Growing businesses look to new markets overseas to expand their operations –it's important that these businesses are given the best chance to export successfully.

Approximately a quarter of FSB Members export and there is appetite among that group to do more in the future. But a third of small businesses encounter legal, regulatory and financial barriers to exporting.

Beginning to trade internationally can be a daunting process but UK trade and Investment works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets. Find out more

Spartanburg, South Carolina would like to provide ‘soft-landing' assistance for businesses considering setting up a manufacturing plant in their City. For more information email Holly Bonfield

Your Australian Business assists businesses wanting to start, build or expand into Australia by providing a network of services and support. More information

The FSB in Manchester and North Cheshire recently met with a delegation from the Caribbean who are seeking to establish mutually beneficial European trade relationships. Small businesses in the Caribbean face the same challenges as those in the UK and they are as keen to grow their businesses through exporting as manufacturers are here. Please check out their brochure.

Turning a good idea into a thriving business requires people. 95 per cent of all businesses in the UK employ fewer than five people, but taking on staff is expensive and risky and often it is taking on the first member of staff that can be the biggest challenge. 31 per cent of small businesses said that reducing NICs would encourage them to take on more staff and 11 per cent said extending the NICs holiday would be an incentive6. Since 2007, employment law has become even more complex with the removal of the Default Retirement Age, automatic enrolment into pension schemes, proposed changes to maternity and paternity laws, and proposed extensions to the right to request flexible working.

The FSB provides a free-through-membership subscription legal helpline – available 24/7, 365 days of the year – to deal with all aspects of employment law. We help real entrepreneurs looking to grow their business by providing insurance in the event of an employment dispute, free legal documents and information on employment law.

The Government has launched the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers. The Grant of £1500,which is available to SMEs who have not had an apprentice in the last three years, is intended to encourage more companies to take on their first apprentice (aged 16-24). More Information

Get Mentoring is a national initiative to unlock, train and support a community of enterprise mentors across the UK, to recruit and train thousands of mentors from the micro, small and medium-sized business community. Free training can be accessed through workshops or online. Finding the right mentor at the right time can be the single most important factor in successful entrepreneurship. More Information