MENTA CEO Alex Till Meets Small Business Minister to Champion Micro-Businesses
- by @inc
- 16-01-2026
MENTA Chief Executive Officer Alex Till, who also serves as Chair of the National Enterprise Network (NEN), attended a ministerial meeting this morning with Blair McDougall MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation), at the Old Admiralty Building in London.
The meeting brought together enterprise support leaders from across the country for a constructive and focused discussion on the realities facing micro-businesses and the organisations that support them.
During the discussion, Alex and fellow NEN members highlighted four urgent challenges currently affecting the UK’s micro-business economy.
Pressure on micro-businesses and the everyday economy
Rising numbers of micro-business closures were linked to increasing pressures from wages, National Insurance, pensions and business rates. Many owner-managers are now operating at or below minimum wage, placing both business viability and local employment at risk.
Economic inactivity and alternative pathways into work
Concerns were raised about growing economic inactivity among 16–35 year olds, alongside increasing referrals from Jobcentre Plus, prisons and probation services. Self-employment is increasingly proving to be a vital preventative route into work and aligns closely with the government’s Get Britain Working agenda.
A fragile enterprise support infrastructure
Not-for-profit enterprise agencies are experiencing rising demand from excluded and vulnerable groups. However, uncertainty around long-term funding beyond March 2026, combined with delays to devolution timetables, is creating instability across the sector.
Workspace and systemic barriers
Access to flexible and affordable workspace was identified as critical to start-up survival. Current Valuation Office Agency (VOA) treatment and business rates were highlighted as threats to incubators, co-working spaces and local regeneration efforts.
Minister McDougall engaged directly with attendees, listened carefully to the challenges raised and acknowledged the systemic issues facing both micro-businesses and enterprise support organisations.
Following the meeting, NEN has been invited to provide detailed feedback on funding pressures and business rates. Alex welcomed the opportunity to continue the dialogue.
“This was a valuable and open conversation,” said Alex Till. “Micro-businesses are the backbone of our local economies, but they are under real strain. It’s encouraging that these issues are being heard, and we look forward to working with government to ensure both small businesses and the organisations that support them can thrive.”
MENTA will continue to work with partners at local and national level to advocate for practical solutions that support entrepreneurs, self-employed people and the communities they serve.