Small Business

Small businesses are often disproportionately affected by new policies and legislation. It is therefore important to ensure effective consultation with them.

Small businesses usually have far less resource to handle consultations and are often not thinking that far ahead. You will need to think innovatively to capture their attention.

A few helpful tips are :-

• Keep consultations as simple as possible. A summary or short version should be produced if possible. Also consider the language used.

• Think about the format of the consultation and use as many methods as you can. Online may be ideal for some small businesses, but others will require alternative methods of communication. Some systems will not handle large files. If using online as one option test the site to make sure it works and is simple to operate.

• Including small firms early in the consultation process will help ensure their direct experience informs the development of the policy and will help avoid any unintended consequences. The Small Firms’ Impact Test can also help with this.

• The Small Business Service can help you to arrange meetings specifically for small businesses during consultation periods. You may gain more benefit from this than if you meet with a mixture of small and large businesses and trade associations. Consider where and when you try to arrange these meetings and whether you can reimburse travel expenses.

• Small businesses are busy. You may need to be more proactive and understanding in obtaining their views.

• The Small Business Service can offer advice and help in reaching small businesses (020 7215 8378) and www.sbs.gov.uk for further details.