Opinion is divided among small business owners and entrepreneurs over what they would like to see in Government's Budget tomorrow.

Some who spoke with The Royal Gazette have called for further financial assistance in the form of loans and a reduction in import duty, while others would be happy just to keep the status quo.

But all are agreed one thing - that whatever happens when Finance Minster Paula Cox delivers her 2010 Budget Speech in the House of Assembly, Government will face a steep task in boosting the local economy during the current global recession.

Nola (Cherry) Harold-Smith, who owns Bold N' Beautiful Hair & Nails Salon and recently launched Bold N' Beautiful Hair & Wig Supplies in Court Street, said it was tough trying to balance the books and run two businesses at the same time.

She said the hardest part was maintaining the best level of service and maintaining cash flow, with bills to pay, such as rent and wages, and creditors calling their money in.

Ms Harold-Smith said the best thing Government could do would be to offer low-interest loans to help out small businesses like hers through the tough times, to be paid back as the economy and trade improves.

She said a lot of stores she had been into were experiencing the same issues as consumers cut back on spending and money has started to dry up.

"I think everybody is facing a tough economic crisis - it is global," she said.

"At the moment, there is a lot of paying out and nothing coming in, unfortunately."

Richard Thompson, owner of Island Cleaning Services, said he would be content with a freeze on taxes and for the work permit term limit issue to be resolved once and for all.

"I think the tax burden and benefits burden that small businesses have to bear, particularly when they are a service business and are employing a number of people, is quite substantial and any more burden that we have to absorb is going to erode our profit margins and ability to reinvest in our companies," he said.

"The term limits are also a real burden on small businesses because you have to retrain somebody if you have an overseas worker and it often takes them at least two years to learn the lay of the land."

Terry Lee Smith owner of Clara-Bows Boutique, also in Court Street, said that Government could make a number of concessions for small businesses, above all scaling back on import duty on goods, instead of a deferment, which had to ultimately be paid off anyway.

Mr. Smith, who opened his new store in August last year, said that business had been going well despite the economic downturn, but that any relief Government could offer to ease the burden would be welcome.

Corey Cross , owner of Planet Coffee, a hot beverage delivery service, said it would be nice to have fewer fees to foot, but appreciated that Government needed to fund itself somehow.

From his experience, he said that the hospitality sector was in most need of assistance, whether it be benefiting from reductions in payroll tax or social insurance.

"I think for the most part it is just about trying to focus internally on being as efficient and profitable as possible but ultimately you still have to pay off things like Government fees," he said.

Kareem Johnson , who owns KJ Marine Solutions, which opened a new shop in Dockyard recently, said he would be pleased if everything remained the same in the latest Budget, with the marine services industry enjoying a drop in the rate duty in the previous Budget.

"I hope all of a sudden the rate isn't going to skyrocket through the roof," he said.

"Some payroll tax concessions for hiring locals would obviously help too, but we are in a recession so we are not expecting to get much in that respect, as they need to cover costs and deal with shortfalls as well."