As a franchise in Northern Ireland we would really appreciate support in growing our market share in Northern Ireland, particularly in Belfast where there is a large volume of property. We already spend a lot of money on advertising and marketing but would like to get more involved in direct partnerships with other companies such as insurance brokers, property management companies or mortgage brokers, so in the event where a client of theirs has a property claim, we will then manage the claim and deal with all the repair work.

Greater opportunities to connect with UK business. So for example, something put on by the Executive that showcases everything that N. Ireland has to offer CEOs of UK companies (eg: competitive wages/workforce, high education standards, low operating costs) and gives local companies the opportunity to network and create sales opportunities at the same time. The various regions of the UK are trying to pull people out of the greater London area and with the lure of lower costs (the BBC is a great example) they are stqrting to move. NI isn't seen by the majority of UK companies as a viable option as most of them think of it as a world away. We should demonstrate how NI has all of the connections and benefits of being part of the UK, but it is much more competitive on a number of areas. If we can get more larger businesses here, even if that's only to visit, then we take those opportunities and could really start to grow.

A short term grant to take on unemployed people.

We need assistance with developing and bringing to market our new food & wine holiday business combined with our new travel marketing company.

The government should legislate to standardise payment terms across all businesses. At the moment large companies are using smaller businesses as de facto banks by forcing ever longer payment terms onto them. No company should be allowed, by law, to ask for more than 45 days to pay for goods or services they have received from another firm. This should be enforced by law with mandatory interest charges for companies failing to meet their legal obligations.

If companies who were innovating not just in sciences but engineering, polymers, plastice, design, food processing, bakeries, printing fully realised that HM Revenue & Customs since 2000 have been helping fund their breakthroughs and offer massive tax incentives and to stop relying on thier accountants who may not have claimed anything ever to give them advice .The companies would find they have overpaid tax and bring money back into the local economy.

We desperately need to fix our local investment ecosystem. Over reliance on government supported funds causes a lack of confidence in entrepreneurs and an overall lack of available funds, preventing companies from first starting up and later from scaling. If we were anywhere near as good as our neighbours in the South at leveraging our diaspora much of this could be solved in a very short timescale.

For our Company to grow we need the cost & bureaucracy of employing people to be reduced. Overhead costs in Northern Ireland are growing annually, affecting our competitiveness. The alternative for manufacturers and exporters to stay globally competitive is to outsource. If we have to take this action to survive it does not bode well for local unemployment.

We need to visit more countries and continued assistance with product and sales development, coupled to travel programmes will enable us to expand even more quickly.

Northern Ireland should continue to invest in and support our local education sector ensuring that we align both education and employment growth opportunities in the future. NI has an abundance of local talent so let’s provide the necessary skills, invest wisely in their development and retention in order to secure a positive trend of sustainable economic growth in the future.

The recent recession has had a massive impact on SME’s here in Northern Ireland, helping them would be a priority as would ensuring there is a clear path for those businesses trying to expand. Unnecessary red tape can cost the small business owner in more ways than one.