A tech entrepreneur has called on the Bank of England to ramp up support for SMEs and start-ups, in what can only be a case of stating the obvious. However, every now and then the powers that be need a kick in posterior, as they tend to lose touch with reality quite often.
Powa Technologies CEO Dan Wagner said he would like to hear from the new Governor of the Bank of England and that he would like to see more support for entrepreneurial talent in the UK from Mark Carney.
“We have some fantastic, inspirational entrepreneurs who start great businesses, but unfortunately many of them have to go abroad to get the funding they need to grow and succeed and that is a shame,” he said. “Britain has great innovation across all areas and it needs to be nurtured and supported because it will be the lifeblood for the return of economic strength.”
Of course, Britain is no East Germany and it’s not experiencing a brain drain, but there is always room for improvement. Wagner believes the biggest problem for small businesses and start-ups is the lack of tax incentives for investment. In other words, even if a start-up comes up with a new idea and starts growing, it might choose to expand elsewhere, which means Britain could lose winners – and they are few and far between in the start-up world.
“I would like to see capital gains tax completely removed from the funding of start-up businesses. Any funds that are invested to create opportunities and jobs should see a full capital and profit return because of the great risks involved. This would be a political saviour. Small businesses represent 50% of the economy and its new small businesses that will drive future economic growth,” said Wagner.
Wagner told business leaders at an event in Nottingham that Britain knows a thing or two about coming up with brilliant ideas, such as the World Wide Web, and it needs to tap the potential by providing the right environment for start-ups and tech entrepreneurs. The long term benefits of losing a few quid on lower taxes for small outfits far outweigh the short-term tax revenue generated by such companies.
