Save your business thousands in just minutes. Call Make It Cheaper on 0800 038 3240

Party manifestos

With the UK economy still struggling to recover from recession, the parties are vying for the small business vote. So what can each one offer you?

labourLabour Party

Leader: Gordon Brown
Chancellor: Alistair Darling
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills: Peter Mandelson
Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills: Pat McFadden

  • An extension of the Time to Pay scheme, which allows business owners to spread their tax payments out.
  • Further extension of empty property rate relief: commercial properties with a value of less than £18,000 will be exempt - according to Alistair Darling, this will affect 70% of businesses.
  • Almost two years after it was announced, the 1% rise in small business corporation tax is still being delayed. The says this will help 850,000 businesses.
  • Employment
  • A half-percent hike on National Insurance contributions for those earning more than £20,000.
  • A variety of investment funds, including £30m to help industrial businesses in Teeside, a £500m Growth Capital fund to 'invest specifically in small business' and the extension of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), which will guarantee £500m worth of loans to businesses on top of the £1bn already offered this year.
  • More investment into clean technology: £160m towards the innovation investment fund and the Carbon Trust's VC scheme, as well as £90m towards the European Investment Bank's 2020 fund, which finances green infrastructure projects.

Visit Labour.org.uk

See Labour's full manifesto here

toriesConservatives

Leader: David Cameron
Shadow Chancellor: George Osborne
Shadow Secretary of State for Business: Kenneth Clarke
Shadow Minister for Business & Enterprise : Mark Prisk

  • A ' support our small shops' campaign
  • Automatic' small business rate relief
  • A taskforce, led by Sir James Dyson, to improve the flow of early-stage finance to high-tech start-ups, and to encourage start-ups to export.
  • Abolishing Employers' National Insurance for the first 10 employees during the first year of business.
  • 200,000 apprenticeships
  • The return of the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, providing business loans and mentors to aspiring entrepreneurs
  • Reducing small business corporation tax to 20p
  • A 'one in, one out' policy on new regulations, cutting red tape
  • Fewer forms to register a business, cutting red tape and making the UK 'the fastest place to register in the world'
  • Opening up government procurement contracts to small businesses
  • 100mbps broadband across the country
  • A National Loan Guarantee scheme for business loans
  • A 'Green Investment Bank' to finance green technology start-ups and back 'the bright ideas of the future'

Visit Conservatives.com

See the Conservative Party's full manifesto here

libdemsLiberal Democrats

Leader: Nick Clegg
Shadow Chancellor: Vince Cable
Shadow Secretary of State for Business: John Thurso
Shadow Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Minister: Lorely Burt

  • A cut in corporation tax
  • A cut in red tape
  • Lower business rates for smaller businesses, with rates based on site values, rather than total rental value, so businesses that invest in improving their premises aren't penalised.
  • We love this: allow small businesses to choose to be taxed on cash flow. This would help growing businesses to reinvest their profits without being taxed.
  • Improved government procurement contracts
  • Reform R&D tax credits to ensure resources are targeted to encourage innovation.
  • Local Enterprise Funds, connecting local private investors with local entrepreneurs.
  • Move RDA power to local authorities so they can focus support on where it is most needed.
  • Overhaul competition powers to reduce the power of monopoly organisations both nationally and locally and to encourage innovative businesses to thrive.

Visit Libdems.org.uk

See the Liberal Democrats' full manifesto here