The survey details how, when asked about the standards of professional services (eg accountants), more than three out of 10 (31%) of all small businesses across the UK reported that they find them to be "poor value for money." Again, regional differences were revealed, with half (50%) of those in Wales believing the services represent poor value, compared with just 17% in the North and Borders region.

However, these attitudes to value vary by industry sector. Just under four out of 10 (38%) of small businesses in the manufacturing sector believe the service they receive is "poor value for money", compared to only a quarter (26%) in the transport sector.

Julie Cooper, Senior Research Executive at Taylor Nelson Sofres Business Services, comments that, "These findings suggest that, whilst perceptions of local skills amongst small businesses are relatively positive across the UK as a whole, there are clearly disparities at the regional level. As a result, government organisations and other skills bodies have an important role to play in raising the perceptions of the quality of the local employment pool amongst small business employers. In addition, a significant minority of small businesses feel that they are not getting good value from professional service advisers - an issue which providers of these services will need to address in the long term, if they are to win and retain new business in the future."

TNS undertook the survey in January and February 2001 amongst directors of businesses in Great Britain with fewer than 50 employees. Business Line itself is a quarterly small business omnibus based on interviews with decision-makers in 1,000 small to medium enterprises.