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First Minister Alex Salmond visited a small business in Edinburgh today to meet with staff and hear how the Small Business Bonus Scheme has benefitted the business. The First Minister visited Design Links, a design marketing firm in Leith, to hear how the cut in business rates for thousands of small businesses across Scotland this year has helped the company. The visit took place ahead of the First Minister's statement to Parliament this afternoon marking the Scottish Government's first year in office. First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Small and medium enterprises account for 53 per cent employment in Scotland. Their success and growth is pivotal to the Scottish Government's overarching purpose to increase sustainable economic growth. "This is why we introduced the Small Business Bonus Scheme - cutting and scrapping business rates for 150,000 businesses throughout Scotland. "Today's visit to Design Links has given me the opportunity to hear firsthand of the benefits for companies. Design Links is an ambitious company which has used its success to support a number of community initiatives for some time now and plan to further this work through savings made from the Small Business Bonus Scheme. We are committed to supporting businesses and in only one year we have made this positive change for small businesses. "Design Links is just one of many excellent examples of how the reduction and removal of business rates for small business will encourage small business to invest in their own success and deliver new opportunities, new employment and new ventures in towns, villages and cities across Scotland." Andy Willox, FSB Scotland Policy Convener OBE, said: "Six weeks after the introduction of the Small Business Bonus and tens of thousands of small businesses across Scotland are waking up to vastly reduced business rates bills. These businesses are in the process of making sensible and informed decisions about what is the best way to invest the saving in their business, whether that be to refurbish their premises, buy extra stock, take on an extra member of staff or simply to iron out their cash flow. "During a period when fuel and energy bills continue to rise, the Small Business Bonus is giving a Scottish small businesses a welcome financial boost in a difficult economic climate. "Approximately 150,000 businesses can benefit from the scheme and so this groundbreaking initiative will have a positive effect on communities, lives and opportunities across Scotland." www.scotland.gov.uk |
