Listen to business: Your comments (From Your Local Guardian)

Boris Johnson needs to understand that businesses need help right now - and not just concentrate on grand transport projects that will only produce a benefit in 10 years.
He should put pressure on government to make sure interst rate cuts are passed to businesses and make all London councils freeze business rents for the next year.
That would be a good start.

From Kristian Wentzel - KWP - Media - London SW.15 - Putney. As a small internationally operating media sales house, we have been squezzed since the first quarter this year. A large part of our clientele are financial institutions, who all prepared well at the end of last year for 2008 and booked spaces in continental papers. Came January all and I mean all bookings evaporated. What the national and regional press feels now, we had to endure already in the first quarter 2008 and things really have not developed for the better ever since. It started with finance and has now reached services and luxury consumer advertising. What next?

As the manager of a small business in crystal palace, my main concern is the traffic links. There are always jams in my area and there are no viable alternatives to persuade people out of their cars. Something MUST be done

Local Authorities are raising £millions through parking control stealth tax but return nothing to the small businesses that pay them. This is wrong as a business has to say or vote in who runs the authority unlike residents. What do they do with money and why are they allowed to do this and get away with it.

Boris - if you really want to help business then suspend the Congestion charge for the 3 weeks leading up to Xmas and suspend parking charges too.

Mayor Johnson should exert some pressure/influence to deal with the appallingly high car park charges in Kingston town centre. On Sunday it cost us 90 pence per each twenty minutes to park in the Fairfield NCP. On top of that, the lifts didn't work, only 1 pay machine was functional and the car in front of us couldn't exit at the barrier. Of course, there were no staff on hand to help. But what do you expect having just paid over £8 for the privilege? We won't be back. Sorry Kingston traders.

Heather - Bromley: I reiterate what has already been said. The Mayor needs to give small businesses help now not 12 months down then line when many will have ceased trading. The drop in the rate of VAT has had no impact on my business (in the retail sector). I need to borrow to expand - I have a good product - but no one will lend the business the money I need develop company. Can the Mayor influence Central Government/Banks or he just humouring us with a promise to shout for support for SMEs when all the time he knows he can realistically do nothing!! Prove me wrong Boris.

A.G Major has been trading for nearly 80 years and I have been with the company for 35 of those years and this is the worst recession by far. We were clear of it until Christmas and now it is starting to affect us. We are constantly looking to improve out efficiency and are cutting our prices drastically to compete for new work. Our strategy for the next twelve months is survival and to break even, profits will be a bonus. As far as manufacturing is concerned, I feel that greed has been a major factor in what has happened and has had the biggest impact now. Stared by the oil companies, then the utility companies, forcing prices through the roof. Mining companies and mills producing our materials were increasing prices every other week increasing cost 100% in a year. We have had to absorb all these cost with out any help from the government and are unable to pass then on. Now they have put many manufacturers out of business and their products are now too expensive and not required. They themselves have no demand for their materials and are now in the same situation as everybody else. Unfortunately as manufacturing companies close, the skilled personnel leave the industry, most never to return leaving a massive void never to be filled. Unless the government looks at this situation seriously with massive investment and training, the rest of our manufacturing will disappear to China, India etc. The question I would like Boris Johnson to answer is why there is not a system whereby businesses in South London are given every opportunity to tender on future projects within the city.