All this week's top small business news out now in Weekly Brief 🗞️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/violen...

🔻 April’s GDP contraction should be a warning sign to the Government that the disruption caused by the Middle East conflict - along with the cost increases which began to take effect at the start of the month, could cause significant damage to the UK’s small businesses. (1/2)

📑 Finding a way to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses is essential to driving up growth 📈 ✅ That's why we're pleased to be front and centre in the Government's Small Business Regulatory Taskforce, which held its inaugural meeting today. (1/2)

Business groups across Northern Ireland, including FSB, have joined together to condemn this week’s violence and disorder. 📺 Our policy chair, Tina McKenzie, has been speaking to BBC #Newsline about the impact it’s having on businesses, and the need for leadership and unity ⤵️

🗂️ New plans to make all companies, no matter how small, submit their full profit and loss accounts to Companies House introduces an unnecessary level of risk to their operations 👇 www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-pl...

🚨 Small businesses are facing a range of different cost pressures - from rising energy bills to increased employment costs. Click the link to have your say in our Q2 Small Business Index #SBI survey and help us campaign for the growth measures small firms need ⤵️ 🔗 about.fsbbigvoice.uk/SBI2026Q2

👩🏽‍🏭 Thinking about taking on apprentices but not sure where to begin? There’s still time to join our webinar with Amazing Apprenticeships and the Edge Foundation this Wednesday. Get guidance on choosing the right #apprenticeship, supporting your apprentice, and accessing financial support ⬇️ (1/2)

OUT NOW: Get up to speed with all this week's most important small business news in FSB's Weekly Brief 👷🏽‍♀️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/youth-...

📺 There are huge numbers of young people who want to graft, train and build careers, FSB's Tina McKenzie tells #TalkTV. But soaring employment costs mean that many small employers physically cannot afford to hire new staff and offer opportunities to young people ⤵️

Ministers cannot ignore the impact soaring employment costs are having on hiring 👷🏽‍♀️ We told The Guardian that employment costs are a major factor when it comes to the number of Neets – which is a shame, because small firms want to back the next generation 👇 www.theguardian.com/money/2026/m...

☀️ A strong summer could be the difference between staying afloat and shutting up shop for some small firms. 💷 The Chancellor's decision to cut #VAT to 5% on family activities over the summer months will help to bring in more customers to local restaurants, pubs, soft plays and attractions 🍻 (1/2)

⏰ Today marks a big step forward in our campaign to stamp out poor payment practices by big businesses towards their smaller suppliers, with the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill clearing its first Parliamentary hurdle. (1/2)

Get all the most important small business news of the week, every week 📆 Sign up to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter on email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox every Friday 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

🌱 The refreshed #UKBusinessClimateHub has tools, guidance, and first-hand stories from small business owners and entrepreneurs on how to improve sustainability and cut costs. ⛽️ With fuel and energy costs rising, we're pleased to have fed into the hub's new updates ⤵️ businessclimatehub.uk

Late and long payments from large businesses cause huge issues for thousands of small firms every year ⏰ That's why, following successful FSB campaigning, new laws to curb to poor payment practices set out in the King's Speech are a huge step forward for countless small business owners 👇

Small business owners: There's still time to have your say on the National Living Wage in our latest survey 👷🏽‍♀️💷 We also want to hear your views on the health and wellbeing of you and your employees. Take the survey now 🔗 about.fsbbigvoice.uk/WagesandWell...

👑 The formal commitment in the King's Speech to legislation to stamp out late payments is an historic moment for small firms. FSB worked closely with the Government to help shape these law changes and we’re grateful ministers have listened. Read more ⤵️ www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

Stay up to date with all the most important small business news of the week, every week 🚛 Sign up to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter on email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

👑 The State Opening of Parliament is when we find out the Government’s proposed new laws – and FSB has campaigned hard to have included tough legislation to clamp down on late payments from big businesses to their smaller suppliers. Read more ⤵️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/kings-...

Small business owners: Have your say on the National Living Wage in our latest survey 👷🏽‍♀️💷 We also want to hear your views on the health and wellbeing of you and your employees. Click the link to take the survey 🔗 about.fsbbigvoice.uk/WagesandWell...

Stay on top of all the most important small business news of the week, every week 🚂 Sign up to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter, the leading small business newsletter, on email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

🚂 For many small businesses, trading with EU markets is increasingly costly and complex. 💭 Fiona Forty, an FSB member and owner of Ingauge, a model railway servicing and repair specialist, told us about the difficulties of trading with the EU. (1/2)

🚘 Small firms want to trade with EU markets - but red tape and rising costs are putting them off. 🎥 FSB member Mark Knight, owner of Retro Marques classic car restoration company, told us what would make EU trade easier for his business 👇

📦 OUT TODAY: FSB's new report, Ticket to Trade, shows that red tape, rising costs, and complex rules are making it harder for small firms to trade with EU markets 🚢 (1/2)

🏆 Get up to speed with all the most important small business news of the week in FSB's Weekly Brief newsletter, out now 👇 www.linkedin.com/pulse/employ...

