Clearlybusiness responds to the chancellor's spending ..

CLEARLYBUSINESS RESPONDS TO THE CHANCELLOR'S SPENDING REVIEW AND FUNDS ALLOCATED TO SMALL BUSINESS "Encouraging enterprise across all community sectors will be crucial to the economy in the long term." "Bringing entrepreneurship into the classroom is a really positive step in ensuring that running a business becomes a desirable career choice." Commenting on the extra funding allocated to the support of small businesses in Monday's Spending Review made by Chancellor Gordon Brown, Markus Clavin, director of clearlybusiness said that encouraging enterprise across all community sectors will be crucial to the economy in the long term. "Currently less than half of start-up businesses survive beyond their third year but as they account for over half of private sector employment it is critical that they are given the right support to drive their survival and growth. Therefore, clearlybusiness welcomes the extra funding for the sector, and believes that there are substantial economic benefits by targeting the funds at small business in their early stages." Outcome from the Spending Review 2002 As part of the Spending Review the Small Business Service is now consulting on a new strategy to encourage entrepreneurs to encourage people to start new business and help those who have just started, including: · Information packs for all new business setting out exactly what they need to do and what help the Government can give them · A telephone service for advice and information · Enterprise events bringing together public, voluntary and private sector providers to publicise the services and support available to small business In addition the Chancellor has agreed to give help for start ups by raising the Small Business Service budget and by extending and increasing the Phoenix Fund from £100 million to £150 million. The Small Business Service and Regional Development Agencies will pilot and evaluate different approaches to achieve a better coordination of business support services and strengthen the relationship between Business Link Services and Regional Economic Strategies. As part of the Spending Review, Gordon Brown will also fund an expansion of enterprise education from less than 1,000 schools today to all 3,500 secondary schools to ensure that every pupil is introduced not just to the world of work but to the world of business. Markus continued: "Bringing entrepreneurship into the classroom is a really positive step to ensuring that running a business becomes a desirable career choice." For more information, please contact: Alison Cort/ Lansons Communications Tel: 0207 490 8828 Markus Clavin, director, clearlybusiness Tel: 07733 262896 Notes to editors: Clearlybusiness aims to increase the survival and growth prospects of small businesses, freeing up owner managers from the day-to-day bureaucracy involved in running a business. The clearlybusiness website has over 160,000 registered users and was awarded the Best Business Portal in the Business Internet Awards 2001. Visit the website at www.clearlybusiness.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/07/17/20020717BIT00190/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/07/17/20020717BIT00190/wkr0002.pdf