Small Business Trusted More than Big Business

A survey has found that Britons trust small businesses more than they do large firms to get the economy going again.

The survey of 1,000 UK adults found that 62% of those polled gave their vote of confidence for Britain’s small business sector. 17% believed that big business would get the economy ticking over.

Narrowing that down, 58% of Brits would put their trust in the owner of a business with up to 50 employees. Senior managers of large and well-known businesses came in with a meer 7% of the public trust, followed closely by public sector managers (6%), celebrities (3%) and politicians propping up the table with just 1% of the vote.

When questioned about the Government’s new business bank – "Do you think the economy would get a bigger boost if bank money was made more available to…" opinion was again in favour of smaller firms with 73% of the vote going their way. Confidence in big business was just 7%

The poll also asked whether people would prefer to work for small business or big business – 72% sided with small firms and 28% supported working for big companies.

So what were people’s reasons for their choices?

Working for small business…

• 75% said they thought they’d have better job satisfaction
• 46% thought that they could play a bigger role by being in a small firm
• 40% believed that small firms offer a better work/life balance
• 34% expected greater flexibility
• 31% believe that smaller businesses offer greater freedom and more relaxed rules

In the big business camp, reposndants said:

• 53% liked the prospect of the perks such as bigger pensions
• 48% believed they would be better paid
• 40% thought big businesses offer better training
• 35% of those polled expected better work/life balance at a big firm
• 30% expected faster career progression at a big co than at a small business

The results of the poll by Usurv seem to show that public opinion is firmly on the side of smaller business in many issues and could be a boost for the confidence of UK SMEs.

See also our news story SMES Lead the Way in Business Confidence