Power Brands Global Event honours world’s most recognisable brands and change-makers

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Power Brands Global Event honours world’s most recognisable brands and change-makers

International entrepreneurs, investors, CEOs, political figures including former Presidents and Prime Ministers academicians, media giants, sports and film personalities convened in London for the second edition of Power Brands Global and London International Forum for Equality (LIFE) Summit. The ceremony saw high profile global leaders in politics, business, sport and philanthropy inducted into the Power Brands Hall of Fame at the Hilton Kensington, London.  

The event was powered by the Centre for International Competitiveness & Research (CICR), an organisation providing research for the business, policy making and academic communities, focused on the level of competitiveness of businesses within economies and presented by Contentra Technologies USA, a leading publishing services, digitisation and content transformation company. Power Brands Global also coincided with the London International Forum for Equality (LIFE) Summit, a unique confluence of some of the most powerful and humane international minds from the sphere of politics, business, academics and entertainment.

The evening was presided over by hosts sports journalist, author and broadcaster Ian Stafford, and model-actress Ellie Torrez, with India’s leading 24-hour English-language news channel TIMES NOW supporting the event as Media Partner. Power Brands Global also provided much attention from 10 global leaders inducted into the Power Brands Hall of Fame. Experts in their respective fields, each awardee was commended for building a brand that has promoted faith, hope and commitment to spreading equality, and were honoured with their induction into the Power Brands – Hall of Fame. This year’s inductees featured figures from the Charity/ Not for Profit sector, Sports, Politics and Business. They included:

Sports:

  • Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – one of UK’s most successful Paralympian –
  • Mr. Zlatko Mateša, PhD – the 6th Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia & current President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce – Croatian Olympic Committee –

Politics:

  • Claude Ajit Moraes MEP – UK (London) – Labour Member of the European Parliament for London and Chair of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE)
  • Neena Gill MEP – UK (West Midlands) – third term as a Labour member of the European Parliament for the West Midlands. Spent over 18 years working in social housing in a variety of inner-city areas across the UK to tackle issues of social deprivation and homelessness and hit the headlines by setting up the country’s first Asian only sheltered accommodation
  • Virendra Kumar Sharma MP – UK (Southall) – vocal humanitarian activist and is a member of the Council of Europe Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. Chairs the Indo-British All-Party Parliament Group leads APPG for Gurkha Welfare and Co-chairs APPG on Nepal, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis Group

Business Figures:

  • John Atwal OBE –  His brainchild Premier Decorations started almost 30 years ago from nothing and now employs 250 people at its peak in the year
  • Mike Tobin OBE – serial technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. As the former ‘maverick’ CEO of Telecity Group, the FTSE 250 data centre operator he took from £6million to £3billion, Michael is known across the globe as the leader who created the data centre industry in Europe.
  • Bright Simons – Ghanaian social innovator, entrepreneur, writer, recognised by the World Economic Forum as a young Global Leader. President of the mPedigree Network, a system that empowers consumers to instantly verify with a free text message whether their medicines are safe and not counterfeit.

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri who presented the Global Wage Equality Vision Document based upon Dr. Malay Chaudhuri and his forthcoming book to fight for a just world with 3:1 ratio of wages between the highest paid worker to the lowest paid worker, said: “This vision that we have nurtured for decades and formally announced on 5th May this year, will now gain momentum with such powerful people spreading the word. I am myself embarking on a 15-nation tour in the first phase to present a paper to Political and Corporate leaders across countries.”

Power Brands Global and the London International Forum for Equality (LIFE) Summit was powered by The Centre for International Competitiveness & Research (CICR) and presented by Contentra Technologies USA, a leading Publishing Services, digitisation and Content transformation company.

 

 

To donate or not to donate! Charitable spending by Muslim charities

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To donate or not to donate! Charitable spending by Muslim charities

By Grahame Anderson

From 15 May till mid-June the holy month of Ramadan will see British Muslims worshipping the third Pillar of Islam by giving away a portion of their wealth to charity. Known as ‘Zakat’, it’s also a form of self-purification and a chance to help the poor and needy.

