UPDATED: Thousands of businesses missing out on Government support due to Business Rates failure

*Since this intervention, The Business Secretary Alok Sharma has added a discretionary £600 million fund to support local small businesses which have so far fallen through the cracks and missed out on emergency business grant funds because of how they pay their business rates, for example businesses in shared spaces, regular market traders, small charity properties.

Maggie O’Carroll, CEO of The Women’s Organisation, says: “Having worked directly with a number of government departments to inform them of the feedback we received from our local business community, we are delighted to see that the Business Secretary Alok Sharma has now put a discretionary fund in place to address these fundamental issues.

 

“This will prove to be a vital lifeline for those legitimate and viable small businesses that previously fell through the cracks in the financial support available. What we must see now is the swift and urgent allocation of this funding by our Local Authorities so that businesses across the Liverpool City Region have the immediate cash injection that they need to survive, ensuring that we can protect incomes, jobs and the local economy.”

Catch up with the original story:

Thousands of legitimate small businesses are missing out on vital financial support packages because of how they pay their business rates.

Leading social enterprise, The Women’s Organisation, is urging national and local government to work together and simplify rules to stop small firms falling through the cracks in the Chancellor’s COVID-19 financial support package.

Rishi Sunak has introduced wide-ranging measures to provide a safety net for businesses during the current social-distancing lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

While the majority of employers and self-employed are covered by the emergency packages now in place, thousands of legitimate small businesses are missing out on this vital support according to The Women’s Organisation.

Deputy CEO of The Women’s Organisation, Helen Millne (left), 
sits on the Government’s National Growth Programme Board 
and is currently in talks around this issue, along with CEO Maggie O'Carroll (right)

The Liverpool-based social enterprise is drawing attention to the plight of small firms that are still missing out on financial support because of how they pay their Business Rates.

It is now calling on national and local government to work together to address anomalies in the Chancellor’s aid package for entrepreneurs.

It points out that, by tying the eligibility of support grants to Business Rate relief schemes, some SMEs will be excluded from grant funding of up to £10,000.

The current guidance declares that “the Government will provide additional Small Business Grant Scheme funding for local authorities to support small businesses that already pay little or no Business Rates because of the Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), Rural Rate Relief (RRR) and Tapered Relief. This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.”

However, The Women’s Organisation says this determination means some SMEs will not receive support, unless the Government instructs local authorities of additional eligibility criteria.

It says this includes businesses that occupy separate designated office space and within their tenancy/licence agreement pay a contribution to shared business rates in managed workspace/incubators, where one rateable value is applied to the whole building.

This is often advised as the most appropriate method for Business Rates collection by the Business Rates Office when tenancy agreements are ‘easy in and out’ and would mean a lot of change in billing.

The Women’s Organisation suggests that, on receipt of appropriate evidence, the grant is paid to businesses with tenancies in properties with shared Business Rates. However, to prevent fraud, the local authority could verify claims by asking managing agents/landlords to provide a declaration including lists of all legitimate tenants, including the company name, size of space occupied, and confirmation that they have been paying a contribution to the Business Rates prior to March 11, 2020. Businesses can also provide their most recent tax return showing their address, and a copy of their license or tenancy agreement.

Another issue identified by The Women’s Organisation is that social enterprises can have many structures, including charitable status. It has been suggested that, as these SMEs receive mandatory relief for charities and not SBRR, they will not be eligible for the £10,000 grant.

A simple solution would be to confirm that social enterprises with the appropriate rateable value receiving mandatory relief for charities will be eligible for this grant.

Helen Millne, deputy chief executive of The Women’s Organisation and National Growth Programme Board member, said: “While the package of support announced by the Chancellor, alongside the response from local authorities, are certainly very helpful interventions which will go a long way in ensuring that small businesses and, consequently, our economy are protected at this critical time, there are still clear gaps which urgently need to be addressed.

“By tying the eligibility of these grants to the Business Rate relief schemes, there are unintended consequences which will result in legitimate small businesses that are contributing to the economy through the tax system not being supported through the scheme, as was originally envisaged by the Chancellor.

“As such, we have been working directly with a number of government departments to inform them of the feedback we have received from the local business community and have made a number of specific asks from them which are key to protecting small businesses, incomes and jobs.

