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There are a lot of organisations that offer a lot of advice and information to small business. Fortunately the FSB has put a lot of that advice into five hundred pages so as to make it easier to access.
The Good Small Business Guide 2011 carries with it a great deal of hard-nosed advice about financial support for small companies, how to prepare a business plan and how to maximise strengths and overcome weaknesses. This technical advice is combined with personal and practical advice too. At one stage the book advises readers on maintaining boundaries between work and home life.
Overall this serves as a valuable tool. It provides information and advice on how to do the things that small businesses know they should. It also acts as a reminder of the value of some areas of work, like self promotion, that many small consultancies struggle to prioritise.
Its real value though, is probably as a first port of call when confronted with a problem. It is one thing to spend time drawing up a business plan and building good relationships with clients. It is quite another to be faced with an unexpected situation you have never faced before.
A good example of this is maternity or paternity leave. In a company of several hundred staff this is likely to be a common occurrence. Expertise on relevant laws and benefits will be in place, possibly through a dedicated human resource team. A company of ten staff may not have a human resource specialist, and any recent law changes might not be known in detail.
This concern applies to a great many situations, and the guide’s response acknowledges its own weakness. On employment law it offers examples such as equal pay and adoption leave for consideration. It then sets out at a simple level what the law requires. But it recognises that the law changes regularly and that can go beyond the scope of a static guide.
With that in mind it is clear about who best to consult or where to find the relevant information. Readers are told where official documents can be found easily and for free. They are also given options for seeking advice, listing among others ACAS, the company’s solicitor, Business Link and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website.
Many small companies no doubt thrive without the aid of the FSB’s Good Small Business Guide. However, it does have the potential to make life simpler, less stressful, and maybe even a little more profitable.
For more information about the FSB’s Good Small Business Guide 2011, visit www.fsb.org.uk/goodsmallbusinessguide
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