According to official data, small businesses with fewer than 50 employees are the largest and most potential portion of UK economic activity. Other advanced industrial countries are likely to have a similar proportion. It is also known that such businesses experience a high closure rate after major incidents whether the cause be floods or pandemics. Bouncing back – or ‘building back together’ as the government proclaims – is often a hard task that may take some time. Yet, there are some simple steps that can be taken by businesses themselves as well as by local authorities to support business communities.
This webinar will explore those simple actions to business recovery and resilience, including ones that are grounded in past experiences and not just from the UK. To help get the panel discussion off the ground, Facebook will discuss some key learnings on the value of building resilience within our small business communities and how the resilience industry can come together to do our part in preparing small businesses for the next major disruption. Facebook’s recently published small business resilience guide for North America will be shared with registered participants.
The wider relevance and applicability of a guide will then be discussed through contributions from speakers from the London Councils, the Federation of Small Businesses, and RSM UK Audit LLP.
Out of the webinar, Facebook and Resilience First will work together to produce a UK version of the small business resilience guide that will reflect the contributions from the speakers and participants on the webinar. This will build on work already underway between the two organisations.
Panellists:
Deji Aina, Head of Global Business Continuity, Facebook
Stephen King, Head of Business and Enterprise, London Councils
Matthew Jaffa, Senior External Affairs Manager, Federation of Small Businesses
Jacqui Baker, Audit Director at RSM UK Audit LLP
Chair: Iain Wright, Director for Business and Industrial Strategy, ICAEW
Upcoming events
-
Leaders’ Forum 2025
Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, 1pm, onlineResilience First hosts an online Leader’s Forum, a bi-monthly meeting created for senior leaders from our diverse, cross-sector business membership.
-
Practical steps for building resilience to geopolitics
Monday 24 February, 13:00-14:00 GMT, OnlineAs geopolitical risks and trade uncertainties continue to grow, organisations must adapt quickly to navigate these challenges effectively. But how do you build resilience in this evolving geopolitical environment?
Join us for our member-only virtual discussion, part of our Geostrategic Resilience Programme in collaboration with PwC.
-
Third National Conference on Societal Resilience
10 & 11 March 2025, Whitworth Hall, The University of ManchesterWe are excited to support our friends at the National Consortium for Societal Resilience (NCSR+) as they host the Third Conference on Societal Resilience.
This in-person, two-day conference offers a unique networking opportunity for professionals and organisations across the public, voluntary, community, and business sectors to learn, share insights, and explore collaborative opportunities to strengthen societal resilience in the face of disruption.
-
International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure – Upcoming Events
Resilience First offers its members exclusive access to all events delivered by our strategic partner – International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI).