Author Vows Fight Back Against Corporate Bullies

The author of the 5* reviewed, political satire 'Freedom from Bosses Forever' committed at his new audio book launch today to fight 'Government and Corporate bullying'. Tony Robinson OBE said 'Muhammed Ali died last week-end and he inspired my generation with his philosophy which was: "I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be'.

Re-editing my most popular book for audio was a sobering experience. The fictional journey in the book takes place in 2009 and the fictional narrator is trying to find out what happened to the missing £millions that Government had budgeted to help start ups and existing small and micro business owners to survive and thrive. In many countries around the world, they really look after new business owners but not in the UK - it's harder to make ends meet than than it was in 2009. Self employed and micro business owners are a part of the low pay economy. We're happy but poor.

My book has been described as 'absolutely full of business truth' and 'very funny' but I found it no laughing matter that the 6 million small and micro business owners in the UK are finding it tougher than when I wrote the first version of this book. Each year has seen record numbers of start ups, to 600,000 a year. All the growth in new jobs in the economy is due to new micro businesses. It's cheaper and easier to start up a business than it's ever been.

Yet, there's a 20% average earnings reduction since 2008 for the self employed. Premises are emptying in our towns as indie businesses cannot make a profit. There is less incentive to take on employees. This is all entirely due, not to a lack of skill or hard work, to a progressively more uneven playing field.

Local, regional and national government and the largest corporates are squeezing the pips out of micro enterprise.

They get away with it too easily. However unfair business life gets a business owners still want to remain in business. They haven't the time, resource or organisation to fight the professional lobbyists and will not campaign. The business membership organisations have to remain in the Government and Corporate tent.

Anyway, no-one will do business with a 'whiner and a moaner'. This means business owners accept the new taxation policies, mis-selling of financial products including loans, indemnity insurance and worthless pensions, steep energy and transport costs, ever increasing administration and social costs from such as auto enrolment and quarterly tax assessment.

Micro business owners have to accept 60 day payment terms and late payment (the average is 68 days) rather than risk losing a major customer. Government won't upset the corporates that make so much money out of loans, invoice financing and credit facilities by insisting that those companies Government contract with #PayIn30Days all their suppliers.

Tina Boden and I knew when we co-founded the global, free, indie, informal, no contact details required, non political, non lobbying movement that is Enterprise Rockers that we might end up unpopular with the establishment and broke. Legends such as Ali make you realise that none of that matters.

What matters is that we use the 'Power of Plenty' to make indie business ownership better for all. We're aiming for ten million business owners to get involved helping each other on the next global #MicroBizMattersDay. Realising how little we've achieved since 2009 just makes me more determined to make some noise and make faster progress on behalf of the 95% of businesses that are micro."

-----ENDS-----

The popular satire 'Freedom from Bosses Forever' is now available as an audio book on Audible, iTunes and Amazon.

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Comedy/Freedom-from-Bosses-Forever-Audiobook/B01G9AR71O/#publisher-summary


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About TONY ROBINSON OBE

Tony Robinson OBE is the Micro Business Champion. He is an authority on enterprise and entrepreneurship and is a professional speaker, broadcaster and campaigner (#PayIn30Days). His Conference Keynote to leaders of all sizes of an organisation entitled 'Spirit of Enterprise - Do Not Bottle It' and a one hour 'Micro is Beautiful - business as if people cared' Show' suggesting to business owners there is a better way than the American Way to start up, survive and thrive. Tony founded the government recognised SFEDI Group in 1996 and co-owns. In 2012 he founded, with Tina Boden the annual #MicroBizMatters Day backed by all the national small business membership organisations, Tony runs his own businesses. He has an OBE for services to small firms (2001) and has received 2-lifetime awards for enterprise. He is Patron of the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank, Judge for NatWest Great British Entrepreneur Awards. and Chair of Yorkshire in Business Ltd.