Small businesses can't afford Britain to carry on in the EU The first, given generally by those who can afford to pay for large teams of lawyers, compliance officers and Brussels-based lobbyists, is one of tentative approval. The second, inevitably provided by the bosses of small and medium-sized enterprises where every penny must be accounted for and most members of staff have more than a single role, is one of resignation verging on outright hostility. For instance, when David Cameron announced to Bloomberg in January that he would be seeking a better deal from Britain and would follow it up with an in/out referendum on the EU, a group of business leaders got together to warn of the potential for "damaging uncertainty" in a letter to the FT. This well-reported and, I would say, substantial over-reaction, actually inspired the campaign I am proud to co-chair - Business for Britain, a coalition of over 750 business people across the UK who want to see a radically reformed deal from Brussels, including the bosses of major multinational and FTSE 100 companies. In fact, not only are the arguments in favour of the Euro similar to those being thrown at proponents of renegotiation, those doing the throwing haven't changed much either, although interestingly many of the larger business people who were lured into backing the euro now refuse to be drawn into pledging similar support for the EU. Nevertheless, business names like Richard Branson, Sir Martin Sorrell, Sir Michael Rake and others continue to stand beside politicians like Peter Mandelson and Ken Clarke and former EU employees in Sir Andrew Cahn and Lord Kerr, in calling for small changes that would do little to reverse the tidal wave of pernicious regulation and restrictions that hamper businesses in this country. I am not about to pre-empt the renegotiations by advocating Britain leave the European Union. Clearly, access to European markets is hugely important for British businesses, even if the common market often works to the disadvantage of UK companies, frustrating rather than facilitating trade with the fast growing economies outside of Europe. But there does need to be more realism about the impact Brussels has on the companies that form the life-blood of Britain's economy - the businesses who, in these straitened times, can't afford to pay to stay EU-compliant. A well-known name and a grandiose title might make the headlines, but speak to the entrepreneurs, the start-ups and the small company owners if you want a true reflection of what doing business inside the EU is really like. Alan Halsall is Chairman of Yorkshire-based Silver Cross prams and co-Chairman of the Business for Britain campaign www.businessforbritain.org