Your Business Community

🎉 Join us for the YBC Christmas Party from 5pm on December 5th at our lovely venue next to the London Eye 🎡 Two courses and wine/prosecco are included and, if you’d like to join us, please RSVP by logging into the website at https://ow.ly/U70f50U0fA0 Partners are welcome but please book ASAP as places are limited. Cost is £55.00. #YourBusinessCommunity #XmasParty #YBC

Light up your life with health, wealth, and happiness this Diwali! Here’s to a festival filled with warmth, peace, and good cheer. Wishing you a beautiful and blessed Diwali. #Diwali #happydiwali #diwalilights

Following today's budget this is our press release and immediate reaction. The Chancellor’s road map to long term economic growth is focused only on the destination and not the journey. In the lead up to today’s Budget, Kier Starmer stressed that politics is about choices and that this government are committed to “laying a foundation for a growing economy that is creating wealth and opportunity for all.” What we have seen so far from this government, and compounded by today’s announcements, is that using and enabling small and medium sized businesses to create economic growth and job creation, is not a priority for this government. Rachel Reeves opened today’s budget by announcing that she is raising taxes by a record £40bn, in the name of restoring economic stability and rebuilding public services. Already in this parliament we have seen financial handouts in the form of pay rises for junior doctors and train drivers, and then today an announced increase in defence, NHS and schools spending. At the same time small businesses are today being asked to increase national insurance contributions they must pay on staff wages by 1.2%, as well as the extra 6.7% increase in wages they must pay due to the rise in the national living wage. This is on top of the projected additional cost for employers due to the already announced Workers Rights Bill. If, as Kier Starmer said “politics is about choices”, then The Chancellor has today confirmed this government’s choice. To give to those in the public sector and those who are unemployed or on the lowest wages, at the expense of those small business owners who are trying grow the economy and employ (the much debated) “working people” of this country. It is political ideology over pragmatism. Ted Wigzell, CEO of Your Business Community, said: “Our overarching desire for any government is that they foster an environment where it is easy for individuals to start and grow a business. The more successful businesses there are, the more people there are in employment, and the more money there is to go into the exchequer. “Today’s announcements make it harder for small businesses to employ people and harder for small businesses to grow. We of course welcome the increase in the Employment Allowance for small businesses from £5000 to £10,000, the 40% relief on business rates for those in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector, and the continued freezing of fuel duty. But none of this goes far enough. “The overarching narrative of this Budget and this government is that whilst they talk about desiring a strong economy of growth and wealth creation, they are simply untrusting or unwilling to give hard working small business owners the opportunity to play their part in getting the country to that place.” If you aren't already a YBC member, please join for FREE today or consider upgrading to Premium membership. Make our voice louder: https://lnkd.in/e3a7ZrEd

Joining YBC for FREE opens a world of opportunities to help you to grow your business. There are discounted offers from our Partners, new clients to meet at our events, FREE mentoring with our expert advisers and the chance to communicate with fellow members. What’s more joining will mean you’ll be part of the real voice for the self employed and small businesses which will give you ways to make your opinion heard. Not a member yet? Join for FREE at https://lnkd.in/dkZ-AHyD YBC, because we’re in this together. #MemberBenefits #Networking #Mentoring #BusinessSupport #SmallBusinessOwners #YourBusinessCommunity

Let’s be honest, running your own business is challenging and provokes lots of questions with which you need help to answer. We are offering EVERYONE access to free mentoring to answer these questions for you as and when they arise. Visit the mentoring page on our website https://lnkd.in/dkZ-AHyD to get free help with accountancy, graphic design, website development, HR, debt management, marketing, business support and development, admin support, data protection, social media, AI, business and life coaching, insolvency and financial planning. Using this YBC service gives you access to a team of experts who will make running your business a lot simpler. To see the full list of our mentors please log in to our website, click on ‘Directories’ and then choose ‘Mentors’ from the drop down menu. Then you can send a message to the mentors of your choice by hitting their contact button. We’ve also got a brand new mentor for you to speak with who will help with property investment questions. If you aren’t a YBC member yet please create a free membership before proceeding at https://lnkd.in/dkZ-AHyD #Mentoring #BusinessSupport #SmallBusinessOwners #YourBusinessCommunity

We'll be meeting this Wednesday at the Hobo Club in Loughton, which is one of our most popular venues - and for good reason! This beautifully appointed private members' club in Loughton describes itself as, "A member's Club for the Dreamers, the Starters, the Builders and the Achievers - an intimate space to think differently." Well, that certainly resonates with us. Whatever stage your business is at, the YBC community offers support in a multitude of ways. Come along on Wednesday to find out how your business can benefit - as well as meeting like-minded small business owners and enjoying a delicious (and healthy) breakfast buffet. It's easy to get to on the Central Line and nearby parking is plentiful. Book at https://lnkd.in/eesMFa2j.

Looking for ways to support business growth? YBC Members have access to, and can benefit from, a whole host of policies for small business owners, including Access to Finance, Improving Mental Health, and New Kickstarter policies. As an example, our Access to Finance Policy looks at enhancing the accessibility of financial resources for small businesses in the UK, thereby fostering innovation, growth, and economic resilience. Nine robust strategies are discussed - take a look: https://lnkd.in/e6fCnTZ7 #sme #smesupport #smallbusiness #smallbusinesssupport #businesspolicies #businessbenefits

Most small business owners are aware they need help but don’t always know where to get it or, sometimes, who to rely upon. Most larger businesses can provide this help but don’t always have the ability to reach their target audience. YBC has created Partner Membership to enable the two sectors to meet! An added advantage of becoming a YBC Partner is the wider promotional aspect - for example, you can benefit from a Partner Page on our website and be featured in our mailshot and social media, giving you phenomenal visibility within new potential markets. This week's featured Partner is HarmonyU, a Holistic Health Energy Clinic in London which specialises in boosting your energy for daily wellbeing. Discounts and special offers are available to YBC members. Take a look at the support available to you by visiting our Partner page: https://lnkd.in/e3H-s6ev

When we ask our members what they need, the answer for most is more clients. That is why we are bringing the business community together and our website is a place where everyone gets their own page.   If you are a member, already make sure your profile page is complete so that people know what you do and, most important of all, make sure you upload a photo. Most people just scroll past silhouettes!   For those of you who aren’t members yet, please join today – it’s free, so what are you waiting for? There are a lot of goodies waiting for you and all sorts of ways we can help your business grow. Simply head to https://lnkd.in/dkZ-AHyD to join free of charge. #YourBusinessCommunity #BusinessGrowth #MemberBenefits #SmallBusinessOwners

This morning the YBC policy committee were proud to attend round table discussions at Portcullis House. Our thanks to Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Shadow Small Business Minister, for hosting us and taking the time to discuss key issues affecting SMEs. Ted Wigzell - Business Simplifier - Business Connector Mia Flanagan-Connecting Businesses all over UK Alan Levy 🛠 Ian Randell Steve Leon Lisa Seagroatt ACIPD Multi Award Winning HR Consultant Ray Abrahams Barry Mitchell Darren Jones Aaron Gera Apu Vyas #BusinessSupport #SME