Why Bother With Federation of Small Businesses?

My Membership Certificate for the Federation of Small Businesses arrived today.

Delivered in a stiff A4 envelope that protected the precious document from creases and corruptions, it's now begging to be hung proudly on my office wall. Here it'll be enjoyed by me, the bookkeeper (with whom I share the house) and my teenage children, who'll probably take it as further evidence that their father's dabbling in self-employment has its roots in mid-life insecurity.

So, other than a shiny new certificate, what has membership of the FSB done for me?

On the face of it, absolutely nothing.

But that's a little unfair, because for the last month I've been under the invisible protective wing of their various support services.

True, I haven't needed them, but if I'd run into a tricky problem with a client I could have rung their free 24/7 legal helpline. I know a friend who justifies their FSB subscription on this service alone, because they've found it invaluable when resolving potentially difficult staffing issues.

If I'd have fallen seriously ill I could have benefited from free access to a personal nurse advisor, including home visits. I've heard of a newcomer to the FSB, with a pre-existing condition, who was able to use this service from day one and found it very useful.

Should I be bothered to go online I can get into the FSB library of legal and tax information, including downloadable documents I can use in my own business. At the same time (well, during the same visit to the website) I can add myself to the free online directory of businesses which is, apparently, visited several hundred times a day by potential customers.

One more freebie that I could take up is a free VoIP phone line, which apparently gives me a unique phone number for my business. As I work from home this might be a useful tool.

A significant, but hard to quantify, benefit of FSB membership is their research and lobbying of government. It's difficult to know exactly what difference organisations like the FSB make to government policy, but there's no doubting that they are an influencing force and they're promoting actions that benefit people like me - owners and managers of small businesses.

In addition to my certificate of membership I've received a stack of other paperwork from the FSB offering me all sorts of special deals that are unique or tailored to FSB members. How many of them I'll use I don't know yet. I intend to get along to some of their networking events to make new contacts.

The letter that accompanied the certificate closes with the exhortation, "Do not allow your membership to lapse thereby losing your protection." It'll be interesting to see whether, in 11 months time, I've decided that the benefits offered to me by the FSB are enough to entice me into paying for another year.

Step Up Your Health & Safety Assessments

It's estimated that about 100,000 people injure themselves on stairs in the workplace every year.

That's a lot of people falling down stairs. Fortunately, most of these accidents only result in minor injuries but a significant number have a long-term impact on the lives of those who slip or trip.

Angela Hurcomb, 55, from Hereford, is one of those whose life has been changed forever by a stair accident. She's had to give up horse riding and can't drive a car for more than half-an-hour at a time. She's still in pain after falling down a spiral staircase at her place of work in January 2008.

The incident cost her employer £5,000 in compensation, not to mention all the staff time and resources given over to dealing with the personal injury claim. While the retail chain she worked for could probably absorb these expenses relatively easily, a smaller business may have struggled.

Your firm probably has a staircase or two about the place and it's almost certain to see regular use. Your staff don't give it a moment's thought - most of us frequently go up and down stairs at home, at work or when we're out shopping.

But if one of them were to slip and fall their view of the stairs could change, literally and legally. You would be exposed to the risk of personal injury claim that could suck precious time and money from your business. You might also lose a valuable employee, possibly forever. Angela Hurcomb now works for someone else.

Have any of your staff complained about a possible risk on one of your staircases? A loose step, a slippery tread or a poor handrail? You should follow it up straight away, even if it's an informal observation. Angela Hurcomb complained to her employer about the staircase she eventually fell down and they failed to act.

Don't trust to luck or to the goodwill of your staff - even the most accommodating employee can become remarkably litigious when there's the possibility of a pay-off.

Health and safety is a perpetual source of frustration for small businesses. There's almost always more that could be done and it's a distraction from the real work that earns the money. But that doesn't mean it should be constantly ignored or put off. Investing a little time now could save you a lot later on.