Craft Focus - April/May 2021 (Issue 84)

89 GOOD BUSINESS Martin McTague, FSB National Vice Chair, Policy and Advocacy, looks at how small businesses are adapting for the better in the wake of the pandemic These are very uncertain times for a business. A record number of small business owners are planning to close their doors over the coming 12 months, putting the UK on course to lose more than a quarter of a million businesses. These figures from our Small Business Index research make for shocking reading, with the impact of the global pandemic, lockdown strategies, as well as the end of the transition period, mounting pressure on to small firms across the UK. But this is more than a statistic. Behind each one is a viable business, deeply embedded in its local community, employing people, and contributing to the economy. These businesses are doing good things – and yet may not be there in months unless we support them. While there’s no doubt these are challenging times, small firms and the self-employed have long been champions of adapting, innovating and engaging with their communities during hard times – and across the country over the past year we’ve seen countless examples of small firms doing just this. ACTS OF KINDNESS Even before the first lockdown started, FSB research found that eight in 10 small firms already volunteered or contributed to a local community organisation or charitable cause in some way. It’s no surprise that once the pandemic hit so many businesses took the opportunity to help those in need. It’s in their lifeblood, it’s part of their business. Small business leaders have been at the frontline, carrying out key community roles during the crisis, prioritising and supporting vulnerable customers, donating provisions to local food banks, supporting to key workers and home deliveries to vulnerable customers free of charge as well as signing up to be NHS volunteers. Knowing the role small businesses play in their communities, Federation of Small Businesses has decided to collaborate with the Good Business Charter to offer a new way for small firms to have their employee wellbeing, sustainability and diversity credentials acknowledged – all things we know are important to small firms and should be celebrated. Businesses with up to 50 employees can now apply for Good Business Charter accreditation through a streamlined application process. We know time for a small business owner is at a premium – and the new assessment has been designed with that in mind. COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL PRACTICE The Good Business Charter was created by Richer Sounds founder Julian Richer. The charter enables businesses to have their FSB BUSINESS FEATURE 