Small businesses in Wiltshire to get 'big voice' in government

Debbie Williams has been invited onto the government's new Small Business Council

Small businesses in Wiltshire are to get direct access to government following the appointment of a local businesswoman to a new panel.

Debbie Williams, from Chippenham, joins 19 business representatives from across the UK on the government's Small Business Council.

The board aims to tackle key issues facing small firms such as finance and removing barriers to growth.

"It's such a great step forward for small businesses," said Ms Williams.

Chaired by Small Business Minister, Kevin Hollinrake, the council wants to provide a "bespoke forum" for firms from a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, engineering, beauty and food technology.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire, Ms Williams said: "We all face the same things."

She added: "To get people in government to sit up and listen to the challenges we're facing daily is such a fantastic opportunity."

Ms Williams was invited to join the council due to her extensive business knowledge and expertise, having run her company in Chippenham for 20 years.

She has also worked as a government apprenticeship ambassador and taken part in the government's Help to Grow scheme.

"The aim is for small businesses to get direct access to the government to help shape policy, to let them know what's keeping us awake at night.

Small Business Minister, Kevin Hollinrake, said the council would provide a "big voice" in government for small firms

Almost every business in the country is a small business which in turn support 27m jobs across the UK, accounting for £4.5tn of annual turnover.

Mr Hollinrake said: "We're giving small firms a big voice, so they can directly air their concerns to government without delay.

"Only when we work together can we tackle some of the burning issues small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing; only then can we help boost jobs and grow the economy."

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Ms Williams added: "We don't have time just to talk, so we were very precise with Mr Hollinrake to say that we wanted to make sure that we had targets."

After an initial meeting at Downing St last week, Ms Williams is encouraging small businesses in Wiltshire to get in contact with their concerns.