Small businesses in Gloucestershire face more "uncertainty" ahead of third national lockdown
The Federation of Small Businesses says more Government support is needed
The Gloucestershire branch of The Federation of Small Businesses has warned of the "uncertainty" many small firms in Gloucestershire face ahead of the third national lockdown.
That's despite the Chancellor's announcement that the government would provide an extra £4.6 billion support package to help businesses who're continuing to struggle during the pandemic.
Sam Holliday, the Federation's Development Manager in Gloucestershire has welcomed the financial help, but says it "should be the first step".
"It's been a stop-start year. We've had glimpses of things looking brighter in August but then we went back into another lockdown and tier restrictions.
"It seems to be relentless for small businesses. Every time they think they're making some progress something else comes along.
"All of these thigs have affected confidence. It means more businesses have had to go into debt. It means some businesses have decided they can't keep all their staff on".
The Federation has welcomed the swift arrival of the financial measures being offered to businesses which hopes to support around 600,000 businesses across the country from hospitality to retail.
But the red tape surrounding the eligibility criteria which businesses have to be meet to access money is a cause for concern.
Relatively new businesses, firms in the supply chain and those who're self-employed have found it difficult to access Government support.
Sam continued:
"Red tape is one of the enemies of all business. There are whole swathes of businesses who haven't been benefitted at all.
"However for those businesses who are eligible, I think the process of accessing money is getting better and better and it's coming through a lot quicker".
The Federation is urging people to invest in small businesses to help build up their cash reserves as many require money in bank to continue to trade.
He also added:
"We shouldn't look at putting money into a business as a throwaway, we should see it as an investment because if we do that today, there's more of a chance they'll be here tomorrow, to pay taxes, to keep people in jobs and to be part of the economic recovery."
"I think the more Government support and understanding from them about the different needs of businesses we'll have a better chance of getting through this".