The UK Jewellery, Silverware and Allied Crafts (UKJSAC) Roundtable Group has submitted a detailed sector-wide response to the Government’s Small Business Inquiry, urging policymakers to address systemic issues that continue to impact small and microbusinesses across the jewellery and allied craft industries.
The submission, coordinated by UKJSAC, represents a cross-section of businesses including jewellers, silversmiths, watchmakers, repairers, and independent retailers. It sets out the key challenges facing these sectors and proposes targeted reforms aimed at supporting long-term viability and growth.
Systemic Challenges for Microbusinesses
The response identifies several ongoing barriers that affect the operating environment for small creative businesses:
- An outdated business rates system that does not reflect the needs of workshop-based and independent High Street businesses
- Limited access to finance, with small firms often classified as “high risk” by lenders
- Export systems geared towards larger companies, leaving smaller specialist exporters at a disadvantage
- Rising operational costs due to tax, compliance burdens, and the end of VAT-free shopping for overseas visitors
A lack of support for leadership development and succession planning within small enterprises
Structural inequalities limiting access for underrepresented groups, including women and neurodiverse individuals
Policy Recommendations
In response to these challenges, UKJSAC has set out a series of recommendations, including:
- Reform of the business rates system to better reflect the operating models of small creative businesses
- Tailored finance options and improved outreach from financial institutions
- High Street support measures such as safer streets, improved accessibility, and parking incentives
- Enhanced export support including access to trade shows, export finance, and embassies
- Investment in training and leadership development to support succession planning
- Support mechanisms for self-employed entrepreneurs, including parental support
- Greater recognition of the sector’s economic contribution in national policy and measurement
Sector-Wide Collaboration
Ben Massey, Chief Executive of the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) and Secretariat for UKJSAC, commented:
“Recognition that the industry is made up, in the main, of small and microbusinesses is too often overlooked. Yet the challenges we’ve outlined aren’t isolated to jewellers or silversmiths – they affect every small business operating in this ecosystem, from designer-makers and repairers to retailers and exporters.
“This coordinated response brings together the strength of our sector by working with colleagues across fashion, textiles, footwear, luxury, and the broader creative industries. Together, we are calling for policies that understand our operating models, value our contribution to the economy, and remove the roadblocks to our growth.”
Education and Future Skills
The submission also calls for increased investment in education and career development to support future skills pipelines. This includes promoting creative subjects in schools, increasing access to part-time learning, and the establishment of specialist manufacturing hubs.
