Stop complaining - Britain is good for business!

The economy is still in dire straits. Immigration policies make it hard to find talent. Excessive red tape hampers growth. These are just a handful of complaints levelled at doing business in the UK.

Buying a business and turning it around is no easy task so a supportive environment is crucial, so it is understandable that people in business are concerned about the negative side of things at the moment.

But if you look at the situation in comparison to other countries, the UK business environment is actually pretty appealing, striking a better balance than many between employees' rights and the flexibility required by entrepreneurs and start-ups to become profitable.

Our neighbours in France tend to side heavily with employees, often to the detriment of a business' success. As a result, the French are starting to look at moving to the UK to set up new ventures.

Victor Malachard, chief executive of Adfonic, an advertising network for mobile devices which did just that, told the Telegraph: “The UK has a very good balance - it's fair to the employee without restricting the business from growing.”

He added: “The French state certainly doesn't encourage entrepreneurs. It makes it very difficult for you to succeed … That's why my French friends with businesses are always talking about moving [to London].”

Meanwhile, over the US, the balance appears to be weighted too heavily in the other direction with employees' rights suffering for the benefit of corporations. In the long run, this approach can have a negative impact on the creation of an entrepreneurial environment that allows ideas and small businesses to flourish.

So the next time you hear more moaning about how hard it is to do business in the UK, think about the alternatives and work with what we've got, which in the grand scheme of things, isn't all that bad.

Share this article

Latest Businesses for Sale

View more businesses for sale