Businesses are the backbone of the economy, supporting jobs and growth. Real help including advice, access to finance and tax relief will support them to get through the downturn and safeguard jobs.

Find the right finance for your business plus guides on managing cashflow

Businesses have been given more Time to Pay for corporation tax, VAT and Pay As You Earn

Companies can spread an increase in business rates over the next three years, paying the 2% annual increase in 2009-10 and smoothing the remaining 3% over the following two years, helping to boost cash flow

Businesses have been given more time to claim tax relief on losses – from 1 to 3 years

The Government has secured legal agreements to ensure banks increase lending to businesses

The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme means banks can lend an extra £1.3bn to small and medium-sized businesses with viable business plans that can’t access normal commercial lending as a result of current economic conditions

Extra lending capacity has been made available through the European Investment Bank, with nearly £475 million approved for small and medium firms to date

The Working Capital Scheme provides guarantees to banks for existing business lending, so more capital is freed up for new loans

Up to six months’ Trade Credit Insurance Top-Up, backed by the Government, is available for businesses where cover has been reduced due to the recession

More than 54,000 businesses have had a free health check from the BusinessLink advice service since October 2008, helping with sources of credit, how to defer tax payments and generally keep in shape to ride out the downturn