smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is making a stand to help small shops that are the victim of crime.

Noting that 'the retail sector suffers the highest level of intimidation or threatening behaviour of any business sector', the FSB will offer rewards for information leading to convictions in cases where shopkeepers have been murdered.

According to policy survey around one in five of all crimes are committed against businesses, and the FSB estimates that this costs firms around £19 billion per year.

As well as this, confidence in the authorities' power to stop the crime is so low that many businesses do not even bother to report them.

Within the retail sector, a third of small firms have been the victim of crime in the past year, and because many shopkeepers live above their premises they are often victimised even when not at work.

FSB policy chairman John Walker says: 'The local shop is often taken for granted. It's always there when we need it and so it is taken as a given. However, one in three small shops has been the victim of intimidation or threatening behaviour in the past year. We often hear of shopkeepers being assaulted or even murdered in their stores.

'The route to success in local regeneration lies in defeating crime. Businesses can then prosper - providing employment to youths who are currently disaffected and taking them off the streets.'

There are currently no comments on this article