The Budget on November 26th has come as a huge blow to us at Arctic Bee. As both a small business and an employer—and as active members of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)—we find the recent announcements deeply concerning. To us, it makes very little economic sense to continue hiking the cost of employment so aggressively.

When you hike wages and employer contributions to this extent, the reality is that costs have to increase elsewhere. For a micro-business, there is no “magic pot” of money to absorb these overheads. We are already seeing many of our clients “feeling the pinch,” forced to make difficult decisions about their growth plans and pricing structures just to keep their heads above water.

We believe the government needs to do far more to support the small and especially the micro-business sector. We are the backbone of the economy, yet we are being asked to shoulder a disproportionate burden. At Arctic Bee, we will continue to stand with our fellow small business owners, advocating for a fairer landscape while helping our clients use digital efficiency to offset these rising costs.