FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses)

🚨The Assembly’s Economy Committee begins scrutinising the Department for the Economy NI’s ‘Good Jobs’ Employment Rights Bill today ✍️ FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) Policy Chair Alan Lowry writes in the Belfast Newsletter that the objective of seeing good terms and conditions for employees must not come at the expense of making Northern Ireland overly bureaucratic and uncompetitive, slowing growth and hindering the economy at the precise time business should be unleashed. Tina McKenzie MBE, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) UK Policy Chair has already warned the UK Government that the proposals in its own Employment Rights Bill will fail to motivate small businesses to hire more workers and, with growth flatlining, that the economy is in no fit state for a ‘war on work’. 📉 The NI Executive needs to get this one right. READ the full article here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eujBc5gv

Meet Karly Greene, Deputy Director in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT)  🤝 Through people, partnership and mentorship, "so much can be done when we do it together." Read Karly's Member profile here: https://bitl.to/3eiL Look out for the Department for Business and Trade event on Wednesday 29th January in partnership with Women in Business NI and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), specifically designed for women in NI who want to take the first steps in their exporting journey. You can find out more and register here: https://bitl.to/3eiR

🛑⚡ There are parallels between the Employment Rights Bill being brought forward by the UK Government and what is being proposed in the Department for the Economy NI’s Employment Rights Bill. Stormont’s Economy Committee begins its scrutiny of the NI Employment Rights Bill on Wednesday. It’s vital that the proposals do not come at the price of making Northern Ireland overly bureaucratic and uncompetitive for investment and growth, and put at risk creating more good jobs. 📻 Listen to FSB`s Craig Beaumont who spoke to LBC News about the UK Government`s Employment Rights Bill and the concerns of small businesses. 👇

A free session for women in Northern Ireland on taking the first steps to grow your business internationally. Offered by DBT's Export Academy in partnership with Women in Business and the FSB NI. First Steps to Export Success - From Northern Ireland to the World Wednesday 29 January at 10:00am Find out more and join for free here: https://lnkd.in/eevxcHwd What you’ll learn: Learn from inspiring female-led Northern Ireland businesses that are thriving in international markets; The opportunities and challenges of exporting; How to access Government support to kick start your international growth.

UPDATE: Due to circumstances beyond control, this webinar will be rescheduled to a later date. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. 🚨Maximising Social Impact: How NI businesses and charities can thrive together. Why not join this engaging FREE webinar with FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) Development Manager Roisin McAliskey and Ellen Finlay as we explore the mutual benefits of corporate-charity partnerships and provide actionable insights and practical steps for businesses to enhance their ESG/CSR strategies. 📅 Tues 21 Jan, 10.30am Register here: https://lnkd.in/eUNQPMKp

Is your small firm employing casual workers over the winter? 💷Casual workers may still be eligible for #Pensions automatic enrolment (AE). Make sure you're compliant by checking your legal duties as an employer on the @TPRgovuk website 👇 🔗 go.fsb.org.uk/48LX5Da #Employment #Employers #SmallBusinesses

🥳 Happy New Year to all and starting the year strong with a number of fantastic FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) events in January 2025! Why not come along and join us to get the chance to connect with other SMEs, find out about the benefits of FSB membership and gather some useful information on Social Impact and Exporting? 💐 Thanks to all of our contributors & partners for the forthcoming events including Ellen Finlay, Space NI, Jennifer McWilliams, Jessica Todd, Christina Murphy Department for Business and Trade, Women in Business NI 🎟️ All booking links available here: https://lnkd.in/e--PjRw6

What a year #2024 has been. My export travels for Environmental Street Furniture took me to 18 countries and 10 US states ….. We expanded our client base by exhibiting in the #experience attractions IAAPA Themed Entertainment Association, Experience UK sector, and got to meet the The Wombles in the #ESG #sustainable smart realm. We won awards locally and nationally with FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) and #businesseye and got to work with some amazing people at Department for Business and Trade #2025 is shaping up to a great year of #innovation partnering with market leaders like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and ubloquity to offer unrivalled service and products My role as #exportchampion for Department for Business and Trade has allowed me to encourage, guide, direct and even perhaps ‘cajole’ local businesses into the ever-expanding #export sector, and my role as #Chair of FSB Northern Ireland (Federation of Small Businesses) has given me insights and access to the highest seats of power and decision making in NI, UK and USA to lobby for better conditions for #entrepreneurs to launch, grow and thrive new businesses. A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and see you in 2025 …… Made in Britain @madeinbritainco Family Business United Invest Northern Ireland Invest Northern Ireland – Americas Invest Northern Ireland - India, Middle East, Africa InterTradeIreland PSSA - Perimeter Security Suppliers Association OCO Global Ulster University Business School University of Warwick - Warwick Business School Economic Research Forum Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Blooloop World Waterpark Association Northern Ireland Bureau (North America) Danske Bank Business Eye Magazine Richard Elliott Karly Greene Rozmin Blatt Barrie Harris Tendai Chetse Glen McMahon Kieran K. Laura Bos Alexis Svenson Claire F. Scott Hanna Barry Clarke

Last night I joined BBC Northern Ireland programme ‘The View’, reflecting on the situation at Stormont since the Executive has been reinstated. Whilst the stability has certainly been positive for those of us selling Northern Ireland as a great place to do business, there now remain significant challenges to be addressed. I emphasised Northern Ireland’s economic inactivity rate in particular, which at over 28%, remains significantly higher than the UK average. Northern Ireland’s businesses and communities cannot afford continued inaction. A fully functioning Executive must prioritise this issue, working collaboratively with employers to create pathways to employment and reduce barriers for those furthest from the labour market. At Staffline Recruitment Ireland, we see first-hand the potential that can be unlocked when people are given the right support to access opportunities. Now is the time to take meaningful action.

Today, the NI Assembly will debate a democratic consent motion - i.e. whether Articles 5-10 of the Windsor Framework (in short, the parts relating to trade) should continue to apply. How will it work? 👉 The Assembly will vote on the motion “That Articles 5 to 10 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the EU withdrawal agreement should continue to apply during the new continuation period (within the meaning of Schedule 6A to the Northern Ireland Act 1998)" 👉 The motion is to be decided without amendment and the petition of concern mechanism does not apply. 👉 The SoSNI has published explanatory materials for MLAs in advance of the debate on the Democratic Consent Mechanism https://lnkd.in/eX8q9Ay9 and also laid a written statement in Parliament https://lnkd.in/ebMxprt3 4/ 👉 If the motion moves to a vote, there are three possible outcomes - the motion is not agreed; the motion is agreed by a simple majority (i.e without cross community consent); or the motion is agreed with cross community consent. What happens next depends on whichever of these 3 outcomes will apply - see flowchart below. 👉 More details including a short explainer available on our website https://lnkd.in/e4uS5ZZj