In this edition:

• November with the Small Business Commissioner

• Commissioner in the media

• OSBC Success Stories

• OSBC Board Advisors

4 minute read

Collage from our pilot “SME Safari”.

November with the Small Business Commissioner

Welcome to November’s newsletter! This month has definitely been characterised by being “out-and-about”, as we’ve engaged with regional support groups, as well as visits to Edinburgh and Cardiff. As I reflect on our travels this month, it seems to me there are two strong threads that have come through. On the one hand, it’s undeniable that overall business confidence remains low (whichever poll you read or city you visit). On the other, it is clear there is a determined effort being made by businesses and support organisations across the UK to lift spirits and sales. For us at the OSBC, this looks like helping as many small businesses as we can - you can read one of our recent success stories below; finding different ways to ensure that the voice of small business is heard across Government; and working with some brilliant partners supporting SMEs across the country.

SME Safari

You may remember, last month we led a delegation of small businesses into Number 10 to meet with the business unit. To build on this, rather than bring businesses into the centre of government, we took government to the frontline of business and piloted our first “SME Safari.” This was a series of visits for civil servants, including the head of SME policy from Department for Business and Trade, and colleagues working on the Employment Rights bill, youth enterprise, and business engagement, to meet real-life founders. The intent of the trip was for those working on the front line of policy to meet those at the cutting edge of enterprise in their own environment; to hear first-hand from business owners on current challenges and opportunities. This first “safari” has been a great success and we hope to do more of these around the UK over the coming months.

AI in the Nations

It was also great to join DBT and Google in Edinburgh for the “AI Works for Business” event. Businesses were invited to explore practical solutions via hands-on demos in the AI playground as well as hear from keynote speakers, how AI can drive greater productivity and make gains for their businesses. I also made the trip to Cardiff to meet with small businesses who are already utilising digital tools and AI to reduce operational friction, and rather brilliantly to speed up their payment times.

Regional Support

We’ve also met with multiple growth hubs and other regional business support organisations this month regarding our services and how we can help small businesses secure overdue payments. These organisations do a fantastic job providing expert advice to the businesses in their region, and whilst seeing the number of businesses contacting us about payment issues saddens me and my casework team, we’re pleased that these organisations are signposting to our services and increasing the chances businesses have to get paid.

To keep up to date with the rest of our work, subscribe to my weekly newsletter below.  

Emma Jones

Small Business Commissioner

Commissioner Articles

Emma writes several regular articles which you can see here in SME Magazine and her latest piece for Elite Business Magazine.

See coverage of Emma’s quote in the Channel X article on how bookkeepers improve payment times.

Podcasts & Radio

Emma was invited to appear as a guest on several podcasts this month, including Off the Agenda and the London and Partners Podcast. Emma was also interviewed by Clive Holland on his Fix Radio show.

For any media enquiries, or if you’d like the Commissioner to speak / join an event hosted by your organisation, please contact the communications team via: comms@smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk.

This month saw more wins for small businesses, as we helped them recover money owed. Here’s one story from a small family-run fabrication company that requested assistance regarding several unpaid invoices. This had a significant impact on their business.

We were quickly able to establish the facts through the information provided by the small company and make direct contact with the appropriate parties within the larger company to request the payment be made without further delay.  Payment came swiftly after we made contact, resulting in the retrieval of all outstanding funds.

The fabrication company wrote:

“We are a small family company and the fact we had outstanding payments owing for over 2 months really put us in a difficult situation. The OSBC intervened and we managed to get paid the overdue amount of £31,000. It’s good to know we have people who can help.”

If you or a someone you know is experiencing late payment, we might be able to help. Contact us using the link below.

The Small Business Commissioner is looking to recruit two new members for her Advisory Board. These roles will advise and guide the Small Business Commissioner on her mission to free up businesses' time spent chasing invoices, get money moving and grow the UK economy.

It’s an interesting time to join the Commissioner. With late payments costing the UK economy £11 billion a year, the issue is high on the UK Government’s agenda and new powers for the SBC are under consideration. Please click the link below to see the advert and full details on how to apply, and share with your professional networks.