“We hope to see these fundamental issues addressed as soon as possible.”
Help is also on hand from other sources, such as the Liverpool City Region’s “one front door” access point for business start-up and growth support, Enterprise Hub, which is providing a comprehensive support package to the region’s new and early phase businesses which will evolve as the crisis unfolds.


UPDATE: Following our lobbying around this issue, Kim Johnson MP for Liverpool Riverside, along with Mick Whitley MP for Birkenhead, have added their support and written to RT Hon Alok Sharma MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with our concerns and recommendations.

You can read the full letter (April 21 2020), below:

We thank Kim Johnson for her intervention and hope that the recommendations are acted upon to help protect and sustain jobs, SMEs and Social Businesses.


For more information on the support available through The Women's Organisation please contact hello@thewo.org.uk 

Award Success for Jennifer's Mini Interior Design Company

Home decor enthusiast, Jennifer Kay, is ensuring that interior design is an affordable luxury for all through her business, The Mini Interior Design Company. 

Now trading for over two years, The Mini Interior Design Company has gone from strength to strength, fuelled by Jennifer’s passion for design and creativity and a commitment to low-cost, accessible makeovers.

Recently, Jennifer was awarded a ‘Best of Houzz 2020’ badge by Best of Houzz awards, recognising her above-and-beyond customer service.

The Mini Interior Design Company offers an online service that shapes a shopping list based on a particular room and space. Customers can fill out a questionnaire to specify their likes, dislikes and overall style, of which Jennifer can build a mood board around.

Whilst working a full-time job, Jennifer grew her skills by supporting her friends and family with home renovations to build up a portfolio and valuable experience.

Following maternity leave, Jennifer returned to her role whilst clear in her mind that she wanted to start a business. She contacted The Women’s Organisation and began accessing various funded training around marketing, bookkeeping and personal development.

Jennifer also worked alongside our Business Adviser, Francine Taylor. Jennifer said: “she [Francine] was amazing and, over the next few months, she helped me put my business plan together. I had no idea how detailed that would be. There is so much involved and Francine’s assistance was invaluable.”

Read the full story on Jennifer’s business journey on Liverpool Business News.

Wellbeing Tips for Working from Home

Right now, more people are working from home than ever before.  For most of us, this is something new: we’re used to going in to work in the morning, having coffee breaks and meetings with our colleagues, and signing off for the day when we leave the office. Maintaining a routine and looking after our wellbeing becomes even more important when our home and work lives become intermingled; here are some tips on how to make working from home as easy as possible.

Create a routine

Rule 101 of working from home – don’t work from your bed! If you can, carve out a permanent workspace in your home where you work from every day, creating a separation in space of your home and work life. Where you can, pretend as though you are actually going into work: get up, showered and dressed, have a cup of coffee, whatever you usually do on a normal workday. Most importantly, once you have finished work for the day, you really want to feel as though you have finished. Put the laptop away, sign out from your emails, and switch off. Keep to your regular work hours, and be sure to take regular breaks away from the screen, and take a proper lunch break. Sticking to as much of a routine as possible will do wonders for both your wellbeing and your productivity!

Keep communicating

Everyone enjoys a catch up with our colleagues over the course of the day. As working from home is not usual practice for most of us, try and keep a semblance of normality by still chatting to your colleagues where you can. Maybe schedule in a video chat once a day before you start working, or have an instant messaging platform that allows you to exchange messages throughout the day. Staying connected is more important than ever at the moment, so try and keep in contact with those around you.

Minimise distractions

There are so many more distractions at home than there are at work. The temptation lies there to have a scroll through social media, or quickly put a load of laundry on while you’re working, and then suddenly it’s the end of the day and you haven’t done anything. Obviously, distractions are unavoidable sometimes, especially if you also have children at home, but wherever you can, try to keep them to a minimum. Try putting your phone in a different room for the day, schedule in breaks where you can check social media, and keep your household tasks to outside of work time where you can. It makes the working day much smoother and easier!

Look after yourself

This is a testing time for everyone: the circumstances we find ourselves in are unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. Be sure to make some time for yourself, doing something you like doing. Go for a walk, read a book, do some yoga or meditate – whatever it is that allows you to practice mindfulness and feel grounded. We aren’t machines, and we need to nourish both our minds and our bodies in order to keep ourselves feeling well, both physically and mentally. We’re allowed to have bad days, and remember – everyone is in this together.

