Member Article

North/South divide for entrepreneurs

A small business body is calling for more support for entrepreneurs after research revealed a North/South divide in the number of small business owners. Research by Hull University Business School, Cranfield School of Management and the University of St Andrews found that 23% of men and 11% of women in the South of the UK were self-employed, compared to 17% and 8% respectively in the North.

But despite this entrepreneurs in the North employ an average of 3.5 employees compared to 2.6 among their southern counterparts. In the wake of the results the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB) is calling for more support from above for entrepreneurs all over the country.

Len Collinson, the FPB’s National Chairman, said: “It is pleasing to see that business owners in the North are in a position to employ more staff. However, it is important that the Government helps greater numbers of people to start and grow their own businesses. Encouraging entrepreneurship will create even more jobs and boost the economy.

“It is equally as important that businesses in the South are given the confidence to grow and take on more staff. One way of achieving that would be to improve the support services offered by the Government.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .