smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

The government should work with companies to help people who leave the Armed Forces set up their own business, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The FSB and charity Heropreneurs are calling on the government to work with the business community to ensure that its resettlement programme – the way in which it helps get service personnel back into the civilian world – is fit for purpose and to ensure that all service leavers are given adequate help to find a job or to set up their own business.

The lobbying group says it is more important than ever that, in order to strengthen economic recovery, starting up in business becomes an option that is promoted to all people, including service leavers.   

In a new report, ‘From the frontline to civvy street', the FSB and Heropreneurs have made a series of recommendations to help government give service leavers the best chance of finding a career or starting up their own business when they leave the Armed Forces.

The FSB and Heropreneurs believe that all leavers who have completed at least basic training should be treated equally and given the same level of help. And, with a number of organisations that provide help – be that government departments, charities or social enterprises – an overarching body be created to help the service leaver understand all the options open to them.

FSB national chairman John Walker says, ‘The government is looking to the private sector to further strengthen the economic recovery, but with business confidence fragile and almost 20 people chasing each job vacancy, it must promote self-employment as a viable option to all.  

‘It is a concern that self-employment is not promoted fully to those people that leave the Armed Forces and we urge the government to look at the reasons why. It is more important than ever that people are given the skills and the opportunity to start their own businesses.’

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