The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) today promised to kick off a campaign of lobbying which it hopes will force Whitehall to cut the Government red tape tangle that is increasingly ensnaring Britain's small businesses.

The BCC initiative forms the main plank of a three-year collaboration with Microsoft and also aims to boost IT skills and raise awareness of e-security issues.

BCC is also launching a research programme designed to shed light on issues currently affecting small firms, in addition to a range of guides offering plain-English advice on aspects of business and technology.

David Frost, BCC Director General, said the scheme would offer advice and explain the benefits of new technology to small businesses, which traditionally have little time or expertise when it comes to making IT purchasing decisions.

According to John Coulthard, head of small business at Microsoft UK, technology has the potential to allow smaller businesses to compete on a more level playing field with bigger rivals.

"Small has always been beautiful and with effective computer systems small businesses can offer better service and focus than the big ones," he said.

Which is nice. ®