This Manifesto is aimed at policymakers of all political parties. It has at its foundation the recently published report, commissioned by FSB from the Ulster University Business School’s SME Centre, The Contribution of Small Businesses to Northern Ireland (hereinafter referred to as The UU Contribution Report).
That report provides the most authoritative evaluation to date of the role that small businesses play in both the economy and wider society in Northern Ireland. It clearly demonstrates that SMEs are absolutely central to employment and wellbeing – employing more people than large businesses and the entire public sector combined.