Muslim Beliefs

Muslims believe this helps a person acknowledge everything comes from God on loan, and we do not really own anything ourselves. Freeing oneself from love of possessions, money and self-admiration is part of this, as is behaving honestly and with compassion. Zakat in essence is the systematic giving of 2.5 per cent of one’s wealth each year to benefit the poor. The percentage rate only applies to cash, gold and silver, and commercial items. There are other rates for farm and mining produce, and for animals.

Giving for Ramadan

Ramadan is the time when percentage wealth is calculated, and Zakat is donated. But how is this done? Where does the money go and how can individuals be sure their money is genuinely helping others? In recent years we’ve seen an emergence of specialist Muslim charities who both accept these donations and guide individuals responsibly toward genuine causes. With charity and giving in mind however, the focus has been on just how transparent these organisations are, and are they claiming more for expenses than for their actual charitable causes? Asian Sunday has been finding out.

Penny Appeal

UK registered charity Penny Appeal was launched in 2009 in Bradford to provide poverty relief across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Its goal is to offer water solutions, mass feeding, orphan care support and the provision of emergency food and medical aid.

A spokesperson told me: “Penny Appeal has a 100 per cent Zakat policy, meaning every single penny of a Zakat donation will go directly to those who need it most. Other than Zakat, one of our most popular projects this year has involved selling 20,000 tins of Palestinian dates at £10 each. Aside from the £5 that goes to poor Palestinian farmers to buy the dates, a further £2.50 per tin goes to help our Love Palestine campaign. What’s more, the tins turn into money boxes so people can support the campaign throughout the year.

“Also, new for this year, is a dedicated campaign called WOW which advocates for women and provides livelihood programmes as well as helping victims of domestic abuse. People can see a full list of our campaigns on our website and our accounts are available to download from the Charities Commission site too.”

Their annual return for April 2017 disclosed the charity employed 118 people, also using the services of 103 volunteers and a payroll figure of £2,5996.989. In terms of spending a total of 67 per cent or £12,565,902 went on charitable activities, with £4,909,973 or 26 per cent designated to income generation and governance. A total of £1,153,173 or six per cent was retained for future use.

Islamic Aid

Asian Sunday understands the UK charity Islamic Aid based in London has a 100 per cent policy, meaning every penny given goes to help the poor. They say for every £1 given they spend £1.10 on their project work with poor people. They can do this because admin costs are ‘very low’ and they can reclaim the tax people have already paid on donations through gift aid. Islamic Aid aims to be open and transparent providing an Annual Report and Accounts along with a yearly Review.

Their annual return to the Charity Commission for 30 June 2017 disclosed charitable spending of £3,511, 298 amounting to 84 per cent. Income generation and governance totalled £283,893 or seven per cent, with £404,977 or 10 per cent retained for future use. They employed four people and 25 volunteers with wages at £17,743

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Islamic Relief is an active member of several highly reputable organisations including Accountable Now, HAP International and People in Aid. It also holds consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.

A spokesperson explained: “We believe we need to be transparent about how we are spending the donations entrusted to us. We are accountable both to our beneficiaries and to donors about the work we are doing and its effectiveness. That is why we publish our annual report and audited accounts online, detailing our sources of funding and areas of expenditure. We have been highly commended by the Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales for outstanding transparency and communication in our accounts.

“In 2016, for every £1.00 we spent, 86 pence was directed straight to charitable programmes, with four pence going toward support or indirect costs. Seven pence generated funds to secure more resources for everything we do.

“Every pound we spend on fund-raising generates an average of £5 to increase our impact. Around One pence was spent on press campaigning for policy changes aimed at benefiting poor communities, increasing self-reliance and prosperity and reducing the need for aid in the future. Two pence was spent on trading and investment.