Create whilst you isolate.

The following is a guest blog from Catherine Rogers – Cut Out Collage

Whether you’re an art scene regular, a curious creative or stuck at home looking for things to do, making art during this period of isolation is a sure-fire way to positively impact your mental wellbeing and escape the worldwide conversation of these strange times!

Hi, I’m Catherine, the founder of Cut Out Collage. Before everything changed, I was running creative workshops across Liverpool, giving artist talks, exhibiting alongside collectives and selling original artworks at markets and events, so this current climate has had a huge impact on my business. Despite the curveball I’m committed to focusing on adaptation and how I can creatively respond to the current crisis. So, I’m going to share with my top tips for staying motivated amongst the mayhem.

Artists are still working, we’re just online

Art has not ceased, just the physical places we congregate and share it are closed. Creativity is very much alive in people’s homes, minds and spirits. Therefore, there is a ton you can still get involved with. I would suggest following local and international artists on social media so the content you are browsing each day can motivate and inspire you. I find new and exciting creatives everyday who are hosting online chats, workshops, all kinds of creative spaces and offerings. Following artists can feed your soul and help you discover things you may want to try at home.

Get making, keep making

Don’t know where to start, why not start a sketchbook? What an amazing time to experiment in this way. You can buy one online or use a spare notepad you may already have at home and give it a new lease of life.

Sketchbooks are great for scribbling down ideas, cutting and pasting old magazines into, sketching your garden or your family or to capture your work as you follow online tutorials. Also, when normality returns you will have a record of your creativity and productivity to show for it!  Who knows you may get hooked on sketch booking – it’s the best!

Share your masterpieces, inspire others

Artworks can have a huge impact upon those who view them. Never underestimate the transformational power of making art and sharing it with other people. The offering of something you have created to another person can have a profound effect on their day, so if you make something that lifts your spirits, let someone else be lifted by it to! I am loving the art being sent to my inbox, its inspiring and lets me know people are thinking of me, very encouraging indeed.

Support one another and say thank you

If people share images that move you and or you enjoy in some way, comment on them, let people know that their work has encouraged you. This wave of paying encouragement forward is hugely impactful, it can create a chain reaction of kindness from such a small gesture.

For me and my business, I want to say thank you to the Women’s Organisation and The Common Zine. I want to thank them for believing in my dreams, even before I completely did. They have encouraged me every step of the way and I have taken leaps I likely would not have if it hadn’t been for their support. If confidence is your barrier, I couldn’t recommend them both enough.

Join the Collage Revolution

Obviously, I’m a little bias about this one, but if you’re unsure about where to start I couldn’t recommend collage highly enough. I release weekly Cut Out Collage bitesize workshops on our YouTube channel and top tip videos on a Tuesday! It’s a new platform for Cut Out Collage, so we’re all in it together and learning as we go. There are also collage packs available on our Etsy store, so you have plenty of images to work with!

Thank you Catherine! If you would like to find out more about Cut Out Collage you can find them on:

Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Etsy
Youtube

TOMORROW! Live Twitter Q&A with The Business Forward Clinic

The Business Forward Innovation and Resilience Clinic is taking to Twitter to answer your business questions during a live Q&A.

54 St James Street's monthly clinic for the local business community will be going ahead as a live Twitter Q&A tomorrow (Thursday 26 March) between 11am - 12pm.

It's a worrying and uncertain time for businesses and the self-employed and so it is more important than ever to reach out for support, advice and guidance to help you navigate your business through these difficult times and continue to thrive.

As always, the Business Forward clinic's team of experts will be ready to give advice on things like:

• Business Finance
• Business Planning
• Marketing
• Business Strategy
• Sustainability
• Innovation funding and support

54 St James Street will also be sharing useful resources for you and your business on their feed.

Simply head over to Twitter and search @54StJamesStreet to get involved. You can use the hashtag #BusinessForward to put your questions to a team of expert advisers who will reply with advice and guidance. 

