Megan Lawley: ‘Hello, my name is Megan. I have a clothes shop in Newtown. I've just had my new draft rates come through for April 2017, and they've gone up substantially. I'm now in the position where I have to make a decision whether I move to Shropshire, where I’d get full relief, or I close my business. I'd really appreciate that the Welsh Government could back small businesses and help people like me throughout the country.’

Alex Martin Jones: ‘There were times when I was borrowing money off family to cover the business rates when I first started, because it kicks in straight away. The VAT bill you have a bit of play with and everything, but the business rates—bang! They kick in.’

Chris Studt: ‘So, if you have just opened a business, then you should be at a stage where you're doing the place up. Should you really be paying rates whilst you're doing somewhere up? And should there be a little bit of bedding-in time, so that you can get the business on its feet?’

Katia Fotiadou: ‘It would have helped if we'd had that little bit of relief, especially in the six months when we weren't trading, as there was no money coming in. There was only money going out. And yet, we had to still pay every month, for six months, half of what we pay for rent here as business rates. Maybe some discount for the first year, or for the six months, or something like that, I think, would probably work and encourage people to set up businesses in the empty units that are all over the place.’