Weekly Brief 01 of 2009              Friday 9 January 2009

In this week's issue: New Year message; interest rates; Benylin; diplomas; eco-packs; climate change; school governors; innovation; water

FSB's New Year message

FSB National Chairman John Wright hit the ground running after the festive break with a New Year message outlining the importance of the small business sector to help the UK towards economic recovery. His views were reported by the BBC, the Press Association and the Daily Telegraph.

Interest rates

The FSB welcomed the latest interest rate cut by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee to 1.5 per cent, but FSB National Chairman John Wright told the Financial Times and the Guardian  that the problem isn't so much the cost of money but the availability of it.

Email the FSB if you are still having trouble getting credit from the banks.

Benylin

The FSB voiced concern this week that a TV advert for cold remedy Benilyn may encourage employees to throw an unnecessary sickie.  FSB Head of Public Affairs Stephen Alambritis told the Daily Mail, Sky News, and the Daily Telegraph that the advert, which encourages those with viral symptoms to take a ‘Benylin day,' could encourage thousands to take time off for minor complaints.

Business eco pack

Businesslink has come up with an eco-pack full of ways for businesses to be friendlier to both the environment and their wallets. Business owners can even download posters to promote the information in the workplace.

Climate change

Energy saving business the CarbonNeutral Company is looking for business owners to take part in a small business survey to assess how the sector is tackling climate change.

School governors

The School Governors' One Stop Shop's latest newsletter contains a feature about their partnership with the FSB to encourage more business owners to become school governors.

Innovation

Do you think your business is a leading example of what it means to be innovative and have you come up with a novel way to beat the recession? If so we want to hear from you. Email the FSB with details of your business.

Water

Over one thousand businesses complained about their water company last year. If you have are unhappy with your service, contact the Consumer Council for Water which can provide free advice on getting the best out of your provider.

Have a good weekend,

Marc Shoffman