Jennifer Thomas, Development Manager at Federation of Small Businesses- Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland. Image Credit: Symington Photographics

We know our members join FSB not just for direct support—but because they’re proud to be part of something that stands up for small businesses. They have businesses to run and they want to be part of a community that gets things done. So when policies emerge that don’t make sense for small firms, we don’t just complain, we give evidence-based arguments direct from members and suggest practical solutions. If you’re one of the 2,000 FSB members in Northamptonshire, your support powers what we do. And when policies emerge that don’t make sense for small firms, you give us the ammo we need.

On that note, I thought I’d share three examples from the last month which we’ve been involved in, thanks to your support:

Companies House has long needed to clean up its data, which can be filled with unverified or outright false entries—including fake companies set up to commit fraud. So, its intention to improve transparency is valid. But not the solution they’ve landed on.

Last month they emailed over a million company directors with a decision to scrap the current “abridged accounts” option. Instead, every small company would be required to submit a full profit and loss report and balance sheet—regardless of size.

FSB had already warned Companies House during consultation that this approach was flawed, but now we went public: issuing press statements and giving the issue top billing in our Weekly Brief to raise awareness across our network. The backlash was immediate, with many members getting in touch rightly alarmed that this level of financial transparency could hurt them, giving competitors or large clients easy access to sensitive commercial information.

This one’s ongoing—so watch this space.

Royal Mail, under serious financial strain, saw Ofcom release its review on the future of postal services, supporting proposals to cut second-class letter deliveries from six days a week to just five across a two-week period—eliminating Saturday service. In other words: from 12 delivery days in 14… down to five.
While parcel services and first-class letters stay intact for now, a win we’ve fought hard for, Ofcom also weakened Royal Mail’s performance targets. FSB research shows reliability is a top concern for small businesses, and this shift goes in the wrong direction.

We responded loudly. This isn’t just a cost-saving tweak—it risks damaging a vital public service small firms rely on. It’s important to draw a line in the sand to say ‘no more’; we responded in the press and on broadcast, and challenged Ofcom which should regulate for us, and come down harder on those they’re supposed to regulate. Royal Mail stands to save up to £450 million—but it shouldn’t come at our members’ expense.

Finally, the Government also released a Green Paper on the future of the Post Office. This one has been more constructive—and behind the scenes, FSB has already played a key role.
Following the Horizon scandal, there’s a new focus on what the Post Office network should look like, and how it should serve both communities and small businesses.

FSB met with the Post Office CEO in July, and we’ve worked with them closely—especially on our High Streets Report. Many of our members rely on the Post Office for vital banking and cash services. When one bank pulled out of its Post Office cash access agreement, we helped persuade them to reverse that decision.

The Green Paper recognises the value of these services, and the tone suggests a continued commitment to local branches—something we’ll keep holding them to.

As your local FSB contact, I’m always keen to hear from supporters and members—your experiences help shape the work we do. Whether it’s through our local events or social media accounts, the real-world insight you share with me goes straight to our lobbying team in Westminster, who speak daily with ministers and key bodies like HMRC, Ofcom and Companies House. To stay up to date on the latest business policy news, sign up for FSB’s Weekly Brief by email or on LinkedIn—and keep sharing what’s holding you back and what support you need to grow.