📣 There's still time to have your say on the future of your local community. 💡 The National Conversation wants to hear from small business owners as part of a UK-wide initiative looking at what people value in their local communities, and the changes they want to see. (1/2)

⚠️ Government changes to zero hours contracts will come at a £3 billion cost to businesses, and have a serious impact on the jobs market. FSB's national chair, Tina McKenzie, spoke to Cindy Yu on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social about the impact it will have on small businesses 👇

📈 Our new skills report,#LearningCurves, shows that rising employment costs are putting pressure on small firms to do more with less, with 32% of small employers saying they've cut their training budget due to increased tax bills. (1/2)

📚 Our new skills report, #LearningCurves, shows that small businesses are keen to engage with educational establishments, with 57% working with at least one part of the education, skills, or welfare system in the past three years. (1/2)

🆕 OUT TODAY: With thousands of young people receiving their A Level and T Level results today, we're calling for government to put small businesses at the heart of skills policy. 💡Our new report, #LearningCurves, sets out our plan for skills, to help strengthen employer links with... (1/2)

🚩 The Government's chaotic approach to reforming zero hours contracts, which could come at a £3 billion cost to businesses, risks soaring unemployment and serious damage to the jobs market. We spoke to Felix Armstrong at @cityam.bsky.social 👇 www.cityam.com/labours-chao...

'Chaotic’ zero-hour crackdown could cost firms £3bn per year

Labour’s ‘chaotic’ crackdown on zero-hour contracts could cost businesses nearly £3bn every year, though firms have warned the real cost could spiral

cityam.com

📣 What future do you want for your local community? 💡 The National Conversation wants to hear from small business owners and the self-employed as part of a UK-wide initiative looking at what people value in their local communities, and the changes they want to see. (1/2)

☀️ With heatwaves continuing across many parts of the UK, employers should check that they are managing hot conditions properly. 🌡️ Check out the Health and Safety Executive's guidance on how employers can maintain a comfortable workplace temperature for employees. 🔗 www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/...

We’re pleased to confirm that Tina McKenzie has been named as FSB’s new Interim National Chair, after former national chair Martin McTague stepped down to take up the peerage he was awarded last month. More details here: www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

🗓️ If your small business has a turnover above £50,000, there's only one day left to submit your first quarterly Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax return by 7 August. 🚩 Sole traders and landlords need to use compatible software to send quarterly income and expense updates to HMRC. (1/2)

🤖 "AI can provide very high quality financial advice, and in many cases, better than lots of humans can today." Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke about how #AI might be able to improve access to finance for small businesses in the future during our webinar on the future of AI. (1/2)

🗓️ If your small business has a turnover above £50,000 then you need to submit your first quarterly Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax return by 7 August. 🚩 Sole traders and landlords need to use compatible software to send quarterly income and expense updates to HMRC electronically. (1/2)

All this week's top small business news out now in Weekly Brief 🏖️ www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-fra...

AI, fraud warning, energy costs, skills, tax, PAYE, recruitment

Confidence is key to growing small business AI take-up Greater use of AI by small businesses could add £42 billion a year to the UK economy, according to new analysis by FSB. The prediction is based o...

linkedin.com

🤖 When it comes to making the most of AI, adoption is everything. 💻 During our webinar on small firms and the future of AI, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explained why it's critical that small business owners seize the different opportunities that AI presents ⤵️

📻 Before entering your next business idea into an AI chatbot, wouldn't you want to know how it'll be used? FSB's Media Director Alan Soady tells Simon Conway on LBC News that small firms need clearer information about what AI platforms do with their prompts and data 👇

🤖 OUT TODAY: The new AI Minister, Kanishka Narayan, has an opportunity to help small firms unlock huge productivity gains through greater AI adoption, according to our new report, The Confidence Code. (1/2)

🧾 The Government's cut to the business rates bills of pubs, social clubs, and live music venues must be a downpayment on action that reaches across the small business community, we told #BBCNews ⬇️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

💷 A 20% cut to the business rates bills of pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England is a welcome move. But this must signal further action that reaches across the whole small business community to make a positive, sustained difference for all SMEs. (1/2)

☀️ With high temperatures continuing across the UK, employers should check that they are maintaining a comfortable workplace temperature for their employees. 🌡️ Check out the Health and Safety Executive's guidance on how employers can help to keep things cool, and manage the heat effectively 👇 (1/2)

Want to get the most important small business news of the week, every week? 🍕 Sign up to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter on email and on LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E

OUT NOW: Get up to speed with all the latest small business news in FSB's Weekly Brief 🥪 www.linkedin.com/pulse/growth...

Growth hopes stall, SME funding, skills gap, employment costs, tax deadline, international trade, ministerial meetings, seasonal staff

New Government must help spur growth, FSB warn Only 18 per cent of small firms expect to grow over the next 12 months, according to FSB’s Small Business Index for April to June. The quarterly survey t...

linkedin.com

⚠️ Our #SBI figures for Q1 2026 show that taxation remains the top driver of rising costs for small firms, cited by 58% of small businesses. Find out more 🔗 www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

💷 In our latest #SBI survey for the second quarter of 2026, nearly half of small businesses (48%) believe revenues will fall in the next three months. 🚩 Only 23% of small firms are predicting that their revenues will rise. (1/2)

🔻 Our new #SBI figures show that growth hopes for small firms are at their lowest ever level. 🎙️ FSB's @craigbeaumont.bsky.social was on @cityam.bsky.social's Business As Usual pod, talking about what it means for small businesses. 📻 Listen to it here 🔗 www.buzzsprout.com/2612946/epis... (1/2)

📉 Nearly a third of small businesses (32%) expect to shrink, sell up, or close entirely over the next year, according to our latest #SBI for the second quarter of 2026. 📈 This is compared to just over one in six (18%) that are anticipating growth. Read more 🔗 www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre...

🆕 OUT TODAY: Growth ambitions among small businesses have sunk to their lowest ever level, according to our new Small Business Index #SBI survey for Q2 2026. We're calling for the new Prime Minister put small businesses first, drive down costs, and drive up growth, opportunities and jobs. (1/2)

✈️ Does your small business export to the EU? Make sure you're aware of new charges for low value goods sent from the UK to the EU 🚛 💷 Business to business shipments worth less than €150 will be subject to standard duties... (1/2)

📻 As Rachel Reeves delivered her Mansion House speech yesterday, FSB's Craig Beaumont OBE spoke to Kait Borsay on Times Radio about the Chancellor's record - and the measures the new Prime Minister should introduce to support small firms 👇

💡 Have you got what it takes to join FSB’s Board of Directors? The successful applicant will become a Co-opted Director, a voluntary position, playing an important role alongside the rest of the Board in providing... (1/2)

Stay on top of all the most important small business news of the week, every week 🚂 Sign up to FSB's Weekly Brief Newsletter on email and LinkedIn newsletters to get it sent straight to your inbox 👇 📧 E: go.fsb.org.uk/3QWcJDX 📥 LI: go.fsb.org.uk/4t0C94E