FSB to Keep Trade Local at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) will give the Liberal Democrat Party a taste into the life of a small firm at its party political conference this week, to highlight the importance of small businesses to the local community.

With more than half (56%) of small business sales coming from customers in the local area, the FSB will tell conference delegates at an FSB fringe event titled ‘Keep Trade Local: is it high noon for the high street?’, that supporting local entrepreneurs creates more opportunities for communities to grow – key to putting the UK economy firmly on the path to recovery.

Launching the FSB’s revamped Keep Trade Local (KTL) manifesto, the FSB’s National Chairman John Walker will join Stephen Gilbert MP, Member of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, and Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Deputy Liberal Democrat Leader, at the fringe event.

Using data from the FSB survey panel, conference delegates will also have the chance to win a tin of jelly babies – a ‘mini survey panel’ – at the FSB’s exhibition stand. The quiz, ‘Small Business Fortunes’, is based on the issues that face the FSB ‘Voice of Small Business’ survey panel, to see if delegates know what our survey says.

The FSB will also use conference to urge the coalition Government to include FSB members on Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) and ensure that LEPs have a clear vision for generating business growth.

John Walker, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“Small businesses are not just part of the local community, they are the local community. They generate wealth, employment and opportunity. In 2009 19,077 businesses closed, compared to 15,535 in 2008 and 12,507 in 2007. We must not let this trend continue and this is why we are relaunching our KTL campaign.

“Small businesses rely on customers in their local area to survive, but equally communities depend on successful local businesses. Small firms must be at the heart of the LEP decision making process building this vision for the future. The FSB is the only national business organisation that is truly member-led and it is vital that our members – the local businesses supporting the local economy – have their interests fully represented.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The FSB is the UK’s leading business organisation with over 213,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the self-employed, and all those who run their own business. More information is available at www.fsb.org.uk

The FSB fringe event Keep Trade Local: is it high noon for the high street? Will be held in Jury’s Inn (Suite 3/4/5) at the ACC Liverpool between 1-2pm on Monday 20 September 2010.

The FSB stand will be at point PSA8 in the exhibition hall at the ACC Liverpool from Saturday 18 September to Wednesday 22 September.

To find out more about the Keep Trade Local campaign, please go to www.fsb.org.uk/keeptradelocal

Media contacts

Stephen Alambritis: 020 7592 8112/ 07788 422155
Prue Watson: 020 7592 8121/ 07825 125695 prue.watson@fsb.org.uk
Sara Lee: 020 7592 8113/ 07595 067068 sara.lee@fsb.org.uk

For regional FSB contacts please go to www.fsb.org.uk/regions