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Penny for your thoughts? Government’s fair payment body to comment on city’s business survey results
Penny for your thoughts? Government’s fair payment body to comment on city’s business survey results

The Government’s Office of the Small Business Commissioner, which ensures fair payment practices for Britain’s 5.7 million small businesses, will be among a panel of experts discussing the results of the annual Greater Peterborough Business Survey at the Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder Breakfast on 30 April.

Run by accountancy firm Rawlinsons in partnership with Opportunity Peterborough, the survey is now in its sixth year and tracks business performance and confidence across Greater Peterborough.

Highlights of the results will be provided by Rawlinsons, who are sponsoring the Breakfast, followed by additional commentary and debate from a panel of local experts ranging from education providers to property agents.

This year’s survey also includes questions relating to late payments which a member of the team from the Office of the Small Business Commissioner will be discussing. Set up in December 2017 the Commissioner supports small businesses to resolve payment disputes with larger organisations to help bring about culture change.

Jacquie Moore, Casework Manager, from the Commissioner’s office will be talking at the Bondholder Breakfast, “I’m really looking forward to finding out the results of the Greater Peterborough Business Survey, particularly in relation to how payment timeframes are impacting business productivity.

“Research published last month revealed that nationally, 65% of large firms have a payment time of 30 days or longer. Our initial findings also indicated that almost two thirds of these payments are likely to be owed to smaller businesses at any time. 

“These delays mean small businesses may struggle to cover their costs efficiently and grow their operations, which in turn has a negative impact on the wider UK economy.”

Tom Hennessy, chief executive of Opportunity Peterborough, added, “Peterborough is one of the country’s most entrepreneurial cities and like most of the UK, small businesses make up the vast majority of enterprises within Peterborough. We’re delighted to welcome Jacquie Moore, to talk at our Bondholder Breakfast and are looking forward to the debate with our panellists.

“We would urge as many businesses to take part in the survey as possible – the results help us understand the challenges and opportunities facing the city’s economy, what type of support we should prioritise and the barriers to growth we need to overcome.”

The survey is open until 8 March and is available here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/peterborough-business-survey

The Bondholder Breakfast will take place on 30 April at Park Inn Radisson in the city centre, 7.30am – 9.00am. Attendance is free for members of the Opportunity Peterborough Bondholder Network. For more details please email: bondholder@opportunitypeterborough.co.uk.