The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the UK’s biggest business organisation, has announced its most major changes since its founding in 1974.
In its press release, the FSB called the changes a ‘sweeping transformation’ – the next phase in a ‘vast rebranding exercise’ that will ‘ensure its stronghold as the most relevant, significant and accessible business organisation.’
New Offers and Benefits
Among the changes are a range of innovative new joining categories, as well as new and additional benefits.
“When FSB was founded in 1974, we adopted the Ford maxim of ‘you can have any colour you like as long as it’s black’,” explains FSB’s commercial director, Dave Stallon. “We had one membership category, delivering the same benefits to all. That model worked for over 40 years, but we recognise that today’s landscape is fast-changing and we want to offer different options to different business owners, as well as to those who are thinking about starting a business, to help them achieve their ambitions.”
Two new joining categories, FSB Business Creation and FSB Business Connect have been launched to complement the existing, but ‘newly re-branded and enriched’, FSB Business Essentials.
FSB Connect focuses on an expert networking offer. It’s free to join and open to all, whether they are a student, apprentice, existing business owner or anyone else with an interest in small businesses. It offers access to UK wide networking events, First Voice digital communications, and the opportunity to participate in the influential Big Voice survey panel.
FSB Business Creation is designed to help people plan and launch a business. It offers access to business advisors, networking opportunities and benefits including company formation, domain name registration, website build, access to market entry reports, copies of ‘First Voice’ (FSB’s quarterly publication), and a new FSB edition of the Wiley book ‘Starting a Business’. Business Creation members will be included in FSB’s Big Voice panel and have access to other exclusive discounted FSB products and services such as FSB business banking, FSB insurance, FSB card payment services and products.
FSB Business Essentials now includes a larger range of benefits and exclusive discounts to help businesses grow, including cyber protection, enhanced legal insurance cover up to £100,000 and PR and crisis management support. The Essentials package already offers many exclusive benefits and discounted products, including business banking, FSB insurance, FSB card payment services and products, FSB lobbying and auto-enrolment.
A further joining category, FSB Business Plus, is due to launch later in the year, with a ‘revolutionary new small business e-commerce platform’, FSB Marketplace, due to be rolled out in the spring.
Dave Stallon comments: “There are huge opportunities for both new and existing smaller businesses at this time, and we’re committed to assisting the nation in harnessing these. Advances in tech, manufacturing techniques, infrastructure changes, exciting new exporting opportunities, consumer diversification and demand for personalisation, all bring thrilling new prospects.”