business Issue 125 May 15, 2012 Adrian Evans of Ev-Entz


‘Meetusand talktous’call topoliticians


JLS is among entrepreneurs from across Wales calling on politicians to spend more time with small businesses in order to understand more clearly the issues they face. Adrian Evans started musical


A


instrument retail and hire company, Ev- Entz in Newport in 1997 and he is supporting anew campaign by the Federation of Small Businesses Wales to increase understanding of the role of entrepreneurs in Welsh society. As part of the FSB’s ‘Real-Life Entrepreneurs’ campaign, business- owners are urging AMs and MPs to visit small firms in their constituencies to stay abreast of the challenges they face and reflect this in their policy-making. The campaign aims to create a


stronger culture of entrepreneurship throughout Wales in order to support existing businesses and encourage more people to consider setting up new enterprises. Adrian started the business in 1997


on apart-time basis after spotting agap in


Newport entrepreneur who provides musical equipment to the likes of Sir Bob Geldof and


ByJoBarnes


the market and he hopes to inspire others to take the risk of starting acompany, creating jobs and helping put the economy back on track. Ev-Entz provides equipment to the likes of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as well as sells high- quality instruments to members of the public.


The FSB estimates that if every small


business in Wales created just one new job it would provide an opportunity for every person currently looking for work. Adrian, 45, said: “When Istarted, my


expectations were to simply keep aroof over my head, but Ihave since gone on to employ four people and as many as 25 freelancers and our name has gone UK- wide.


“Cash flow was abig problem for us


at the start, and we were doing alot of work, but waiting for money to come in did not give me much confidence that the business could grow. “It was when Iemployed my first


member of staff that Iknew the business was going to be asuccess. “The government could help small


businesses like us, by offering alittle more transparency and simplifying the processes of grant applications and simplifying information for us, so we can get the answers that we want, when we need them.” One aim of the Real-Life Entrepreneurs campaign is to open up dialogue between small businesses and the Welsh Government, on issues such as access to finance, reducing barriers to export markets, and incentivising job creation. FSB Wales is brought AMs and


Ministers together with the entrepreneurs from across Wales at its annual dinner in Cardiff, where the keynote speaker will be First Minister, Carwyn Jones. His speech was followed by an open discussion on how government can help small businesses set up, survive and grow. Janet Jones, Welsh Policy Unit Chair


for the FSB, said: “There are many fantastic entrepreneurs like Adrian in Wales, and by making these individuals more visible, it can show others what is possible and that help is at hand.”


update


Emma’s Olympic run


See page 6


Jobsoutlook turns positive


The jobs outlook has turned positive for the first time in more than ayear as fewer firms plan redundancies, according to astudy. Asurvey of 1,000


employers showed apositive difference between those planning to recruit staff compared to firms expecting lay-offs. The Chartered Institute of


Personnel and Development warned that any optimism should be tempered by continued caution among employers about their medium-term prospects. The more optimistic


outlook was driven by afall in the number of firms and public-sector organisations intending to make staff redundant rather than arise in recruitment plans. The study also found an


increase in the number of organisations expecting to switch work to overseas countries in the coming year. Gerwyn Davies of the


CIPD said: “The jobs market is desperately seeking good news, so this latest set of positive figures is very welcome. However, any short-term jobs recovery may not be sustained because of the zigzagging economic backdrop. “News of adouble-dip


recession may cause some employers to reassess current staffing levels, especially while labour costs are rising and productivity is falling. The current economic situation facing recruiters looks unusually difficult to read, which may lead to swings in confidence for the rest of the year.”


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