Propelling women-owned start-ups and access to finance: Shadow Minister joins FSB roundtable
This week, FSB welcomed Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary Anneliese Dodds MP and the Liberal Democrats’ Treasury and Business Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP to its women in enterprise roundtable. The event looked at a range of crucial topics, with discussions focussing on how to sustainably increase the number of women-owned start-ups in the UK, how to improve access to finance for all women in business, and the importance of effective maternity support for the self-employed. The event was also attended by representatives from NatWest Bank, the Women’s Budget Group, and Maternity Action.
HM The Queen visits family business and FSB member in Belfast
This week, Her Majesty the Queen paid a visit to FSB member Arcadia Delicatessen, a family-owned business of over 90 years standing, at their premises on the Lisburn Road, Belfast. Owners Laura and Mark Brown spoke to Her Majesty about the role that small independent retail businesses play in maintaining a sense of community and social cohesion, and the importance of shopping locally. Arcadia Delicatessen has been part of the retail offering of Belfast’s Lisburn Road since 1933. It is a third-generation family business with grandmother Eileen Brown running the business, originally as a bakery. It morphed into a general grocery store and then, when her son William took over, began to specialise in more exotic foodstuffs from across Europe.
Statutory Sick Pay: FSB recommendations included in influential new corss-party report
The Work and Pensions Committee’s new report on statutory sick pay (SSP), published this week, contains many recommendations called for by FSB, which it hopes the Government will adopt. These include a rebate for SMEs and the abolition of the Lower Earnings Limit, which currently stops people on lower pay receiving SSP, both of which were brought up by FSB’s policy chair, Tina McKenzie, when she gave evidence to the Committee in January. The average annual cost for a small business from sickness absence is just over £3,500, including paying for cover and overtime, according to FSB’s Business Without Barriers report. FSB is in favour of widening access to sick pay, while helping small employers bear the costs.
FSB’s latest Small Business Index survey goes live
The FSB Small Business Index (SBI) survey for the first quarter of 2024 is now open. FSB’s quarterly SBI serves as a temperature check for small businesses across the UK, and the results form the basis for policy recommendations across a number of important areas for SMEs, helping to make the case for change to the Government and other important decision-makers. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and is open to all small business owners.
Childcare support changes from 1 April
Eligible working parents of two-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of childcare support from 1 April. This comes ahead of changes in September 2024, when eligible working parents of nine-month-olds will also be able to access 15 hours a week, increasing to 30 hours in September 2025. Families can visit Childcare Choices to see what support they might be eligible for now and in the future.
Royal Mail price increases from 2 April
The cost of many Royal Mail products and services will increase from 2 April. The price of first-class stamps will increase by 10p to £1.35, with the cost of second-class, international, and tracked deliveries all also due to rise. The increases follow on the back of Ofcom’s proposals in January to cut Royal Mail services, which FSB said would cause widespread disruption to small businesses and the UK economy. For more information and the full list of service cost changes, visit the Royal Mail website.
Prepare your business for changes to import controls
Additional changes to import controls will come into effect from 30 April under the Broader Target Operating Model. Changes include the introduction of physical checks for medium-risk plant and animal products imported from EU countries. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is holding a series of webinars on the changes as well as the wider implications of the Broader Target Operating Model and how they will impact businesses that import plant and animal products.
Scottish Government procurement targets must give small suppliers a fair deal
FSB’s head of policy and external affairs in Scotland, Stacey Dingwall, gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on the Scottish Government’s upcoming Community Wealth Building legislation. She discussed FSB’s long-standing ask for any legislation to include statutory targets for public procurement spending with small and micro businesses. She also addressed some of the barriers currently preventing small businesses from bidding for public contracts, such as extensive and cumbersome bureaucracy and the impact of late payments on small firms. FSB has highlighted the success of Community Wealth Building pilots in five areas across Scotland, which have seen significant increases in the number of contracts won by local small businesses.
Cyber crime: Email security online tool
According to a UK government report, 32 per cent of small businesses experienced a breach or cyber attack in the last 12 months, and one of the most common techniques criminals use is to send fake emails that impersonate your organisation. These phishing emails, as they are known, can be used to commit online fraud, or to spread ransomware and other types of malware. You can register with the NCSC’s free Check your Email Security online tool, which can prevent criminals from exploiting your email domain.
Managing asbestos effectively
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a reminder for people to check if they are responsible for managing asbestos in their business or place of work. Anyone who owns a building, is a landlord, or is responsible for a building’s general maintenance may have a legal duty to manage and monitor asbestos in that property or workplace. HSE’s asbestos management web page contains a range of useful resources on how to stay compliant with asbestos management obligations and keep people safe, including a short video on how to manage asbestos properly.
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