Member Article

Small businesses team up to promote In vote

A series of small business owners, who are to be the faces of the campaign to persuade other small business owners to vote to remain in the European Union, have been unveiled in the countdown to the Referendum on June 23rd.

The businesses, which have been selected to reflect the diversity of the UK’s small business community, have also received the support of the Secretary of State for Business, Sajid Javid.

Jamie Andrews, Co-Founder of Loco2, which provides a platform for people to buy train tickets for the UK and across Europe, says:

“It’s hard to imagine Loco2 existing without the UK being part of the European Union. EU-wide reforms have been crucial in allowing us to access the exceptional cross-European rail network, as well as enabling us to compete successfully with equivalent businesses across the continent. Being a member of the EU has allowed our UK-based business to go from strength to strength.”

Jack Parsons, CEO of YourFeed, a digital recruitment platform, says:

“Europe’s very important if you’re a start-up. There’s a massive skills shortage in the UK in tech and if you haven’t got the best talent, you can’t compete. So having access to coders from all over the EU makes it possible to do business. What’s more, being part of the EU brings more investment opportunities. Mainland Europe pumps money into London –I’ve raised investment from the continent but tech firms would suffer if London’s status as Europe’s financial capital were thrown away.”

Samantha Hale founded Cambridge-based Advance Performance, which custom-fits running shoes to help prevent injury to customers who visit from all over the UK. She started the business with no budget, just some money from one week’s housekeeping. Now, in addition to shoes, the business also offers specialist clothing, from running vests to triathlon wetsuits, as well as a sports performance and sports nutrition centre. She says: “It is important that every one of us make a clear and informed decision to vote. I firmly believe that the benefits of staying far outweigh those of leaving. Looking at what the UK has achieved through its negotiation in gaining a ‘special status’, I am confident that strong leadership within the UK will mean we can stand our ground about issues important to our country.”

Laura Gelder-Robertson, founder of Cheltenham-based Glow Innovation Ltd, which collaborates with large multinationals, SMEs and social enterprises to design new products, services and experiences, says:

“It’s a no brainer for me - we live in a global economy. If we want to compete seriously on the world stage, we need the clout that comes from joining with 27 other nations, and by ‘clout’ I mean the rich cultural, social and economic diversity that the EU brings. There’s no doubt in my mind that UK small businesses will be better off commercially, economically and socially in than out.”

The Secretary of State for Business, Sajid Javid. says:

“A quarter of our small businesses export to the EU or supply companies that do. They and the companies they supply can trade freely without tariffs, quotas or custom checks with the world’s largest single market. There is wide consensus that withdrawing from the EU and it’s single market would cause an economic shock in the UK. Our small firms would be on the front line of that shock. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Let’s not risk breaking that backbone with a leap into the dark.”

The EU Small Business campaign says that the simple truth is that we don’t know what the implications would be of a vote to leave or how long that uncertainty would continue. Michelle Ovens from the EU Small Business campaign says:

“One thing above all that small business owners need is certainty – a vote to leave would unquestionably usher in a period of uncertainty, which could be bad for all small business owners, if people and other businesses decide to reduce or stop spending until stability returns. Small firms suffer the most when credit freezes up and confidence in the economy slumps. ONS data says there was a 25pc spike in business failure in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 recession. No one wants to see a return to a time when self-starters struggled to raise money.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Howard Robinson .