“When it comes to salaries we aim to strike a good balance between attracting capable senior staff and ensuring we deliver aid professionally and effectively. Prudent management of funds ensures as much as possible reaches our beneficiaries in poor countries.

“This year we are asking our supporters to help us save lives, for the love of Allah, by giving their Zakat to Islamic Relief. Zakat has the power to transform lives and Islamic Relief utilises Zakat donations to support those facing a daily fight for survival due to poverty, disasters and conflict.”

A close look at the Islamic Relief worldwide group and charity balance sheets as at 31 December 2016, revealed a total expenditure of £112,522,405 with income standing at £105,576,484. A total of 45.3 per cent of money spent was designated toward protecting life and dignity with 14.8 per cent providing access to health and water. A further 16.7 per cent was used caring for orphans and children.

Muslim Aid

For every £1 donated to Muslim Aid in London, newly registered with the Charity Commission, 88 pence go toward programmes with nine pence spent on fund-raising, and three pence on running costs. The charity is one of the top 20 UK relief and development agencies, alongside Christian Aid, Save the Children and Oxfam. Their main aim during this year’s Ramadan however, is to raise £6million, for life-saving work with new-born babies in Gaza, drought affected communities in Somalia and Syrian refugees.

SKT Welfare

Based in Birmingham and Huddersfield the charity operates in several countries around the world, including Syria, Palestine, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia and the UK. Their work concentrates on providing food and water to the homeless and refugees, as well as providing healthcare, and establishing sustainable projects. SKT has also been selling tins of dates at £10 each. A minimum of £2.75 profit is made on each tin which goes toward a particular project. The remaining £7.25 is used on the actual purchasing of the dates and packaging.

SKT released this statement to Asian Sunday saying: “SKT Welfare operate a 100 per cent donation policy. We have always been transparent that Gift Aid – the scheme which enables charities to claim an extra 25p on every £1 donated – allows us to cover the administration costs of the charity. This means every penny of the donations we receive can directly benefit those in need.

“We work on a three-year cycle for gift aid, this means that gift can be claimed up to three years after the donation has been made.”

Their Charity Commission accounts return for 31st December 2016  recorded charitable spending of £3,039,886. A total of £836,908 was retained for future use. Income generated and governance saw a figure of £509,312.

So, to conclude, there is no doubt that the charities listed work hard in delivering aid and use donations to support some really good causes. The question is however, are the charities making your money work the hardest it can?

The answer for this for many will differ and therefore, the best way to decide who deserves your donation the most, is to look at the facts and figures and how the charity runs its operations.

By looking at the complete facts and figures, and comments from the respective charities we hope this can help you the public be able to make an informed decision of whether the charity is working hard enough for your donations.

The advice is always ensuring your donation goes to a charity who are fully transparent and offer experienced guidance.

Should you require more information the Charity Commission’s website holds details of charitable organisations up and down the UK, the work they do and a full set of detailed accounts, so you know exactly how your money is spent.

Workplace expert urges employers to have a good team line up before World Cup kick off….

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Workplace expert urges employers to have a good team line up before World Cup kick off….

Workplace expert, Acas, has launched new guidance to help employers prepare for potential issues that could arise over the World Cup period.

The 2018 World Cup will take place in Russia between Thursday 14 June and Sunday 15 July. Football match start times in the UK will vary between 1pm and 8pm.

Acas advises employers and small businesses to plan ahead and have agreements in place that cover requests for time off, sickness absence, website use during working hours or watching TV during this period.

Acas Chair, Sir Brendan Barber, said:

“The World Cup is an exciting event for many football fans but staff should avoid getting a red card for unreasonable demands or behaviour in the workplace during this period.

“Many businesses need to maintain a certain staffing level in order to survive. Employers should have a set of simple workplace agreements in place before kick off to help ensure their businesses remain productive whilst keeping staff on side too.

