Small businesses in Chelmsford are being offered a year’s fully funded Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) membership at no cost to the business.
This is a partnership scheme between Chelmsford City Council and the FSB which has been extended due to its popularity.
The scheme, which was announced last month, had its initial allocation of free memberships quickly snapped up by businesses who were keen to take advantage of the benefits offered through FSB membership.
As a result, Chelmsford City Council took the decision to provide an additional support boost to enable more small businesses to access the support and advice available through the FSB membership scheme. Once again, free memberships are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and are available to Chelmsford businesses with less than 10 employees.
“We are delighted to continue our work with Chelmsford City Council to extend this offer which has already provided much needed help and support to so many small businesses in Chelmsford. Now more than ever before, we are hearing from a variety of small businesses who are confident enough to cope with the everyday challenges of running their own business but are often met with situations that require extra help outside of their field of expertise. This is where FSB membership is vital.
“We would like to thank Chelmsford City Council for going the extra mile to support local small businesses in these challenging times as they work towards a hopeful period of recovery.”
Simona Daniel, Development Manager for Essex, Federation of Small Businesses
Benefits of the FSB membership
Being a member of the FSB means that small businesses have someone on their side to take care of things while they focus on their business. Never has this been more vital for thousands of businesses across the UK than during the pandemic. FSB members benefit from a range of services covering everything from legal and HR advice to insurance services, debt recovery, a tax protection scheme, cyber protection and access to funding opportunities. They can also attend a variety of free networking and support events that take place virtually.
Lobbying is at the forefront of what FSB does and members benefit from having a powerful voice in Government, raising awareness of the issues affecting small businesses and campaigning for changes in law. With the roadmap now underway, FSB and Chelmsford City Council took the decision to extend the offer to help more small businesses navigate their way through the coming months and in doing so protect dozens of jobs, which might otherwise be at risk.
“We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the free membership scheme with the FSB. We are pleased to be in a position to extend this initiative to ensure that even more businesses can benefit from much needed specialist advice and guidance.
“The last year has been impossibly difficult for businesses. We recognise that even though we are taking steps forward and there is optimism about the future, businesses still face challenges in the year ahead. We are working hard to ensure that we have in place a comprehensive package of business support, such as this initiative with the FSB, to aid business recovery and to enable businesses to come back stronger than ever.”
Nick Eveleigh, Chief Executive, Chelmsford City Council
From day one of their FSB membership, businesses will have access to the full benefits. To find out more go to www.fsb.org.uk/join-us.html
If the free membership scheme interests you, please contact FSB Membership Advisor, Jeremy Reeve at jeremy.reeve@fsb.org.uk or by calling 07518 902690. Business owners should add the words ‘Chelmsford Council FSB Membership Scheme’ to the subject field of their email.