by Roger House, Federation of Small Businesses chairman, Kent and Medway region

The FSB Policy Conference highlighted the increasing importance of our organisation as a source for economic comment.

The event itself was exceptional, with the line-up including the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Shadow Business Secretary.

The icing on the cake – with due respect to the PM – was the visit of Karen Mills, formerly part of President Obama’s Small Business Administration.

We all heard the words from the politicians indicating their acknowledgement of the importance of small business. We drew some optimism from that.

But the fact remains that as much as we try to be upbeat, the core of the economy – small businesses – are still on a knife edge.

As a business owner, I have to approach life continuously with a high degree of realism, along with an entrepreneurial optimism.

To grow, we need business with good products, decent profit margins and people who enable capacity.

we try to be upbeat, the core of the economy – small businesses – are still on a knife edge
But the fact remains that as much as

There are our key targets.

I have continuously expressed the feeling that we remain on a knife-edge and nothing has proved that more than the recent exceptional weather conditions.

Even as I write, there is no knowing whether the broadband will be working by the time I am ready to submit this copy. The reliance on just this one element is now huge.

It also appears recruitment may be ready to flat-line or dip but one thing is for sure: people need to contribute more and more to their business to deliver those margins.

Our young people need to be prepared for this and that opens up the debate on the education system.

At the FSB policy conference, there was one poignant comment that came from the chief executive of Young Enterprise who said his one wish would be to “make enterprise education a core of the education process”.

Perhaps one solution can be drawn from President Obama’s approach. He aims to embed an element of small business administration into the policy-making cabinets of local authorities.

That ensures all decisions can be readily measured for impact against the small business community.