“Our guidance published today can help managers get the best from their team players, arrange appropriate substitutions if necessary and avoid unnecessary penalties or unplanned send offs.”

Acas offers some top tips for employers to consider for the 2018 World Cup:

Time off – employers may wish to look at being a little more flexible when allowing employees leave during this period and employees should remember that it may not always be possible to book leave off. The key is for both parties to try and come to an agreement.  All requests for leave should be considered fairly. A consistent approach should be applied for leave requests for other major sporting events too as not everyone likes football!

Sickness absence – levels of attendance should be monitored during this period in accordance with the company’s attendance policy. Any unauthorised absence or patterns of absence could result in formal proceedings. This could include the monitoring of high levels of sickness or late attendance due to post match celebrations.

 Flexibility – one possible option is to have a more flexible working day. Employees could come in a little later or finish sooner and then agree when this time can be made up.

Allowing staff to listen to the radio or watch the TV may be another possible option. Employers could also allow staff to take a break during match times. Another option is to look at allowing staff to swap shifts with their manager’s permission.

It is important to be fair and consistent with all staff if you allow additional benefits during the World Cup. Any change in hours or flexibility in working hours should be approved before the event.

Use of social media and websites – there may be an increase in the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter or websites covering the 2018 World Cup.

Employers may wish to remind staff of any policies regarding the use of social networking and websites during working hours. The policies should be clear on what is and isn’t acceptable web use.

Drinking or being under the influence at work – some people may like to participate in a drink or two while watching the match or go to the pub to watch a match live. It is important to remember that anyone caught drinking at work or under the influence of alcohol in the workplace could be subject to disciplinary procedures. There may be a clear no alcohol policy at work and employees may need a reminder.

Acas’ full guidance for the 2018 World Cup is available at http://www.acas.org.uk/worldcup

Annual British Indian Awards set to take place in Leicester

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Annual British Indian Awards set to take place in Leicester

Leicester has been announced as the location for the 6th annual British Indian Awards. The prestigious awards ceremony is due to take place at The Athena on the 21 June.

The awards aim to acknowledge and celebrate the effort of the British Indian community across sectors ranging from Entrepreneur of the Year to Best Entertainer both in Leicester and beyond.

Leicester, which is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the UK, was made up of Asian Indians by 28% in 2013, a figure which is likely to have grown more recently as well as the growth of small- and mid-sized businesses owned by Asians in the city, of which there were already 3000 in 2013.

Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East since 1987 said: “British Indians should be commended for the amazing work done by them not just in the United Kingdom but also in their home country in India.”

The event is being run by Oceanic Consulting, the UK’s leading ethnic consulting and promotions organisation in the UK, who have recently been shortlisted at the Asian Media Awards 2017 for their work in the Marketing & PR Sector, and are responsible for some of the most successful and well known events in the country such as the English Asian Business Awards and English Curry Awards amongst others.

This awards ceremony is also part of the Diversity Awards group which provides a platform for and celebrates the achievements of ethnic minority communities throughout the UK and is responsible for The British Muslim Awards which has been running for the last six years.

Title sponsors, Cashfinex, an advanced cryptocurrency exchange that is designed for traders and businesses to buy and sell digital currencies as well as gives access Forex trading are also looking forward to the awards ceremony.

Mohsin Jameel, CEO of Bull InfoTech, the company behind CashFinex, said: “We are really pleased to be the title sponsor the British Indian Awards, the partnership comes at an exciting time for the business. We’ve just launched our new exchange which give investors and businesses the opportunity to trade in the cryptocurrencies and forex from a single platform.

Jet Airways launches North of England’s first direct flights to India’s financial capital Mumbai from Manchester

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Jet Airways launches North of England’s first direct flights to India’s financial capital Mumbai from Manchester

The North of England’s first ever direct flights to India’s financial capital Mumbai will begin in November.

Indian airline Jet Airways announced it will operate a four flights per week service from Manchester, with a flight time of approximately 10 hours 35 minutes.