There needs to be a practical way forward that works for employers when it comes to how some aspects of the Employment Rights Act are implemented. FSB, along with other business groups, is saying this to the Government, as reported in The Times 👇 🔗 www.thetimes.com/business/com....

Want to keep up to date with all the most important small business news of the week? ⛽️ Sign up to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter on email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

OUT NOW: Get up to date with all the latest small business news in FSB's Weekly Brief ☀️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/busine...

⛽️ The conflict in the Middle East has caused a huge increase in the cost of fuel, driving up inflation. 📻 FSB's Paul Wilson tells Vanessa Baffoe on LBC News how our call for a temporary 5p per litre cut to fuel duty for the duration of the crisis, will help to reduce the pressure on small firms 👇

⏳LAST CHANCE! Business disputes can stall growth, drain time, and pile on costs. 💭 If your business has dealt with one, tell us what worked for you and what didn’t for the chance to win £200. Click the link to take the survey before it closes tomorrow ⤵️ about.fsbbigvoice.uk/SettlingDisp...

We welcomed Shadow Business and Trade Secretary Andrew Griffith to our Westminster offices - some productive discussions about supporting small businesses through the current costs stack and how to drive long-term economic growth ✅

📈 These changes will be a huge blow thousands of small firms and self employed people working in shared workspaces, effectively stripping away their crucial Small Business Rates Relief as the cost of doing business is soaring we told the @telegraph.co.uk ⤵️ www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202... (1/2)

⚖️ Disputes can cost time, money, and sleep. If you've dealt with a business dispute in the last five years, we want to know about your experience - from late payments to employment issues. Respond to our survey for the chance to win £200 👇 about.fsbbigvoice.uk/SettlingDisp...

⛽ All the week's top small business stories out now in the Weekly Brief 👇 🔗 www.linkedin.com/pulse/fuel-d...

⛽️ Fuel prices have been inflated by the conflict in the Middle East, with diesel prices up by 34% and unleaded up by 19%. ✂️ That's why we're calling for a temporary 5p per litre cut to fuel duty for the duration of the crisis, to help reduce the cost burden for small businesses and their suppliers.

🚨 When business disputes hit, how easy is it to sort them out? We’re asking small businesses about their experience, from informal fixes to court action. Respond to our latest survey for the chance to win £200 👇 about.fsbbigvoice.uk/SettlingDisp...

Never miss any of the most important small business news of the week 🥧 Sign up for to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter, the leading small business newsletter, on Email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

⚖️ Have you dealt with a business dispute in the last five years? From late payment to employment issues, we want to know what happened to help shape how disputes are handled in future. Complete the survey by 23 April for the chance to win £200 👇 about.fsbbigvoice.uk/SettlingDisp...

Get all the most important small business news stories of the week, every week 🥧 Sign up for to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter, the leading small business newsletter, on Email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

💭 Small firms are facing major changes to Statutory Sick Pay rules from April, alongside a stack of rising costs. 📻 FSB's Chris Russell spoke to Nick Abbot on @lbc.co.uk to explain what this means for small business owners ⤵️

🚩 In our latest #SBI survey for the first quarter of 2026, 54% of small firms said that their revenues had fallen. 📊 Only 24% said that their incomes had increased. Read more 🔗 www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

⚠️ Our #SBI figures for Q1 2026, show that 58% of small businesses said taxation was the top driver of rising costs. Find out more 🔗 www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

💷  Our latest #SBI for the first quarter of 2026 showed that nearly 9 in 10 small firms are seeing their costs increase compared to the same time last year. 📉  Over a quarter of small businesses are reporting double digit rises. Read more 🔗 www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

Our latest #SBI figures showed a slight uptick in small business confidence, but April's costs crunch could send it straight back down without Government action, we told #ThisIsMoney 👇 www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...

🆕 OUT TODAY: Small business confidence is ticking back up - but without Government action, this month's wave of cost hikes could push it straight back down. Read more 🔗 www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

Make sure you know what’s changing this month 🚩 💷 Small businesses are facing a costs stack from April, with energy standing charges, business rates, and the national living wage all increasing from 1 April, and changes to Statutory Sick Pay and dividend tax rises coming in from 6 April. (1/2)

🐝 Our policy chair, Tina McKenzie, and FSB members Nick Mann, founder of Habitat Aid Ltd, and Amanda Winwood, founder of Made for Life Organics, speak about our event at @anthropyuk.bsky.social last week, and how we represent the UK's small businesses ⤵️

📈 Energy costs, employment costs, and business rates bills are set to rise for many small businesses.   📺 FSB's @craigbeaumont.bsky.social tells @news.sky.com what the upcoming April costs stack means for small firms 👇

All the top small business stories of this week, out now in FSB's Weekly Brief 🌴 www.linkedin.com/pulse/stampi...

🐝 We've been at the Eden Project this week for Anthropy UK - the biggest gathering of business leaders in the UK - showcasing the brilliant work of the UK's small business community. ✅ Our packed event looked at the vital role of small businesses within our local communities... (1/2)