We were recently invited by our friends at Enterprise Nation to join 19 entrepreneurs, from Yorkshire and the North West, on a mission to 10 Downing Street to discuss ways in which the government or it’s policies could help young businesses to grow.

I excitedly accepted to the invitation and joined yesterday’s round-table chat with Niamh Mulholland, the Business Engagement Manager at the Prime Minister’s office.

I joined leaders from Buxton Pudding Co, Union Street, TEK Marketing, Acorn Brewery, York Cocoa Warehouse, IC Innovations, UGOT, Hatfield Clark, Teach You, Northern Lights PR, Digital Media Centre, Team Activ, Pitstop Productions, Patchwork Pig, The Egg Factory, CreativJam for the hour (and a bit) session.

Each company was asked for one way in which their business could be helped, and although they were all valid and honest views, the most notable (and badly paraphrased) points were that “entrepreneurs are still feeling punished on things like mortgages” and that the “education system needs to promote entrepreneurialism throughout the curriculum, and not just on particular days“.

I’d heard similar remarks from the members of our network, as well as call for some form of “rates relief for young businesses so they can afford to hire more people and grow faster“.

When it came to my turn, I opted to remind the attendees about how important and beneficial shared workspaces are for young businesses, and then highlighted just how tight the margins are for these kinds of operations. The truth of the matter is that shared space operators just can’t afford to lower their membership rates, and the entrepreneurs who need these spaces most still can’t afford them.

I proposed that a subsidy/grant or voucher scheme be adopted on either one or both sides of the equation, allowing even more young businesses to unlock the benefits that shared workspaces can offer.

Obviously, it’s a long shot and the chances of this being implemented today, next month or this year are very slim, but I thought that the point was worth making on behalf of our partners, their members and the young businesses who need these spaces.

All in all, it was an interesting day, and I got to meet some inspirational business leaders. Thanks again to Emma from Enterprise Nation for inviting me to come along, and for taking the photo we borrowed for this piece’s featured photo.