The social and economic impact of the Covid 19 virus will be profound and governments will be desperately looking for ways to reboot their economies. So now is the time for companies and organisations to get their concerns heard directly by politicians - in 5 simple steps.
Step 1
Take a look at your business and what are the three things that would really help you? - That your customers pay you on time? How to finance a proof of concept project for your latest product? Or maybe a radical reduction in red tape, so an approval process takes days not weeks? You may not have the solution, but you know what really matters to your business. Three points or less gives focus and impact to your message.
Step 2
Write a note, less than a page, with –
Who you are and what you do, and how many people are in your organisation;
State that you need urgent action on the three priorities, say – late payment terms, easier access to research tax credits and rapid export approvals; and
Ask how you can help and what action they plan to take.
Your aim is to clearly express your concerns and establish a dialogue. If your business is small this will actually increase the political impact of your message.
Step 3
Identify your local parliamentarian – in the UK, just put your post code and “Who’s my MP?” into a search engine to find out and the parliamentarians have their email address on their websites.
Step 4
Identify the government department who is dealing with your industry. Most industry ministries are organised by sector and they may have one or several ministers covering small businesses, innovation and exports.
Step 5
Send your note to the parliamentarian and the ministers – email or letter, or both.
If you are a member of an association or chamber of commerce send them the note as well and ask if they are lobbying on your issues. If they are not, maybe they should be.
Government wheels are still turning during the lockdown and of course tackling the virus is the priority, but soon their focus will be turning to the future and the economy.
Too often, governments ponder on their “Industrial policy” for months before acting, but if there is any silver lining in this awful virus pandemic, it is that governments know they no longer have the luxury of time and have to act now. And businesses and organisations of all sizes have the opportunity to give politicians guidance on the specific issues they need for real, pragmatic action to boost economic growth.
Darcy Nicolle is CEO of Political Solutions and author of “The Secret Art of Lobbying” the essential business guide to winning in the political jungle. Learn more
Comments