An open letter to our new councillors — from the small businesses who keep your community alive

Dear Councillor,

Congratulations on your election. Now the real work begins and we, the small and micro‑businesses of this community, need you to hear us loud and clear.

We are the shops, cafés, trades, hairdressers and nail bars, freelancers, market stalls, care providers, garages, studios and start‑ups that keep this place running. We employ local people. We train young people. We fill your high streets. We keep money circulating locally. We sponsor the school teams, support community events and open our doors when the big chains leave.

Photo by Jim Ouk on Unsplash

We ARE the local economy.

But right now, we are under pressure like never before. We need you to understand that small and micro‑businesses are being squeezed from every angle by rising taxes and business rates, soaring energy and insurance costs, higher wage bills with additional NICs and pension contributions, supply‑chain delays, falling customer spending and ever increasing red tape.

Many of us are working longer hours for less pay, cutting our own salaries, often to zero, to keep employees on. We’re also doing everything we can to avoid passing costs onto customers who are struggling too.

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for a fair chance to survive and grow.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU: RIGHT NOW,

Champion small businesses inside the council

We need councillors who will speak up for us when decisions are made about planning, licensing, parking, rates, markets, procurement and regeneration.

Protect and revive our high streets with

• Fair parking policies

• Safe, clean, well‑maintained streets

• Sensible planning decisions

• Support for markets, pop‑ups and local traders

A thriving high street lifts the whole community.

Make it easier, not harder, to do business

Cut the unnecessary red tape. Speed up licensing and planning. Give us clear guidance instead of complicated rules. We need to spend time on our businesses to build them not in our businesses interpreting complex rules.

Buy local, and make the council buy local too

Councils spend millions every year. A small shift towards local suppliers keeps money in the community and supports local jobs, but stop making it so complicated for us to work with you.

Support start‑ups and micro‑businesses

We need affordable workspace, access to advice, and practical help can turn a kitchen‑table idea into a local employer.

Back local enterprise agencies and business support organisations

They are lifelines for founders, young entrepreneurs, and struggling firms, and many are fighting for survival because of funding cuts.

When small businesses thrive:

• High streets stay alive

• Local jobs grow

• Young people get opportunities

• Communities feel safer and more vibrant

• Money stays local

• Families have more choice and better services

When small businesses fail, the opposite happens and we see empty shops, fewer jobs, declining footfall, and communities that feel hollowed out.

We’ve supported you. Now support us:

You now have the power to, if not make decisions, at least to argue our case and influence decisions that will shape the future of this community.

We’re not asking for miracles. We’re asking for partnership. Stand with us. Back us. Champion us. because if small businesses thrive, your community thrives and your voters applaud you for doing a good job.

Yours sincerely,

The Small and Micro‑Businesses of Your Local Area