Monthly Briefing – Federation of Small Businesses (November)

Help us promote Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday – the biggest annual day for small business profile-raising in the UK – takes place on December 2nd. As in previous years we hope local councils, MPs and other stakeholders will join us in using the opportunity to highlight the amazing economic boost provided to the economy by small businesses. If you or your organisation are planning any Small Business Saturday activity please email Sam Holliday so we can help promote it to our local members. You can find out more about the national campaign here

 

Please encourage local SMEs to enter our great awards

There is now just a month left for local SMEs to enter our free-to-enter awards, which the FSB has launched to find the best businesses in the South West and the UK as a whole. If you know of any firms that deserve an accolade and want the prestige of one of the 12 awards we have for the South West region, then please pass this on to them and encourage them to find out more here. As we mentioned last month, we also have limited sponsorship opportunities available for anyone wishing to give their backing to our ‘best in the West’ search. If you know of any firms or institutions who may want to help please also pass this to them and ask them to contact Sam Holliday for a sponsorship pack.   

 

FSB presents its ‘Budget asks’ to the Chancellor  

Phillip Hammond should end the staircase tax, bring business rates bill increases under control and commit to more frequent rates revaluations at the Autumn Budget, according to the FSB’s official Budget submission. The FSB is also urging the Chancellor at his November 22nd statement to commit to matching EU funding allocations post-Brexit and we are also calling on the Government to deliver promised improvements to digital and road connectivity and to remove the barriers that exist for small housebuilders.

 

Gloucestershire procurement event was big success

The desire for local FSB members and other small business owners to find out the best way to sell their goods and services to public sector bodies was illustrated recently when we had a good turnout and a healthy debate on the subject at our event at the Vantage Point Business Village in the Forest of Dean. Our thanks to our excellent speakers Ian Mawdsley (Gloucestershire County Council), William Clark (GO Shared Services for Cheltenham Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council) and Sam Evans (from Hinkley Point C) who all gave fascinating insights into the process. Procurement will stay firmly on the local FSB agenda in the future and if you would like to see our national report on the subject please email Sam Holliday.

 

Excellent apprenticeship ‘myth busting’ event  

The FSB was delighted to team up with Weston College to stage a highly-successful and very well attended ‘apprenticeship expo’ at the newly-revamped Weston-super-Mare Winter Gardens. The event provided practical tips and advice on now the apprenticeship system works to businesses of all sizes with delegates varying from ‘one man bands’ to firms who already have plenty of apprentices. It also served as a good ‘myth busting’ session about the reality of modern apprenticeships and how they differ from the schemes in the past. Our thanks go to Dave Crew and the Weston team for their excellent organisation of the meeting and we look forward to teaming up with them again in February for a repeat event.

 

Sam Holliday FSB Development Manager
Gloucestershire & West of England M 07917 628915
@FSBGlosandWoE
www.fsb.org.uk