I read an interesting blog by Tony Robinson, about what constitutes an SME.  

Tony asserts that the vast majority of businesses that the Government refers to as SME's are not - they are in fact, MB's - Micro Businesses, (defined as employing 10 or less employees).  Apparently, the definition takes in the vast swathe of the millions of "SME's (4.5 million of them!).  

Most government initiatives are targeted at companies much larger than this - who employ far less people.

 I'm passionate about what micro businesses can do - it doesn't need much of a brain to work out that if one in four took on just one extra person, there wouldn't be anyone unemployed or any reccession!

  Having been in the micro camp, with start ups, I for one can vouch for the crushing burden that the raft of red tape imposes on these embryonic businesses.   I would hazard a guess that the average small business spends 20 hours a week trying to get their head round and then sort out the massive compliance issues with Health & Safety, Employment Law, PAYE, Corporation Tax, VAT - and that's just government bodies!  Then there are all the individual trade/industry requirements for the specific skills these businesses use.

Imagine how much more product these micro businesses could be if they could free up, say half that 20 hours and spend it earning money from their businesses?  

 Tony has put together a petition to get this issue addressed. If you want to add your weight to the campaign, you can sign the e-petition here - 

 http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18396

In the meantime, (there won't be any great changes in the next 12 months, government doesn't work that fast!), to stay sane, don't forget to sign up with Hired Help to get all your calls answered - that way, you can spend more time earning and leave us to sift the time wasting calls from the money earning calls.  

 Just go to gethiredhelp.com and sign up!

 Regards

Denis O'Donnell

A quick flick through this weekends FT or Sunday Times would have most business people reaching for the Valium.  The doom and gloom about Greece, the Euro Crisis, continuing bad news on housing etc. would lead you to think the sky was falling again, just like 2008.

 And yet....

On Friday night, I called at my favourite watering hole on the way home, (Dukes at Castlefield, Manchester) for a quick drink - and they were 4 deep at the bar.  After a 10 minute wait, going nowhere, we gave up and went in their sister restaurant next door, Albert's Shed, ( it ended up being an expensive quick pint!).

The terrace outside the two businesses was literally a seething mass, heaving with around 5-600 people I reckon.   So, were all these people spending the last of their hard earned money to get themselves into a drunken stupor, before their currency became worthless and we needed wheelbarrow loads of money to buy a pint?  Somehow, I don't think so.  

 As I sat on the terrace, with the balmy weather reminding me more of Marbella than Manchester,  eating my meal, watching with fascination, the hordes conversing, it dawned on me, they didn't look too miserable.  In fact, most seemed to be having a damned good time!

Perhaps they're the idle rich I thought?  But, no, apart from a few, most had the flat hard, (but friendly) Manc accents, so well broadcast by Liam & Noel Gallagher of Oasis.  These were local Manchester lads and lasses on their usual Friday night out.  Strangely enough, I didn't hear much talk of banks crashing, currencies collapsing or Quantitative Easing.  No sir.

So.  Is the world ending or isn't it?  Well, there's no doubt that things are slowing down in some sectors and marking time in others, but you know what?  That always happens.   As one sector fades another one rises.  The "Crisis" that scares most business people to death, is actually in our heads.  Things are as good or bad as we care to make them.  People are still spending money.

Moral of the story?  If your business is finding things tough, look at adjacent sectors, find out what people are spending money on and morph into that area, (still can't get plumbers or electricians BTW).

Ask around.  Most people will coment on how you can't get a decent "X" any more.   Go make some "X"!

 But don't take risks.  You can keep your upfront costs to a minimum by asking the folks at Hired Help to look after you calls and admin.  Only pay for what you need.  That's the new mantra for the current age - get virtual and get rid of fixed costs! 

Have a great week.

Denis O'Donnell