Forum of Private Business
The Forum of Private Business or The Forum (The FPB) is a UK-based membership organisation which campaigns for the interests of small and medium-sized businesses. A member-funded organisation, it offers practical business advice and help, as well as offering a range of products and services to help its members save money. The Forum was established in 1977, is a non-party political organisation and represents over 25,000 UK businesses.
The Forum (the FPB) was founded by Stan Mendham in 1977. Previously, Mendham had run an engineering business but was becoming increasingly concerned by the lack of understanding of smaller businesses in the economy and mounting red tape. He studied member-based organisations for smaller businesses in America and Canada, and decided to create a British equivalent.
Mendham wanted the FPB to always represent accurately the views of its members. To do this, he started an approach to campaigns based on information collected through regular surveys. The FPB calls them referendums, and they are completed every three months.
The company is based in Knutsford, Cheshire, but works with businesses across the UK.
The Forum's website offers a variety of services, some free, and some requiring paid membership. Daily updated business news is available on the main site. "Hot tips" articles are brief informative articles designed to help businesses, and include neither press releases nor advertisements. A variety of tools and calculators that are useful for daily business operations are also available.
The FPB offer a range of up to date business guides to help businesses including a credit control guide, an Employment guide, and a health and safety guide. They also offer both free and paid business templates that cover a variety of business forms, procedures, and documentation that may be of use to private businesses.
The FPB supports the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) as its chosen charity. FPB employees are committed to generating funds to support the Group's work and also increasing the nation's awareness of the charity and its activities, which include improving the management of children with cancer and advancing the knowledge and study of childhood malignancy.
FPB employees have previously raised several thousands of pounds for the charity by taking part in the Wilmslow Half-Marathon, hiking to the summit of Snowdon in North Wales and taking part in the three peaks challenge.
Most recently, eight female staff members raised over £1,500 by taking part in a sponsored walk with a difference along the Wirral Way, Merseyside, in a three-legged relay.
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