A fair proportion of would-be business owners are being discouraged because they feel they lack the knowledge to be successful, it has been claimed.

Mark Moore, who is director of Ingenious Britain, believes that more needs to be done to show these individuals that support is available to them.

Moore was reacting to a new survey from Aviva, which suggested that more than a quarter of small business owners lacked confidence when it came to marketing. A similar figure said they were unsure how to generate more sales. These concerns could also be shared by those looking to start a franchise or their own firm.

In a blog post on ingeniousbritain.biz, Moore pointed out that there were plenty of support groups for business owners to turn to.

He said: “Previously, when you thought about starting a business, the organisation you went to was Business Link but since they have shut down many potential business owners have found themselves unsure of where to turn. It is important, though, that potential entrepreneurs are not lost as Britain seeks to transform itself into a genuine enterprise economy.”

According to freshbusinessthinking.com, Moore pointed out that small businesses were now responsible for 99 per cent of private sector employment.