New Government advisers on small business

The Government has appointed nine new members of the Small Business Council (SBC), the organisation which advises the Government on issues affecting small businesses.

The Council meets regularly with Small Business Minister Nigel Griffiths, senior civil servants and reports to the Secretary of State at the DTI, Patricia Hewitt, who announced the new appointments.

According to the DTI announcement the SBC has been involved in a wide range of issues such as employment legislation, skills provision, access to finance, better policy making and improved business support. The Council operates by building good relationships with Ministers and senior officials and through persuasion and explanation ensure that Ministers and policy makers at all levels are aware of the consequences of their action on small firms.

The SBC has 24 members from all parts of the UK and includes people from different ages and backgrounds. It represents a wide range of sectors, including: manufacturing, retail, social enterprise, tourism, business support, environmental businesses, media and entertainment, recruitment, accountancy and academia. The membership represents all parts of the UK and includes people of different ages and backgrounds.

Patricia Hewitt said: "The Small Business Council is an invaluable help to the Government, in making sure that we listen to the views and concerns of the small business community.

"The new members we have appointed represent the very best of British entrepreneurial spirit, and bring with them a wealth of knowledge of different types of business and different regions of the UK."

New members

The biographical details of the new Council members, as provided by the DTI are:

Grant Burton

Grant Burton is a farmer producing pigs and arable crops. He and his brother took over the family farm and are increasingly specialising in added value pork products.

After school in York he attended university in Nottingham where he gained a BA in Industrial Economics. He was Treasurer of the Students' Union for a year. Subsequently he worked for some years in the finance departments of large companies. The financial aspect of business is something in which he remains interested today.

He is heavily involved in the work of the National Farmers Union and has just finished a spell as vice chairman of their Potato Committee. He is a member of their newly established marketing sub-group, which is working on the establishment of closer links between farmer producers and commercial consumers.

He and his brother were shortlisted for the 'Farming Today Award' at the BBC Food and Farming Show 2002. He sits on the Yorkshire Regional Working Group of the Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food Implementation Team.

Elsa Caleb

Elsa Caleb is the Managing Director of ECJ Associates Ltd, which offers advice, mentoring and enterprise training for both start up and existing businesses. Prior to starting her own business she acted as a business advisor for several Enterprise Agencies and held the position as Assistant Regional Manager for the Prince's Trust. In 1999 she received the European Federation of Black Women in Business Owners Award in the training category. She is also Director of Getting It Right Ltd, which is a training company aimed at women.

She has acted as vice chair for the Institute of Business Advisers (London Region) and is currently a member of the Business Connections Management committee. She has appeared on BBC breakfast news and has had several features in national newspapers. She has had experience of both co-ordinating and judging regional LiveWIRE awards and has been involved in several Brent initiatives including Brent Police Community Consultative Group.

Peter Donaldson

Peter Donaldson is the Managing Director of Kilco Chemicals Ltd, an agriculture and food hygiene business, which he joined in 1995. Prior to this he had worked in a large multinational company overseeing their sales and marketing division. In addition to Kilco Chemicals he has a share in 4 other companies - Ace Chemicals Ltd; Vitapharm Ltd; Kilco Ireland Ltd; and Pharmtec International Ltd.

He has a BSC in Economics, a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and a certificate in Marketing. He is a member of the Northern Ireland Civic Forum, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Business, the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association and the Society of Dyers & Colourists.

Lorraine Gradwell

Lorraine Gradwell is Chief Executive of Breakthrough UK Ltd, a company that offers employment support and training to disabled people, as well as consultancy and training to employers and service providers. She set up Breakthrough UK in 1997 and 60 per cent of its 35 employees are disabled people. Lorraine has a masters degree in disability studies and has worked in the public, private and voluntary sectors. She is also involved in the G. Mar. Coalition of Disabled People as well as being a member of the DWP's Disability & Employment Advisory Committee. She is an experienced chairperson and currently chairs the N.W Reg Assembly's Economic Development and Employment Task Group in the "Committed to Inclusion" initiative.

Teresa Graham

Teresa is a senior partner in Baker Tilly, chartered accountants. She is currently deputy chair of the UK Government's Better Regulation Task Force and a member of the Management Board of the Small Business Service. She was winner of the "Young Accountant of the Year Award" for 1988 in recognition of her contribution to the small firms sector and was awarded an OBE in the 1997 New Years Honours List for services to Better Regulation and the small firms sector.

Caroline Hughes

Caroline Hughes is the founder and Managing Director of ClickHere Ltd - an innovative business to business training.

She established ClickHere in 1996 after spending more than a year researching and developing the idea and the company now has training centres in the Tees Valley and Sheffield with clients across the country. She studied at the University of Teesside (BA Honours, Diploma in Management Sciences) and before setting up ClickHere Caroline worked as a Business Analyst at software houses - concentrating on large scale distribution systems.

Caroline sits on the board of the Tees Valley Business Link and on the board of Tees Valley Connexions where she is on the HR and Remunerations Committee and is also a Young Enterprise Judge. She sits on the University of Teesside Business Incubation Unit panel and is a director of Thrilanfere Ltd - a film and television development and production company and is actively involved with the Women Into Management Network.

Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson is a partner in W F Watt, a ground works and construction business he purchased in 1998. Prior to that he had gained business experience in a wholesale importer and distribution company of horticulture. He has a degree in Marketing and Strategic management.

Scott is an active member of Kilsyth Community Council, which he has served on for eight years, where most recently he has organised a major tourism conference of over 100 delegates including members of the Scottish Parliament.

Monder Ram

Monder Ram has a B.A. Hons in Government, a M.A. in Industrial Relations, a diploma in Management Studies and a PHD. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is a director of the Institute of Small Business Affairs. Monder is one of the leading academics in the field of ethnic minority entrepreneurship, and has also written extensively on employment relations in small firms. In addition, he has undertaken numerous research and policy-related projects, which have involved coordinating, and managing a team of researchers.

In 1997 he initiated the first annual ethnic minority entrepreneurship conference - which has become the most important annual event of its kind. Most recently he has been an active member of both the Ethnic Minority Business Forum, which is an advisory body to the DTI, and the ACCA Small Business committee.

Louise Shafar

Louise Shafar is Managing Director of Louise Shafar Ltd, a manufacturing and retail jewellery business which specialises in diamonds, Italian gold and silver, south sea pearls and jewellery remodelling.

In 2001 she was runner up of two of the categories in the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Business Pages Annual Achievers Awards: the British Airways Customer Services award and the Clydesdale Bank Business Women award. Louise is an accomplished goldsmith and is a Fellow of both the Gemmological Association and the Diamond Gem association.

Louise is interested in promoting entrepreneurship to youngsters and has been asked by Renfrewshire Council to promote an education programme they are starting offering business advice. Louise is a member of both East Renfrewshire and Renfrew Chamber of Commerce as well as Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.

The direct approach for freelancers

The appointments to the Small Business Council are made by the Government Ministers and Civil Servants that the SBC members then go on to advise. Each member has an area of expertise relevant to their own circumstances or background, but it cannot be expected that they can cover all aspects of small businesses.

The structure - and limitations - of an advisory panel such as this gives a clear indication of the importance of the recent All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group consultation into freelancers. Hundreds of freelancers were able to submit their opinion and experience directly into the Westminster machinery through an online consultation without having to channel them through another party.

The All Party report on freelancers is due by the end of July. The comments are still available to be viewed on the website.