THE FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES

The Federation of Small Businesses are one of the partners in the SiS project because they share similar objectives to ourselves.  However, the reason that SiS has approached the FSB for help is that we believe that they are one of the few organisations that are cross-regional and have the ear of both the Westminster and Hollyrood Parliaments.  The FSB is also present on Local Economic Forums and on all our Islands in one form or another.  We hope to strengthen that link.

We need an Islands perspective to our businesses in order to move forward and prepare ourselves for 2006 when most of our EEC regional funding is withdrawn.  We also need help in our fuel costs, ferries, communications and social links.  Marketing our unique island identities is also important and the ability to tap into the Ex-islander and genealogical niche areas of commerce.   Partnerships, we believe, are our way forward, we hope that SiS and FSB will help that process.