Not only does it mark the first non-stop route from Manchester to Mumbai, but it’s also Jet Airways’ first direct service between the UK and India.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the new route will “strengthen connections between two major global cities and the wider Northern Powerhouse”.

More than half a million people of Indian origin live in northern England, while over 100 Indian companies have bases across the region.

The flights follow the launch of the Manchester-India Partnership created earlier this year to boost links.

Manchester Airport chief executive Andrew Cowan said: “Securing a direct service to one of India’s major cities is the product of a lot of hard work over a long period of time to forge closer ties between Manchester and this globally significant economy.

“We have worked, along with a range of partners, to create a compelling case for why our city – and the wider North – is a great place to visit, invest in and do business with. I am delighted Jet Airways have recognised this by launching what I’m sure will be a hugely popular service, not least for the 500,000 people of Indian origin living across the North.

“Direct connectivity to the world’s most important markets is key to creating a prosperous and internationally competitive Northern economy, and a balanced and outward facing UK. This route will deliver a major boost to businesses looking to export to the world’s fastest-growing economy, as well as helping to attract Indian visitors and investors to the North. We look forward to working with Jet Airways on launching the Mumbai service in the months ahead.”

Jet Airways will initially fly from Manchester to Mumbai on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday using an A330-200 aircraft with 254 seats.

Return journeys start from £400 in economy, and although the new route doesn’t take off until 5 November 2018, those thinking of flying can already book seats by visiting the .

Furthermore, the flight also provides a connection to nearly 35 hotspots including the likes of Kolkata, Delhi, Goa and Jaipur to name a few.

Similarly, quick connections to beyond points on Jet Airways’ international network such as Bangkok, Colombo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dhaka and Kathmandu, will now be available.

Vinay Dube, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airways said: “We are extremely pleased to begin a new chapter in our decade-long relationship with the United Kingdom.

“The new service will bring Manchester into our global network, reinforcing our global footprint, as well as expanding the choice of connectivity to and from the United Kingdom for our guests with the four days a week, non-stop service.

“With the new flight, Jet Airways will have over 8,000 seats on offer every week, making it increasingly convenient for both business and leisure travellers to travel between the UK and India. This will deepen both commerce and tourism ties between the two countries”.

 

Bradford Cash & Carry Launches New Store with £3 Million Expansion

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Bradford Cash & Carry Launches New Store with £3 Million Expansion

Bradford based United Food Cash and Carry is set to launch a new 120,000 sq. ft. store after an unprecedented £3 million expansion and lucrative investment which has seen the business grow exponentially.

The grand opening is set to be held on Monday 30 April 2018 at 10am and will enable suppliers to sample food on the day, in addition to welcoming both existing and new customers with special offers that will be running exclusively on the week of the launch.

United Food Cash and Carry is a family owned business that has been part of the renowned Kashmiri Jinnah Group of companies. Jinnah Group is a dining and restaurant company that owns a chain of restaurants across the areas of Bradford, York, Harrogate and Selby and due to high demand the company is set to cater for their growing list of clients.

The company provides services to over 500 businesses in and around the UK, in addition to providing over 2000 product lines and boasts their own fleet of delivery vehicles that deliver throughout the areas of Yorkshire and Lancashire respectively.

The rapid growth of the business has led to the creation of 20 new jobs which Managing Director, Saleem Akhtar says is just the start as he is aiming to implement the creation of 20 new jobs in the near future. This initiative will help with providing employment in the Bradford area and will impact the economy at large in providing more opportunities for people who wish to join the company.

From having started as a small grocery store in humble surroundings, United Food Cash and Carry has now prospered into a business that has been a supplier to countless numbers of restaurants in and around the Yorkshire and Lancashire areas and continues to provide exceptional customer services and quality products to all its clientele.

