Government announces new board of trade to boost small business exports and consultation on improving entrepreneurs' access to finance

The government has announced a new board of trade that is tasked with helping businesses sell overseas.

Members of the group include The Apprentice star and entrepreneur Mike Soutar, BT CEO Allison Kirkby, Small Business Britain’s Michelle Ovens, and Ella's Kitchen founder Paul Lindley.

Business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:  

"The new board of trade will be another tool in our arsenal to get more businesses trading around the world and taking advantage of our fantastic free trade agreements.

"This won't be a chin-stroking talking shop, because I'll be urging them to boost exports and get more SMEs trading across all their sectors. 

"Because we know that when more small firms export, it leads to more jobs and higher wages and grows the economy." 

The full list of board of trade advisers:  

• Omar Ali 

• Mike Hawes OBE 

• Dame Vivian Hunt DBE 

• Allison Kirkby 

• Paul Lindley OBE 

• Catherine McGuinness CBE 

• Michelle Ovens CBE 

• Mike Soutar 

• Sarah Walker 

• Dr Charles Woodburn CBE

Small business access to finance

Also announced today is a consultation on improving access to finance for small businesses.

It is examining the current demand for finance, measures the private sector can take to boost funding, and the barriers for underserved groups including female founders, ethnic minorities and those with disabilities.  

The consultation is open here until 11.59pm on 8 May.

Small business minister Gareth Thomas said: 

"For small businesses, getting off the ground is one of the hardest parts of scaling up, and central to that is the ability to access finance. 

"That's why this call for evidence will be important to allow us to see what more needs to be done to support SMEs so they can go for growth." 

Major policy event attended by Enterprise Nation

The announcements coincide with a major policy event organised by the government at Wilton Park in Sussex. It is being attended by national and local government officials, trade bodies, membership groups, small business owners and other experts to help inform the government's small business strategy that will be published later this year.  

Among the attendees are Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones, who is speaking in a session discussing digital adoption by small businesses as a driver for growth.

Emma is a member of the government's SME Digital Adoption Taskforce, which is aimed at helping small and medium sized businesses better adopt digital technology to improve productivity.

Enterprise Nation also runs Tech Hub, a one-stop-shop solution that allows businesses to access industry-leading digital tools, training, support, and know-how, and has recently launched a groundbreaking AI powered personal assistant for small businesses.

Other attendees at the Wilton Park event include Creative Nature founder Julianne Ponan, Exeat's Laura Ward, and Burren Balsamics' Bob McDonald. 

Other topics of discussion are ways to encourage entrepreneurship, boost access to finance and increase the number of small businesses that export overseas.   

Enterprise Nation is contributing extensively to the small business strategy consultation to ensure the voices of our members are heard. We recently brought together small business owners and senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade to discuss what should be in the strategy.