NEWS Small Business Britain launches online programme L


aunching on September 18, Small Business Britain’s Small & Mighty Enterprise Programme to help grow small businesses with expert guidance and mentoring. This six-week programme is designed to supercharge sole traders and micro businesses. It will be delivered entirely online, allowing access from anywhere in the UK with flexible learning enabling opportunities for all. All participants will get access to two hours of free 1-2-1 and group


mentoring with a business coach to help them put together a plan for the coming year. Feedback from previous mentoring sessions was fantastic with businesses really feeling the benefit of this combined with the programme. When the programme commences you will also be invited to join the private Facebook group with alumni from the previous programmes. This gives you a great opportunity to meet other small and mighty businesses, ask the trainers and experts questions, and get support with anything that is troubling you.


Weekly sessions will cover: Small Business Strategy Digital Engagement and Opportunities for Engagement Customer & Marketing Strategy


Small Business Case Studies: How businesses made a plan and grew Resiliency, Back-ups, and Coming Out Of A Crisis Financial Plan & Growth


BIRA comments on Wilko store collapse T


he British Independent Retailers Association has said Wilko’s demise will cast a ‘big shadow’ on the high street and has called on the administrators to do everything


within their power to help it continue to trade. The announcement that administrators are to begin making


redundancies from its head office, distribution centre and support centres this week and next will be a hard blow for the already struggling high street. BIRA, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of


all sizes across the UK, expressed its sadness for the employees who would be losing their jobs and said they hoped everything could be done to save the shop and their livelihoods. Wilko, which was founded in the 1930s and has 400 stores


across the country was formally appointed PwC to lead the process. Despite a last-minute bid by M2 Capital, which aimed to salvage the situation, the hopes of saving these jobs were dashed as the private equity firm’s offer fell short of meeting PwC’s stringent due diligence criteria. The administrators made the decision to initiate redundancies


starting from September 4th. A total of 269 employees at the retailer’s support centre in Worksop are to be made redundant on Monday, and the two distribution centres in Worksop and Newport are expected to be announced early next week, with the total number of jobs at risk being 1,300. Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA said: “Today marks a sombre


day for the high street and the communities it sustains. The impending loss of hundreds of jobs at Wilko is not just about numbers on a balance sheet; it signifies the displacement of dedicated employees who have contributed to these stores’


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vitality. The closure of these retail spaces will undoubtedly leave a significant void in our high streets and a big shadow over our towns and cities. “There is clearly an interest for the stores and if more time is needed for parties to be able to buy the stores, then we must do that. These are prime sites on high streets and we call on the administrators to do absolutely everything needed to be done to sort a deal. If that means more time then so be it. “If it does collapse then this is a stark reminder that the cost-of- living crisis affects all facets of the high street, from large retailers to small businesses. This event underscores the challenges faced by businesses of all sizes and underscores the urgent need for reform in business rates, a critical step towards ensuring the survival of our high streets.”


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