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News Release from: The Forum of Private Business
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 13 November 2006
UK's 'Enterprise Week' - will it be
enterprising?
The UK's Forum of Private Business is calling for a shift in focus in Enterprise Week from trying to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit in youngsters to supporting existing entrepreneurs.
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is calling for a shift in focus in Enterprise Week (Monday, 13 November 2006 to Sunday, 19 November 2006) from trying to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit in youngsters to supporting existing entrepreneurs A new survey of nearly 200 smaller firms has found very few had even heard of the scheme
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 13 Sep 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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2006 will be the third year of Enterprise Week, which claims to be 'The UK's biggest ever celebration of all things enterprising', but the FPB's research has shown that very little benefit is being felt by smaller businesses.
Chief Executive Nick Goulding wants organisers to go back to the drawing board.
"The results of our research show that few firms know about, or have even been involved in, Enterprise Week; fewer still have felt any benefit from it.
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Is this the best way to channel efforts into supporting and encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit?" Of the 187 respondents to the FPB's survey, 82% had neither heard of, nor participated in, Enterprise Week.
Just 17% had heard of the project, with a mere 1% saying they had both heard of and participated in it.
Just 1% of respondents thought Enterprise Week had benefited their business, with 72% saying it hadn't and 27% saying they didn't know.
Enterprise Week aims to inspire young people to be enterprising.
The FPB's survey found that most small business owners (49% of respondents) didn't think that entrepreneurial spirit could be taught, with only 35% thinking it could.
Goulding said that the survey also showed most respondents thought the focus of the week should shift: "Many of our members believe that entrepreneurial spirit is a quality that is either within individuals or not.
What is holding many young entrepreneurs back is not a lack of entrepreneurial spirit but the basic skills to turn that spirit into a viable business opportunity." John Foley is managing director of Britsales, an office and warehouse supplies retailer in Seven Oaks, Kent.
He said that Enterprise Week could use experienced entrepreneurs more, to teach the latest generation.
"Training should be left to individual private firms who should be given a tax break upon producing evidence of training for young people." 85% of respondents also agreed or strongly agreed that school leavers would benefit from more experience of the workplace, whilst 92% agreed or strongly agreed that teaching essential skills for the workplace within schools should be a top priority.
Goulding said that young people are not being given the best start in business: "Our members think that not only are school leavers lacking in important skills but that they have little knowledge of the realities of the workplace." Many small firms are struggling under the burden of red tape and the costs of employment, which both seriously hamper their ability to grow.
Goulding said there are many small, young and innovative firms who need more help with development.
"If the Government wants to help entrepreneurs, they could do more to assist those who have already taken the plunge and not focus their attention on those who may not even be inclined to start up their own business.".
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