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Motion approved, as amended;
 
 
This
Council notes that:
1)   
Small Business Saturday is an annual event which was
created to encourage consumers to ‘shop local’, in
person and online, and to support small, independent businesses in
their communities;

2)   
Small Business Saturday 2023 is coming up on
Saturday 2nd December. Small Business Saturday has grown
into a significant event – with £1.1 billion spent at
small businesses during the 2020 event alone;

3)   
This is an excellent opportunity to promote small
businesses in Kirklees and to celebrate the contribution smaller
businesses make to our district.
 
This Council
believes that:
1) Small businesses are the heart
and soul of our local high streets. They help give our villages and
towns in Kirklees their unique character and employ thousands of
local people. It is only by supporting our local independent
businesses that we can also help our local high streets
thrive;
 
2) Now, more than ever, we need
to be supporting our small businesses and local shops, who are
currently experiencing enormous challenges, including economic,
political and social uncertainty, the cost-of-living crisis and
impact on consumer spending, the rising cost of bills and a
reduction in profit margins due to inflation. A side effect of
rising inflation is higher interest rates, which has an impact on
borrowing and enabling businesses to access finance, including
business loans. According to recent reports, UK high street
businesses could face a quadrupling of their tax bills next year
and close to a £2 billion increase in business rate
payments;
 
3) Local businesses are vital
to local economies – they are significant creators of jobs
and are more likely to hire people who live locally. The money
spent at a local business is more likely to stay in the community.
They are the backbone of our communities, bringing people together
and building local character. However, many small businesses will
close unless we support them better.       
 
This
Council resolves to:
 

1)   
Call upon the Government to replace the outdated
business rates system with a modern system of fair business taxes,
that recognises the challenges and difficulties for new and
start-up businesses.

 

2)   
Request that Officers work closely with local
business organisations and smaller enterprises across Kirklees to
make them aware of Small Business Saturday and encourage them to
sign up.
 
3) 
Ensure that Small Business Saturday is promoted prominently on
the
     Council’s website, social
media channels and other external   
     communications.
 
4)   
Develop a year-round communications plan to continue
promoting local small businesses and encouraging residents in
Kirklees to shop local all year round.

 
5)   
Request that the Government takes action to ensure
the scourge of late payments which can decimate small business cash
flow and should be tackled with meaningful legislation.
 
6)   
Request that appropriate measures should also be
introduced to ensure small business can access public contacts in a
simpler way, to ensure the playing field is level with large
companies whose resources allow them an unfair
advantage.
 
7)   
Notes that Officers and Portfolio Holders are
looking at ways to encourage shoppers into town in the run up to
Christmas by looking at what options are available.