Nigel Beighton

Following the Epstein scandal, major sponsors have pulled out of Prince Andrew's startup competition, Pitch at the Palace. Have budding businesses lost a vital resource? It’s safe to say that November 2019 will not go down as one of Prince Andrew’s best moments in life.

As each main party prepare to launch their manifesto this week, voters wait for the various lists of promises to make their lives better and small businesses are no exception to this. There will be no shortage of goodwill pledges to reduce business rates and taxes from the main parties, but while these are important, they are part of complex age-old structures that need a fundamental rethink and do not get to the heart of why small businesses exist.

No business is built without hard work and determination, but what about consumer trust? Businesses rely on trust. Consumers trust that when they purchase a product online, it will arrive. And holidaymakers trust pilots to comfortably land them at their destination. Although these things sometimes go wrong, we continue to order online and fly abroad, because it’s easier to trust businesses when the benefits are clear.