REGIONAL organisers of government support and advice services have been told: "Pull your socks up."

Mr Charles McKeown, regional policy chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, told a conference in Haydock: "A lot of effort and money is put into supporting small businesses but an unacceptable proportion has been off-target."

He was speaking at a special conference organised by the federation which involved senior figures from the North West Regional Development Agency, government agencies, banking, education and local authorites.

It looked at the findings of a national FSB survey showing poor support for government-funded business services.

Only a small proportion of North-west federation members were satisfied with the usefulness of the business advice provided.

Mr McKeown, who heads a small construction company in Wallasey, Wirral, said: "To be blunt, much of what is currently presented is in written and spoken language which our members find hard to penetrate. Less jargon and less big business speak, please."

But he added: "I believe there has never been a better opportunity to make the changes. The newly-created Small Business Service and Learning and Skills Councils, with recognition by the banks of the importance of small businesses, should create the right climate for success."

"With the fullest support of all its 155,000 members nationally, the FSB is ready to play its part.

"I am confident that together we can move things in the right direction and sometimes this will be as simple as changing the way the support for small businesses is communicated."

He added: "Government, banks and other associated agencies all recognise that small business is where job creation and expansion will take place in the future."