The expansion is set to include the implementation of plans to enhance the butchery department and add new product lines such as crockery products for restaurants and catering businesses. The business attracts customers from outside areas such as Liverpool and Middlesbrough and has hopes to further excel in their delivery and product offerings with the new expansion underway.

The new store will make the company one of the largest distributors of produce and equipment for restaurants, caterers and fast food chains making it a thriving development for the region.

For more enquiries please contact: enquiries@unitedfoods.co.uk

Leeds Bradford Airport re-brands as Yorkshire Airport

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Leeds Bradford Airport re-brands as Yorkshire Airport

Leeds Bradford Airport as gone for a brand makeover.

Following the appointment of a new Chief Executive, new ownership and a number of exciting changes to the terminal all now well underway, the airport has taken the decision to rebrand.

With an ambition to create an airport that matches the needs and requirements of the region it serves and the surrounding area, Leeds Bradford: Yorkshire’s Airport will now be displayed throughout the terminal.

Five-year-old Toby Nye, the little boy who has captured the hearts of Yorkshire following his battle with neuroblastoma, did the honours to officially switch on the new signage emblazoned on the front of the terminal roof.

As part of the celebrations, the region’s largest airport also showcased the first part of its terminal redevelopments, including brand new purpose-built lounges. Featuring stunning floor to ceiling runway views, The Yorkshire Lounge, The White Rose Suite and 1432 Club will replace the current Yorkshire Premier Lounge.

Designed to offer a leisure, business or first-class experience, passengers have a number of entry methods, including pre-book, airline access, loyalty card schemes and on the day access.

The Yorkshire Lounge is the perfect place for families to relax and enjoy refreshments pre-flight, while The White Rose Suite offers the ideal environment for business passengers and couples looking for some pre-flight relaxation, in a lounge that serves barista-style coffee and a fully-serviced bar.

The 1432 Club, named after the runway, is the most exclusive of the new lounges, featuring a specially selected menu, self-service premium bar and a prime view of the airfield.

The unveiling of the new lounges follows the opening of a brand new Cabin Bar and Beer House while the Saltaire restaurant has been completely overhauled. Works on a brand new Starbucks coffee shop and additional retails outlets are set to commence in the coming weeks.

Designed to provide a more straightforward journey for customers with a modern and vibrant feel, as well as developing our food and beverage offering, the airport has also invested in free non-commercial seating within the departure lounge. Work is also currently underway on the terminal front to improve passengers’ arrival at the airport, with a new Meet & Greet car-park facility.

In March, the airport celebrated the opening of its first off-site car park. Viking Airport Parking, situated just off the airport roundabout located on Warren House Lane, ensures passengers have the smoothest possible start to their holiday. With members of staff on hand to park customers’ cars 24/7, shuttle buses transport passengers from the car park to the terminal in less than five minutes.

Chief Executive David Laws said: “We want the people of our thriving region to get behind their airport and help us move forward.

“We are delighted to offer our passengers even more choice in our departure lounge, as well as improved facilities for business travellers. We hope people will see this as the start of things to come for this airport. Our brand refresh embodies our vision to become Yorkshire’s airport of choice and to provide an airport our passengers can be proud of. As the development of LBA continues we hope to continually keep improving the customer experience and ensure our passengers feel welcome.

“We are investing in staff training to ensure we offer a warm ‘Yorkshire welcome’ to all of our passengers, as well as continually improving our Special Assistance offering to help passengers with reduced mobility and hidden disabilities.

“The more people use this airport the more successful we can be. Work continues to improve our route offering for both business and leisure services and we hope to have more exciting announcements in the near future.

“It was great to welcome Toby and his family to switch on our new sign and experience our exclusive lounges. We also look forward to welcoming them back in the near future for a VIP tour. Our Fire Team are especially excited to welcome Toby to the Fire Station, as we hear from a reliable source (his Mum) he is a lover of ‘Transformers’ and our new fire vehicles are the same as those used in the films!”

