“Cash is king and effective business founders have learned to keep fixed costs very low,” said Julie Meyer – serial entrepreneur and online Dragon – at last night’s Birmingham Future AGM.
Julie argued: “The single most important thing we can do to support start-ups at the beginning of their entrepreneurial journey is to charge less PAYE and NIC. By shrinking the size of government overall, the ‘little guy’ running his own business and creating employment would thrive due to the lower tax burden.”
Julie Meyer was speaking at the annual general meeting of networking and lobbying organisation Birmingham Future. The dinner, which took place at Birmingham’s Crowne Plaza and was sponsored by Mills & Reeve LLP, saw incoming chair Darren Walker – an associate at Cobbetts – set out the organisation’s plans for the coming year.
“There is no doubt that the business landscape has changed – economically, geographically, politically,” he said. “But, while there will be challenges, these changes also give us the opportunity to reshape Birmingham and the business community.
“While it is unlikely that the tax burden on SMEs will be greatly affected by the developments in Whitehall over coming months, we can do something here in Birmingham to support our entrepreneurs and business start-ups.
“Within Birmingham Future, we have a largely untapped wealth of talent, knowledge and expertise which could support the next generation of our city’s successful businesses and employers. Over the coming year, we will be working closely with Birmingham Science Park Aston and the Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network, otherwise known as BSEEN, to support and encourage young businesses.”
Darren continued: “By engaging with these projects, we can deliver value for members, for the business and professional services sector and for Birmingham as a whole. Looking at the big picture, we will be supporting the employers of tomorrow, helping to drive the economy out of recession and developing a source of continued business for Birmingham’s quality professional advisors.
“Birmingham’s success stories will come from this collaborative approach to business growth.”
To find out more about Birmingham Future, visit www.birminghamfuture.co.uk.
