Small firms in Kirklees have been urged to shop around for business services in the face of rising costs for complying with government and EU regulations.

Compliance with new regulations, including flexible working practices, will cost Yorkshire’s 90,000 small and medium-sized employers a massive £65m – or about £720 per company – this year, according to the Forum of Private Business.

This takes the estimated cost of compliance for employers in the region to £1.5 bn, equivalent to £16,100 per firm.

Figures from the Forum showed that retailers were least hit by the changes with a rise of £450 on the cost of compliance. Manufacturers saw an increase of almost £940 while health, social and care providers saw an increase of £930.

The survey found that the amount spent on external providers was even more pronounced with retailers spending £150 more on external support against £570 for manufacturers and £630 for those in health, social and care sectors.”