Bradford named by banking giant as the best city in the UK to start a business

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Bradford named by banking giant as the best city in the UK to start a business

According to research by Barclays bank Bradford is the best city in the UK to start a business.

Research conducted by the banking giant saw Bradford top the leader board ahead of Leicester, Coventry Edinburgh and Liverpool.

Barclays SME’s Growth Factors Index looked at 12 key growth factors such as business rate relief, infrastructure, broadband speed and labour productivity, which are essential to boosting business productivity and growth. It is based on analysis of the 20 largest cities by population size across the UK in which Bradford was ranked first overall, reflecting good performances on road infrastructure (the top ranking), job vacancies (the top ranking), commercial rent costs (the top ranking), and business rate relief (the top ranking).

Caroline Pullich, Head of SME for Yorkshire at Barclays Business Banking said: “It’s really encouraging to see that so many areas offering growth potential are outside of London and the South East, particularly with Bradford ranking as the top city across the UK.

“We undertook this study because we support small companies right across the country, and are keen to help more people start and grow businesses wherever opportunities exist. We’re committed to investing in Bradford’s SMEs and entrepreneurs, evidenced through our recent ‘Invest in Bradford’ business roundtable events with local key business people.

“Entrepreneurs do need to consider the market for their particular company, but an environment that supports growth can make a real difference. The growth factors identified by the research can become even more valuable when small companies start looking to scale up and grow, which is something we particularly encourage.”

Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “This is great news and reflects the hard work the council has put into creating the right business environment.

“Our award-winning City Centre Growth Scheme is recognised as the best rate relief scheme in the country, has supported over 220 companies with business rate rebates and capital grants, and has encouraged 45 new business start-ups.

“The council will continue to support the area’s strong entrepreneurial culture and next year will launch new schemes to roll out enterprise support and rate relief across our district.”

However, despite being ranked first, according to the research Bradford had fewer new start-ups launched in the past six years compared with other cities like Leeds, London and Birmingham. Just 16,800 of businesses have started in Bradford since 2012, 57,000 in London, and 45,000 in Birmingham.  Nevertheless, cities like Bradford have the strongest growth factors which are key to business productivity and growth.

 

FSB sets out small business priorities for EU negotiations

Natalie Cooper
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FSB sets out small business priorities for EU negotiations

BY Itrat Bashir

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged the government to ensure economic stability at this time of uncertainty and reassure small businesses of access to the single market in the European Union (EU).

FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry attended Business Secretary Sajid Javid’s business summit and stressed the need for immediate action to reassure small businesses so they can continue to trade and do business.

“Smaller firms need simple access to the single market, the ability to hire the right people, continued EU funding for key schemes and clarity on the future regulatory framework. When the negotiations start, FSB will to be a constructive partner and strong voice for small businesses, pushing for swift clarity on these crucial points,” he added.

According to him, as soon as the EU Referendum results were clear, FSB called on the government and the Bank of England to provide economic stability, for small firms to get the confidence to continue to drive economic growth and create jobs.

According to FSB, one-third of its members are in both export and import businesses, with the vast majority doing so with other countries within the single market. Access to the single market means access to 500 million potential consumers, more than 26 million businesses and is worth more than £9 trillion. The UK decision to leave the EU will impact smaller firms who directly import, and export, but who are also part of a supply chain. FSB is calling on the government for assurances that smaller firms can maintain access to the single market, and for steps to protect inward investment.

“Smaller firms employ 15.6 million people, which make up 60 percent of all private sector employment in the UK. Access to the right skills is a crucial requirement of smaller firms to ensure they can meet consumer demands and grow as a business. Over 30 percent of FSB members are worried they do not have access to the right skills. Smaller firms need to be able to hire the right person for the job, and sometimes this means recruiting from overseas. While we must focus hard to up-skill our UK workforce, including both academic and vocational skills, access to skilled labour from the EU must remain in place in the medium-term. In addition, many UK small firms, the self-employed, consultants and freelancers want the right to work in the EU as they do now,” observed FSB.

