Half of small Scottish businesses say independence would harm prospects

Almost half of Scotland's small business owners believe independence would harm their company, a survey has found.

Research revealed that 48 per cent believed a Yes vote would be bad for business, compared to 37 per cent who said it would have a positive impact.

The findings dent Alex Salmond's attempts to paint the SNP as defenders of small business in the face of "elite" multinational corporations which have warned against leaving the Union.

In recent months concerns over the business impact of independence have been raised by numerous major Scottish employers including BP, Standard Life and Royal Bank of Scotland.

More small business owners in Scotland believe leaving the UK would hinder rather than help their ability to invest in and grow their companies, according to the study.

About 90 per cent of the 1,000 people surveyed by the small business network Ingenious Britain have already decided how to vote in the Sept 18 referendum, with close to half believing independence would be a negative step for their firms.

Taxation, possible new regulations, currency and EU membership were among the issues small business were most concerned with according to the survey. Around a third of respondents felt they had not been given sufficient information to make an informed decision.

Marlon Wolff, the chief executive of Ingenious Britain, said: "One thing all businesses need, especially small businesses, is certainty.

"There is an indication coming through our research that a sizeable proportion of small business owners have sufficient reservations about the potential negative issues and challenges independence might present to be seriously questioning whether it is really in the interests of their company."

He added that it was going to be a "close decision" and warned that some Scottish businesses would react to a perception that the current set-up does not best serve their needs.

Tessa Hartmann of Hartmann Media, a PR and communications company working in the fashion sector, said "uncertainty" around the referendum was already damaging business.

"Remove Scotland from the UK and many of our young designers and fashion companies would become ineligible for much of the crucial support and profile they currently receive from the likes of London Fashion Week and the British Fashion Council," she said.

Mr Salmond has attempted to nullify the damage caused by a succession of unhelpful comments from business executives by suggesting they are out of step with the views of smaller Scottish companies.

"Don’t cite the elite. Cite the people of Scotland," he said at First Minister's Questions last month, dodging calls to name big business backers by pointing to the smaller firms that have pledged support for independence.

A spokesman for the pro-UK Better Together campaign said: "Being part of the UK is good for Scotland's small businesses. Having access to a single market of 63 million people rather than 5 million means there are greater opportunities for Scotland's employers. Where is the sense in creating a barrier between Scottish businesses and their customers where none exists today?

Michelle Thomson, director of the pro-independence network Business for Scotland, said: "Day in, day out Business for Scotland is welcoming new members, business owners who see what an independent Scotland could mean for them."

The news came as reports surfaced that Scotland's biggest trade union will take a neutral stance in the independence campaign.

Unison, which has around 1,600 members north of the border, will reportedly instead call on both sides of the debate to tackle Scotland's workplace issues and support public services.