EntreComp at work in China

Insights from Jing Zhang, The Women's Organisation and Enterprise Evolution’s partner in China

After reading EntreComp into Action, I realised it could help improve the enterprise education provision in China. I became passionate about it after hearing Dr. Margherita Bacigalupo’s elaboration on how it could be used in her presentation at IEEC 2018 International Enterprise Educators Conference where we shared the platform as keynote speakers .  In April 2019, I invited Margherita to visit China to introduce EntreComp to more than 300 delegates at a national conference, followed by a one-day workshop in Ningbo University of Finance and Economics.

The EntreComp framework has proved to be helpful in the following ways:

First, it clarifies that we can learn to become entrepreneurial, through creating value for others. The value that is created can be financial, cultural and social.  With this broader sense of value in mind, we find many more opportunities for our students to work on.

Second, the 442 learning outcomes are enlightening, and serve as guidance in curriculum design. Not all of our teachers have heard of Bloom’s taxonomy and many find it hard to write effective learning outcomes. EntreComp into Action is a handy tool providing practical support.

Last but not the least, entrepreneurship is a key competence for life-long learning. The earlier the better. I am a strong advocate of introducing enterprise education into schools. In the social enterprise I run in my village, I have provided 4 workshops for local school children.  And to further build the capacity of our early-years educators, Alison Price, Principal Consultant, Enterprise Evolution UK, delivered an EntreComp-inspired workshop to a number of our kindergarten managers.

EntreComp is an integral part of my teacher training and professional development programme, known as Creating Entrepreneurial Outcomes, or CEO for short. I use both posters and sets of EntreComp cards to explain the framework and explore ways for delegates to apply EntreComp to help their students become more entrepreneurial.

I want to thank those who have created such an important guidance and continued to give us support, both online and offline.

Jing Zhang - Enterprise Evolution, China  and China Chief Representative of the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA)

To find out more about Entrecomp Into Action, click here.

5 tips for successful virtual meetings

It’s no surprise that, given the events of the last few weeks, more and more businesses are moving online. Thanks to modern technology, there is no end to the tools you can find to continue to communicate effectively, despite being at home. But what makes virtual meetings successful? 

Keep it simple

First and foremost, identify what tools are right for your business and stick to it. It’s easy to get swept up and overwhelmed with the amount of technology that is on offer, opting for too many platforms and things becoming unclear to your team. 

When choosing a service, think ‘small’. The most efficient video conferences come from those that only use the technology that is necessary: if you’re a smaller business, you may only need a service such as Skype or Zoom (which has free options) in order to keep in touch. There’s no need to pay over the odds for technology that you don’t need!

Use a ‘virtual watercooler’

On a normal day at the office, it’s inevitable that we end up having a chat with our colleagues in the staff room when making a cuppa or grabbing something to eat. Trying to maintain this semblance of normality will help your team become more comfortable using digital channels (and feel less awkward too!) Making time for casual conversation as well as work-related chat keeps everyone feeling engaged with the team and with work tasks, as well as keeping them all-important relationships going.

Be sure to follow up

Remote working is a new concept to many, and some things can get lost or misconstrued in a way they wouldn’t in most face-to-face meetings. Make sure that everyone leaves the meeting knowing exactly what their objectives are, who they need to speak to if they are unclear of anything, and where they can reach their manager. Send a follow up email or message to reinforce this – much like you would with ordinary meetings.

Minimise distractions

Distractions can easily cause meetings to run off course. Make sure all participants are in a quiet room, with proper internet connection and headphones. If it’s an important meeting with one person doing the majority of the talking, it’s worth asking everyone to mute their microphones so that the sound doesn’t cut out.

Again, much like a normal meeting, creating and sticking to an agenda is very helpful in minimising distractions in virtual meetings, and prevents them from running on for too long. Agendas become even more important in digital meetings, as we are going without the social cues we usually take from face to face contact.

Make sure everyone has video turned on

Phone calls are great for solving quick queries, but for anything that requires more time and concentration, video chats are the way to. The temptation may be there for some people to leave their camera turned off and only chime in with audio, but encourage everyone to have their video on. Not only does this help you feel more engaged with your team while you’re talking, but it also holds people accountable for paying attention and interacting with the meeting, and resist the urge to multi-task while on a call!

If you would like to benefit from the support delivered under the Excelerate Labs programme, including advice regarding accessing government business grants and loans during COVID-19, then please contact: exceleratelabs@thewo.org.uk.