Challenging start for Development Manager to small business role

Taking up the mantle in the last week of February this year, Roisin had a three-month timetable of events including FSB NI’s Small Business Awards and the FSB Business Pavilion at the Balmoral Show all in her sight.

However, a short three weeks later family, community and business life dramatically changed with the crisis of Covid-19 emerging and putting all plans and projects into disarray.

With approximately 6,000 FSB members in Northern Ireland across many sectors of the economy, the FSB team here has been inundated with members’ queries, frustrations and stories over the past six weeks in the immediate impact of the coronavirus crisis. With several Government support schemes announced, team FSB has been providing its members and small businesses with information and guidance around the assistance available. From the many conversations and contacts with small business owners and self-employed people, they have been campaigning at Stormont and through the FSB team at Westminster to improve support measures and the delivery of them, particularly for those business falling through the gaps of the existing support.

Roisin, a marketing and communications professional with a background in the community sector and social enterprise, explained: “No-one could have predicted how quickly or dramatically our lives would change over a short period of time. The term “unprecedented” has been used to the point of exhaustion but it actually encapsulates just how things are, most of us have never experienced this level of work-family life disruption on such a widespread scale, adding this to the real concerns of the health and wellbeing of our loved ones. We have heard all sorts of scenarios from businesses recently who have missed out on support and the stress they are enduring over the impact that this will have on their business, with many fearing that their life’s work will not survive. Many have found FSB’s 24/7 free employment and legal helpline, which comes as part of FSB membership, to be a saving grace for their questions around this whole crisis. Uncertainty still seems to be one of the biggest challenges, with businesses unsure when they might return to work or how recovery will look for them in reality.

“On a personal level, it has certainly been a challenging first few months returning to the role, where my expectations had been around organising member events, visiting small businesses to share positive stories and so on, instead it has been all hands to the pump with the rest of the NI team firefighting our way through the many issues and concerns of our members. Like many working from home, this also meant a new set of co-workers in my four children and the steep learning curve of home-schooling while home-working. Those are also the personal challenges facing many of our members, as well as the concern for the health of their families, employees and communities in which they work. Despite their personal and business concerns, many of members have been heroically contributing so much to their local communities whether that be through diversification to PPE production or offering free training or consultations to other businesses – all familiar traits of resilience and innovation often found within the sector.”

As with many organisations, FSB is learning new ways of working and communicating and have launched FSB virtual networking events for local small businesses to assist them with making connections with each other. They are currently planning a range of online webinars, support clinics and other events to look at proactive approaches to preparing for the recovery phase for small business and rebuilding of the local economy. Through continued work with members, listening to their concerns and case studies, Roisin and the team at FSB Northern Ireland can continue to represent the voice of small businesses and self-employed people, to support them at this difficult time.

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