smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

SMEs within the retail sector are finding it increasingly difficult to find premises for their businesses, experts have claimed.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, bigger companies with superior resources have a stranglehold on the property sector, especially in the South East and London.

Matthew Knowles, a spokesperson for the Federation of Small Businesses, says: 'We are concerned that independent retailers are being priced out of new retail developments. If we want to continue diversity in retailing and a wide choice for consumers then that cannot be allowed to happen.

'There also seems to be a lot of new office builds in most major cities across the UK and, although prices in London are high, office space seems to be affordable elsewhere.'

Recently the Forum of Private Business (FPB) claimed that the rise in price for private property was forcing the cost of businesses premises up, making it very difficult for small firms to find suitable property.