The FSB Đ who we are and what we do É
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) was established in
1974 in the north of England and in Northern Ireland in 1984.
Today there are over 210,000 members, with more than 7000
in Northern Ireland alone.
The FSBŐs aim is to be the largest
and most effective organisation
promoting and protecting the interests
of the self employed and small
business owners within the UK as a
member-led, non-profit making and
non-party political organisation.
There are three distinct areas of
work Đ members interests, press
and parliamentary and lobbying
and policy-making.
The Head of Public Affairs and
Head of Policy are both based in
Westminster, which gives them
access to government and policy
makers. There are also press and
parliamentary offices in Belfast,
Glasgow and Cardiff that provide
for lobbying in the devolved
parliaments.
Being a member of the FSB offers
a range of benefits for business
people, including a 24 hour legal
help-line, a business banking
service which offers free banking,
an FSB credit card and other
financial services including
independent financial advice
and tax advice.
The FSB is divided into regions
throughout the UK. Northern
Ireland is one region with five
branches. Each branch has
a chairman and a committee
and those branches meet
regularly and hold events for
their members. Events include
business workshops, information
evenings and fundraising nights.
FSB Annual Conference 2007
One of the highlights for the
Northern Ireland region in 2007 was
the FSB Annual Conference that
was held at the Waterfront Hall in
Belfast at the end of March. It was
the first time in the FederationŐs
33-year history that the conference
had been held in Belfast and it was
hailed as a great success. Almost
650 delegates travelled from across
the UK for a three-day programme
of events. The two keynote speakers
included then First Minister Ian
Paisley and Sinn Fein MLA
(Member of the Legislative Assembly)
Mitchell McLaughlin.
Also speaking was the then Minister
for Small Businesses the Rt. Hon.
Margaret Hodge MP and the
Shadow Chancellor of the
Exchequer George Osborne MP.
TV personality Gloria Hunniford
also chaired a Question and Answer
session and Simon Woodroffe from
the BBC2 DragonŐs Den programme
hosted a LionŐs Lair competition.
As it was one of the biggest events
ever held in Belfast, the end-ofconference
Gala Ball had to be held
in the Odyssey Arena and was
decorated to look like the ballroom
in the Titanic.
The success of the conference
meant it acted as a showcase for
both the Northern Ireland region of
the FSB, Belfast city and Northern
Ireland as a whole.
Each branch also held a number of
events in 2007, in the South East, a
series of information seminars on
inheritance and other taxes, in the
Western, drinks receptions in the Lord
MayorŐs Parlour by the Belfast City
Branch and, a Women in Business
workshop by the North East.
Regional activities also included
raising money for the FSBŐs chosen
charity, which in 2006 was Action
Cancer and for 2007/08, is Marie
Curie Cancer Care.
Another major area of the FSBŐs work
is as a campaigning pressure group.
The FSB devises its own policies
based on the needs of their members
and uses those to lobby parliament.
FSB Policy is formulated following
consultation with their members,
about what they need to make their
businesses flourish and contribute
to a strong economy. Every two
years the FSB carries out a survey
of members on a range of subjects
to gauge their views. The results are
published in the Barriers to Growth
document, which is used as the
main point for drawing up policy.
The next survey will be conducted
this year (2008).
In March 2007 the FSB in
Northern Ireland launched
its own manifesto ahead
of the Assembly
elections that
contained all their
own policies. Called
Thinking Big for Small
Businesses, it was
distributed widely to all the
election candidates, press
and media.
Young Entrepreneurs
The FSB is also involved in
encouraging young entrepreneurial
talent and each year an awards
ceremony is held with the
Association of Northern Ireland
Colleges to recognize the
achievements of the best business
students in each of the Colleges
of Further Education.
Web. www.fsb.org.uk
Tel. 028 2766 6090