It also observed that directly and indirectly, many small businesses have benefitted from EU funds, some channelled toward infrastructure and others toward local initiatives. FSB members want reassurance that all schemes remain fully-funded in the short-term and a full assessment of the future of EU-funded schemes takes place.

The Government’s deregulation drive has seen some success, but they now call for a stronger role for the Regulatory Policy Committee in terms of tax regulations and rules coming from the EU. “The government should now be setting out their approach to boost this drive to remove red tape. UK/EU law has been developed over the last 40 years and now needs to be disentangled, and Government must provide clarity over what new regulation may be required,” it added.
FSB members in Northern Ireland are seeking assurances that they will not see the reinstatement of border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic, nor when travelling to the rest of the UK.

Government urged to support SMEs and address their concerns following Brexit vote

Natalie Cooper
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Government urged to support SMEs and address their concerns following Brexit vote

After a long and at sometimes acrimonious campaign on both sides of the argument, the Forum of Private Business has responded to today’s decision to leave the EU with an urgent request for the government to take immediate action to support SMEs, and address the many issues and concerns that they have raised during the referendum campaign.

Since the request was made shortly after the vote this morning, the UK-focused FTSE 250 is down 8% in early afternoon trading; the FTSE 100 index began the day by falling more than 8%, then regained some ground to stand 4% lower. Earlier, the pound fell dramatically by more than 10%, a low not seen since 1985.

“Politicians now no longer have the excuse of EU interference and need to act quickly and effectively to offset what as most economists believe will be a period of uncertainty. This means the UK’s 1.3 million employers will need support in managing this period of disruption if it is to continue to drive the British economy” explained Ian Cass, Managing Director of the Forum of Private Business.

Ian stated: “Our feedback suggests that a majority of business owners, even those involved in international trade supported the leave campaign as a way of freeing them from red tape that was imposed on them. We need an accelerated deregulation programme – vague promises of £10 billion cuts are no longer acceptable – and a beefed up skills programme so that UK workers have the skills needed by local employers”.

“However the clock is ticking, we have 2 years to extricate ourselves from the EU and cannot afford for any petty political squabbling within government. There is plenty of work that needs to be done as the economy effectively needs to be rebased around small firms and trade agreements needs to be negotiated”.

“Politicians now no longer have the excuse of EU interference and need to act quickly and effectively to offset what as most economists believe will be a period of uncertainty.”

Not all business owners are happy with the decision, Ed Salt, Managing Director of Delamere Dairies responded to the decision with disappointment, “As a co-owner of a business who relies on international trade and the benefits the EU brings to both the British economy and our agricultural sector, I am hugely disappointed that the UK has voted to leave the EU. A stable economy is vital to the future growth of the country and I am fearfully of what the future might hold, not only for the British economy and our world standings but of course Delamere Dairy”.

In contrast Owen Charnley, Owner of Pathway to Solutions was more upbeat:

“I have had to look into this in great detail and either side appeared to be a step into the unknown and while I respect the benefits the EU has bestowed on us in the past, past performance is no guarantee of future success. The union seemed to be taking us away from its fundamental reason for existence, becoming a remote legislative body and as the reforms were only going to be introduced after the vote, I feel that reform from within the EU would have been difficult.”

The voting division between the north and south of in England, particularly London’s overwhelming vote to Remain, is one which has been particularly noted by business leaders, and the Forum feels this highlights the need to take more positive action rather than just words on the part of the government. Comments earlier today focused on the possibility of moving operations away from London and into other large cities, in a bid to proactively devolve both private and government operations more evenly across the UK.

In his concluding remarks, Ian stated “the UK has made its decision and we can now move forward from this historic event in a positive and proactive manner. Small business must play its part, but what is clear is that we need some fresh and innovative thinking to ensure that Britain’s small businesses continue to innovate, grow and increase their productivity something the Forum and its members will fully engage with.”

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