ENTERPRISE M3 LEP has launched a Brexit toolkit to help businesses in the region plan for the impact of the UK leaving the EU.

The toolkit has been developed in partnership with the Enterprise M3 Growth Hub and other business support organisations, including chambers of commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, county councils in Surrey and Hampshire, and Business

South.

According to work carried out by Hampshire and Surrey chambers of commerce, significant numbers of businesses in the area are not well prepared for Brexit and were “either watching or waiting – or taking no action at all”.

The Enterprise M3 and partners’ toolkit offers easy access to a range of authoritative sources of impartial advice and guidance for businesses and other employers to plan for Brexit, and can be accessed on the Enterprise M3 Growth Hub website at enterprisem3growthhub.co.uk/brexit

Kathy Slack, director of Enterprise M3 LEP, said: “Business support, especially in uncertain times, goes to the very core of what LEPs do. It is in these circumstances when Enterprise M3’s on-the-ground understanding of our business communities, together with our strong ethos of partnership working, really pay off.

“This practical toolkit will help businesses carry out risk assessments and scenario planning with signposts to guidance, including Brexit checklists, trade association advice and government advice on preparations for a ‘no deal’.

“We will also be running Brexit clinics in the coming months across the Enterprise M3 area where businesses can have face-to-face contact with relevant experts.”

Areas for business owners to consider, especially those who trade with the EU, include logistics models, employment of EU citizens, potential changes to VAT, tax planning and tariffs.

The government is encouraging businesses to seek out sources of information such as the Enterprise M3 toolkit to assess how they might be impacted by Brexit, especially in the event of a no deal.