Door Industry Journal - Winter 2012

58 THE door industry journal winter 2012 business news FSB LAUNCHES UK CAMPAIGN TO ‘SAVE OUR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS’ The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched a campaign to save Christmas lights in towns and villages across the country. The FSB is urging local authorities to re-think the decis ion amidst concerns shoppers will go elsewhere for the festivities. On-going budget cuts are forcing many local councils to abandon the Christmas spirit but the FSB says this is disapp ointing many shoppers and potentially damaging local businesses. In some regions small firms have raised thousands of pounds themselves to shine a light on their high streets. For example, in Monton, Manchester, businesses and the community planned that they would have to fund their lights so held a summer fair earlier in the year to raise money. And in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, retailers have raised £1,000 to ensure they don’t miss out on festive lights this year after funding was removed. The FSB campaigns through its Keep Trade Local campaign to reverse the trend of decline on the high street and defend the choice and diversity that customers deserve. The FSB is calling for small firms to send photos of their business dressed in festive spirit via Facebook and Twitter and is hosting pictures on Tumblr. The FSB is also filming high streets across the country and looking for examples of villages and towns drawing shoppers to their high streets and local, ind ependent shops. John Walker, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said: “It is a real disappointment that many local councils removed funding for Christmas lights on their high streets. We all know that UK high streets have been suffering for some time and Christmas can make or break a business for the year ahead. So ensuring that our high streets are attractive and drive in trade is important - something that having festive lights does. “However, small firms and communities have shown resilience and creativity to ensure that they do not lose out this festive season by coming up with innovative ways to raise funds for their lights or to get people to the high street.” About the Federation of Small Businesses The FSB is the UK’s leading business organisation with around 200,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the UK’s Real-Life Entrepreneurs who run their own business. More inform ation is available at www.fsb.o rg.uk and for more on the FSB’s Keep Trade Local campaign, visit www.fsb.org.uk/other_campaigns . MORE OVER-50S EXPECT TO WORK BEYOND STATE RETIREMENT AGE The number of people over 50 who expect to go on working beyond the state retirement age has risen by 43 per cent since 2010, a report by LV= has found. Around 6.5 million over-50s - 4.1 million women and 2.4 million men - now intend to carry on working later in life, according to the annual Working Late Index from LV=. Men will work an average of 6.9 years beyond the state retirement age, with their female counterparts averaging 5.8 years’ extra service. More than half (52 per cent) of working over-50s who expect to work beyond the state retirement age cite ‘affordability’ as the determining factor. LV= also found that of the 4.3 million people over 50 who had retired and then returned to work since 2010, 14 per cent did so because their personal pension was not providing enough income. A further 9 per cent found that their state pension was insufficient to support them. Ray Chinn, LV= head of pensions, reiterated the importance of early retirement planning. He said, “With the Government increasing the state pension age we would hope that those approaching retirement wouldn’t feel they need to work beyond it. Unfortunately, this is not the case as many find that they have insufficient funds in their pension pots.” “Regardless of how close people are to retirement, it is essential that saving remains a priority. The earlier in life you can start saving the better, but it’s never too late to make a significant difference to your pension pot.” Your accountant, financial adviser or specialist firm like Synergee Ltd. - www.synergee.org.uk - can help with your retirement planning. Synergee produce some useful free guides available here http://ow.ly/fOOEz . Alternatively, call them to find out more on 01892 772960. Image courtesy of Tom Marsh http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomasinmarsh/ u nder Creative Commons licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/