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Small business confidence in N. West down
Compared to a year ago, small businesses have become
less optimistic in the North West and most parts of the
UK, except for London, the West Midlands, East England
and Wales, according to the latest Small Business Index
produced by the Federation of Small Businesses.
While the quarter four index
for firms in the region remains
in positive territory at just
over +10%, this is less than in
the same period of 2013 when
it was +14%. Overall, 21% of
small businesses across the
UK expect their performance
to worsen going forward - up
from 14% in Q3.
The importance of
continued government
support via schemes such
as Funding for Lending is
vital, with nearly a quarter of
businesses (22%) reporting
the cost of finance as a barrier
to growth compared to 10% a
year ago. The situation is most
acute for the smallest firms.
Only 11% of small businesses
with no employees report that
they find new credit affordable,
compared to 44% of those with
51 or more staff.
However, this cooling of
confidence should be seen in
the context of a year of very
strong growth for the UK as
a whole rather than as an
indication of an economic
downturn, says the FSB
Merseyside, West Cheshire
and Wigan.
Chairman Elaine Moore
(pictured) said: “Small
business confidence has
fallen in the region but our
surveys do consistently show
confidence easing in the fourth
quarter of the year. It perhaps
reflects greater uncertainty
in the market place than in
recent quarters but growth
and growth prospects are up
and it should be viewed in the
context of an extremely strong
year of growth.
“Certainly, what we need
to see if the economy is to
be rebalanced away from
London and the South East is a
sustained period of confidence
in the North West. That is why
the FSB strongly supports
investment in regional
transport and a concerted
effort to turn the potential of
great cities like Liverpool into
reality in terms of jobs and
wealth creation.
www.fsb.org.uk
ESSA grows more international
2014 general meeting focused on future trends.
Dr Markus Heering ESSA
»»With more than 30
percent of its members based
in non-European countries,
ESSA, the security systems
association, is highlighting its
internationality and reaching a
new dimension.
During the General
Assembly 2014 in Frankfurt/
Main, members also discussed
future trends in the industry.
The Association, whose
members mainly represent
the physical security industry,
currently counts 141 members
from 36 countries. This is
another slight increase in
comparison to the previous
year. “We are currently
discussing the admittance of
new members” said Dr Markus
,
Heering, managing director
of ESSA during the 2014
general meeting in Frankfurt/
Main. The fact that more than
one-third of ESSA’s members
are based in non-European
countries is, according to Dr.
Heering, another sign of the
growing importance of the
association. “We are reaching a
new dimension” he says.
,
The Association views itself
as a network for companies
from the security industry,
catering to its members’
interests. One of its major
issues is the removal of
trade barriers, as with a case
from Poland last year. Some
certifications were supposed
to take place through
certification bodies accredited
according to Polish law. This is
not, however, compliant with
European law and needs, after
an initiative taken by ESSA, to
be adjusted accordingly.
The 2014 general meeting
was all about future trends and
emerging challenges of the
security industry. Explos