I am a great believer in creating jobs by steady solid growth. I've run companies in the past that have seen immense growth and then had to suffer the horror of making people redundant. This BBC article is great as it re-inforces why our country is a 'nation of shop keepers' who are very good at building and running their shops. These 'shops' employ a lot of quality people. Let me illustrate my point with an example I am very familiar with. We started Network Integration in late 2005, early 2006. In the early days it was me and Jonathan and Anita. Within our first year we employed a contractor and sales person, followed by a second sales person. Four years later we employ twelve, and have current positions for another two members of the team. Jonathan and I can see us being twenty five staff within the next eighteen months to two years.

So what extra conditions would I like to get to the stage of twenty five staff ?

Clearly, if we see more positive economic recovery we will see confidence return. This increase in customer confidence would permeate down to business's like ours.

A tax incentive for employers - to directly affect some sort of credit or tax credit for employing younger people who are looking to work in the knowledge economy.

As the government itself is now the UK's biggest employer, it would be useful if government made it easy for small companies to supply them with goods and services. It shouldn't be the preserve of 'large corporates' who 'assume' they are best placed to deliver.

If I don't get these three conditions, then I won't worry. Network Integration has thrived during the worst recession on record. So although it would be nice to get some assistance, we will thrive without it. Of that I am certain.