SFA Building up the
THE GOVERNMENTMUST SUPPORT SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES INORDER TO GROW THE ECONOMY AND CREATE ANENTERPRISE-DRIVEN SOCIETY,WRITES AVINEMCNALLY
backbone
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the Irish economy and will remain so in the years to come. They are crucial to the enhancement of competitiveness and growth. For over a decade, small companies have been seen as the
main source of employment, employing just under half the private-sector workforce. In 2009, 13,327 new businesses were established, which makes them a major vehicle for change. The contribution of the small business sector in terms of
its adaptability and innovation in products, processes and serviceswill enable newand existing small businesses to help Ireland keep pace with challenges posed by our competitors. However, this will only be possible if the business
environment is such that it encourages success. In particular, our entrepreneurs need to have the right conditions to develop and launch their products and to have the right fiscal and administrative environment in order to encourage reinvestment of their gains when they are successful. While this is amatter of removing the current obstacles to
enterprise-driven activity and arranging for appropriate forms of technical and financial support, it is also a question of getting the backing of those who work with enterprises, and of society as a whole. We need to focus our attention on an enterprise-driven
society, yet somany of our assumptions and practices reflect the old economic structures and particularly hinder the creation of new enterprises. It is, therefore, time that we moved from merely talking
about the importance of having the right environment for small businesses to putting the needs of enterprise at the centre of policy-making.
TOWARDS ANENTERPRISE CULTURE
Atop priority thereforemust be to encourage the formation, survival and growth of Ireland’s indigenous small businesses through the development of an enterprise culture. The proposal to include entrepreneurial skills in the
syllabus for the senior cycle is welcomed,however, caremust be takenwith the design and format of the syllabus to ensure the students really benefit fromit and that it is not seen as a token addition to the current curriculum. The Small Business Act invites the EU and Member
States to create an environment within which entrepreneurs and family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded. While it’s clear that Ireland operates and supports many
initiatives aimed at inspiring entrepreneurship and supporting start-ups, these initiatives are generally unco-ordinated and don’t amount to a coherent policy. In light of this, the SFAhas called on theGovernment to
develop a National Entrepreneurship Policy focused on optimising the number of start-up businesses and in particular onmaximising the number of start-ups aspiring to and achieving high growth. The policy should build on
specific platforms: Tackling barriers to entry by women, young people and immigrants
Developing a one-stop information base for nascent entrepreneurs
Enhancing the culture for entrepreneurship Reinforcing commitment to entrepreneurship in the educational systemat all levels
Improving recognition of entrepreneurship as a career choice.
46 OWNER MANAGER VOL 3 ISSUE 3 2010
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