by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Small firms across the county are being asked to get behind a
national campaign to improve their fortunes and create jobs.

Get Britain Trading has been launched by the Forum of Private
Business to raise awareness of the huge contribution that the 4.8
million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - up to
50,000 in Kent and Medway - make to the UK economy.

Business owners are invited to sign up to a "Get Britain Trading
Pledge" by logging on to a new website here.

They will receive a free practical guide filled with expert
advice on common small business issues such as bank lending, late
payment and cost reduction.

The Forum is calling for radical changes to help small firms
thrive and boost jobs in uncertain economic times.

These include a crackdown on complex tax laws, "stifling"
workplace regulations and "crippling" fuel and utility costs.

Forum chief executive Phil Orford said: "We really believe this
campaign can transform the small business landscape in the UK and
free SMEs from the shackles of excessive red tape, mind-bogglingly
complex tax laws and all the other things which can make running
your own business a constant uphill struggle."

He added: "If we all pull together, we can create an incredibly
powerful collective voice which politicians cannot ignore.

"If you create more profitable and prosperous small businesses,
you create more jobs, which is something everyone wants to see
right now."