Small Business Guide To Surviving The Downturn

In the current economic climate, our aim at the Forum of Private Business is to support small and medium-sized businesses so that they can survive the downturn. We are working closely with government departments and other organisations to ensure smaller firms are getting the support they need. Our simple membership offering is focused around their business needs, providing comprehensive tailored business solutions based on senior positions within an organisation – we are ‘the business people - an extension to your team'.

Accessing finance in today's financial climate is even tougher than usual. So, we've put together a practical 'how to' guide to tell you what you really need to know to get your bank manager to say 'yes'.

We are doing everything we can to help those of our members struggling to survive the downturn. As a member of the Forum, you can call our helpline to discuss any business issue.

Maintaining a healthy cash flow is vital for small businesses and is even more important during a downturn. Our suite of financial products and services, including credit reporting, business status monitoring and debt recovery, can help you manage your cash flow more effectively and are available to all members.

Saving money on essential business services is a great way to make more of your money. We have negotiated discounted rates on a wide range of business services, from card processing and insurance to purchasing and utilities.

Our members tell us that restoring business and consumer confidence are their key concerns in the downturn, so our current campaigning activities revolve around improving economic activity and access to finance, and reducing cost burdens and late payment.

The Forum was also heavily involved in the introduction of the Prompt Payment Code. We’ve called on all FTSE 100 companies to set an example by showing their commitment to paying their suppliers on time by signing up to the Code.

We also continue to name and shame businesses which make retrospective changes to payment terms, effectively squeezing their suppliers by entering them into our Hall of Shame.

We understand that different businesses need different levels of business advice, guidance and business support so we offer four membership packages, giving you the flexibility to choose the option that is best for your business.

By: Ben Holloway

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The Forum of Private Business is a proactive, not-for-profit organisation which can assist you with every aspect of running your business and across every department, from HR and finance to business development.