearly 1000 signatures and supporting comments, can be found at http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/uk-government-stop-funding-the-corporate-thieves

About Enterprise Rockers

Founded in 2012 by Tony Robinson OBE and Tina Boden (www.tinaboden.com) the Enterprise Rockers community is run by and for micro enterprise owners. The informal, global community is free to get involved in for as much or as little time as the micro enterprise owner wishes. Many just participate in the Enterprise Rockers Linked In and Facebook Groups and attend gigs, whereas others participate in the free inter-trading directory, use the barterplace to swap products and services, or take advantage of the offers available to them through the web site.

Micro Enterprise owners do not need to give their contact details unless they wish to purchase a service through the Enterprise Rockers site. Many high profile business owners act as Head Roadies (expertise) and Band Leaders (geographical regions) for the Community.

All services are provided by Enterprise Rockers or Friends of Enterprise Rockers. All funding for the Community Interest Company has been personally provided by the co-founders Tina Boden and Tony Robinson OBE. www.enterpriserockers.co.uk

For press enquiries, photographs and interviews, please contact Enterprise Promotion on 0843 523 6835 or email lorraine@enterprisepromotion.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lorraine Allman .