Government support for small business - cutting red tape

The fourth in Andrew Stone’s series of Sunday Times articles on starting a business focuses on the challenges entrepreneurs face in dealing with legislation…

Small businesses have long complained about the amount of bureaucratic legislation they have to understand and comply with. The wide variety of legislation, which is inevitable accompanied by detailed form-filling, often comes as a shock to someone starting a business.

Much of the legislation is, of course, entirely necessary. The protection of employees rights in employment, the maintenance of a safe work place, and ensuring that taxes are properly accounted for - these are all areas where government is right to enforce strict standards.

However, you might sympathise with the entrepreneur who has to spend 5-10 hours a week filling government forms out, when that person is also trying to run and grow a business.