Dragon's Den star James Caan throws his weight behind the Get Britain Trading campaign.

Dragons’ Den star James Caan is supporting a new campaign to boost the fortunes of small business across the UK. The entrepreneur has pledged his support for Get Britain Trading, a campaign recently launched by the Forum for Private Business to highlight the huge contribution smaller businesses make to the economy.

James Caan said: “Sustainable economic recovery in the UK can ultimately be achieved by boosting and supporting our small and medium-sized businesses. Those businesses that have survived the recession have proven their strength and durability and I believe that with the right support, many of them could be very successful indeed. I have seen a great deal of businesses recently that have made cuts to survive the recession and have now stagnated in their growth. It is the responsibility of the government and also the larger business community to support these businesses to help them return to growth and Get Britain Trading.”

James, who regularly invests, advises and helps to grow SMEs, added: “I hope that Get Britain Trading will continue to raise awareness of the issues that small firms face and that the government will take further action to enable small businesses to grow for the benefit of Britain’s economy. The entrepreneurial spirit in Britain has never been more alive than now. Despite having to struggle through the recent recession, we British remain innovative, commercially minded and motivated to be successful.”

He also had the following advice for small businesses: “Having made it through the recession, many UK business owners are now experts at survival, but not necessarily growth. There are hundreds of snippets of advice that I won’t presume to give here since useful advice is usually specific to an individual business. What I will say instead is that businesses that are not growing need to access the right senior support at the executive level. A good recipe for growth is the right mix of strategic direction, structuring for scalability, mentoring, access to networks, access to finance, sales prowess and succession planning. Business should seek out those experienced individuals that can advise, assist and support in these areas.”

Jane Bennett, the Forum’s Head of Campaigns said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have someone with James’ profile, experience and knowledge lend their support to Get Britain Trading. As someone who has started, invested in and grown countless small businesses, James is one of the best-qualified people imaginable to back the campaign and endorse its aim of boosting the fortunes of Britain’s vital SME sector.”

For more information visit: www.getbritaintrading.co.uk.

  Dragon's Den star James Caan throws his weight behind the Get Britain Trading campaign.