The government should make sure that it "thinks smallest first", one industry body has urged.
A petition, launched by the Forum of Private Business (FBP), is calling on elected officials to do just that by addressing issues such as taxation and regulatory reforms.
Jane Bennett, the FPB's campaigns assistant, said: "This is the perfect opportunity for the owners of small businesses to make their voices heard on the issues that really affect them."
Ms Bennett urged all SME owners to sign the document, something she said will help get the campaign off to a flying start.
Research carried out by the body in 2007 found that 97 per cent of respondents believe that the UK has become a worse place to do business in because of the current tax regime.
Yesterday, Tina Sommer, EU and international affairs chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), claimed that small firms can bring the EU out of its current economic malaise, but only if red tape is relaxed.
