The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) will play a key role in helping ensure the small business sector benefits from next year’s International Festival for Business (IFB).
The organisation has around 200,000 members and was involved in the successful showcase, of UK commerce and export which took place in Liverpool last year.
It is at the heart of planning for the festival’s return to the city next year.
John Allan, the FSB’s national chairman, sits on the festival’s international steering group, and its regional branch is working closely with organiser Liverpool Vision.
It will also be one of several business groups to take up permanent residence at the festival, which is to take place in Liverpool from June 1 to July 31, 2016.
With international trade the major focus of IFB 2016, the FSB’s activities will include a joint event with the European Small Business Alliance (ESBA) looking at how enterprise is represented in the European Commission and European Parliament, and how emerging policies can enhance access to global trade for small firms.
According to FSB research, during the first quarter of 2015, around a quarter of small firms in the UK export (23.9%).
However, the role the IFB can play in encouraging and facilitating global trade is clear: just 5.9% said they are considering the prospect of trading overseas and 42.3% reported they are unlikely to begin exporting.
Phil McCabe, FSB development manager for Merseyside, West Cheshire and Wigan, attends all IFB management team meetings and said:
“Trading globally as a route to business growth is potentially massive, even for the smallest firms.
“Of course, embracing export is a big step for small businesses, so the right guidance and support is key.”
He added:
“Our aim is to help ensure we build on the successes of IFB 2014, and that small firms with the ambition to grow are given the best access possible to international markets when the festival returns to the city next year.”