WITH an election less than 12 months away, the business community has every reason to feel positive about the Chancellor's Autumn statement scheduled for December 3.

So what might we reasonably expect?

I have spoken in this column previously about the need to reform the outmoded business rates model and I fully expect this to be on George Osborne's agenda.

Vince Cable, the business secretary, has dropped large hints that revision will feature, no doubt so that ,ahead of the election the Lib Debs can take the credit.

So expect some positive action on business rates although small business leaders remain to be convinced that the Chancellor will go far enough.

While the likelihood next year is that the coalition will break up, there is every chance that the Autumn statement may very well produce an early attempt at vote harvesting across the business arena.

The business lobby groups have recognised this and are pressing the Chancellor with strong wish lists.

The Federation of Small Business, which represents about 125,000 SMEs across the UK, is calling for measures that will help boost digital and regional economies including a simplification of the UK's complex tax system.

Meanwhile the Forum of Private Business, based in Knutsford with a membership of around 30,000 SMEs is following a more conventional pattern covering rates, fuel duty, late payment, tax admin and exporting.

They are keen to see small business rate relief extended and a minimum £1,000 reduction in high street business rates as well as also requesting a moratorium on any new bank closures while the government looks at the concept of shared bank branches.

With businesses facing rising costs (calculated at 4.7 per cent a year and above the national level) the lobby groups are asking for the chancellor to look more closely at the true cost of small business inflation to ease cost pressures.

The Centre for Entrepreneurs takes another tack and is calling on the Chancellor to provide incentives for big firms to unlock their balance sheets to invest in SMEs through corporate venturing.

They believe there is a huge opportunity to double corporate venturing in the UK in much the same way that the Governments EIS scheme has doubled business angel investors since 2011.

It all suggests that it shouldn’t be a dull Autumn statement — over to you George!

Dave Jones FCIB, PBM (progressive business mentoring) LLP — providing mentoring and strategic advice to you and your business

pbm.davejones@fsmail.net

07875 550309