Small Business Journey

Small Business Journey- The Route Map To Business Value










		Better Payment

		Developing Skills

		Diversity

		Improve your business performance by embracing diversity

		Equality

		Health and Safety

		Managing Resources

		Marketing with a Cause

		Minimising Waste

		Volunteering



	Improve your business performance by embracing diversity

How to get started in a small way

Establish and communicate your company approach to diversity.
Consider what recruitment, placement schemes or working practices will encourage greater diversity.
Think about where you advertise vacancies and how you could reach a wider pool of recruits.
Talk to staff and find out what sorts of opportunities they see for promoting more diversity.
Set relevant targets for adding to the range of people among your employees, suppliers or customers.
Address any physical or practical barriers by considering what modifications might make it easier to accommodate e.g. disabled employees or working parents. The Access to Work programme may help.
If barriers arise from attitudes and policies, then consider who can help you to create a more positive framework and contribute to meeting your targets.

Who can help you to go further?

National Help / Online Help
Government Commissions on equality and human rights can give advice:
Equal Opportunities Commission advises on sex discrimination. Its helplines are 0845 601 5901 and typetalk on 18001 0845 601 5901. www.eoc.org.uk.

Commission for Racial Equality supplies a practical guide " racial equality and the smaller business". Help is available at 0870 240 3697. www.cre.org.uk.

Disability Rights Commission has a helpline on 0845 762 2633 or by textphone on 0845 762 2644. www.drc-gb.org.

www.equalitydirect.org.uk Equality Direct is designed for business managers and gives advice on a range of equality issues. Helpline is 08456 00 34 44.

www.acas.org.uk The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) advises on avoiding disputes through good practice. The helplines are 0845 747 4747 and textline on 0845 606 1600.

www.employers-forum.co.uk Employers Forum on Disability, funded and managed by employers, provides briefings on disability in the workplace.

www.agepositive.gov.uk Age Positive promotes age diversity in employment. It provides guidance, facts and figures and case studies on employing the over 50s.

www.fpb.co.uk/cmn The Forum of Private Business has developed an employment guide with the TUC which includes diversity issues. Contact them at emailto:mis@fpb.co.uk

www.stonewall.org.uk Stonewall offers employers practical advice on managing diversity and an employers'guide on the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations.

Business Link provides practical and easy to use information and support for SMEs on a wide range of issues including equality. Business Link - Prevent Discrimination. Business Link - Business Case for Diversity

Local help
Check with your local Chamber of Commerce or Business Link organisation for business networks in your area. These will give you an opportunity to talk to companies who are tackling diversity issues. www.chamberonline.co.uk (click "find your chamber") or www.businesslink.gov.uk (England) www.bgateway.com (Scotland) www.businesseye.org.uk (Wales) www.investni.com (Northern Ireland).

It's Common Sense

This briefing paper is one of 20 individual +points that make up The Journey - a route map designed to help you build a business that people value. You need only do one if you like. It's your journey. It doesn't have to be time-consuming or complicated. It's basically common sense.

Each 'How-To' briefing is available in pdf or word formats. To read the PDF document with a screen reader please link to the Access Adobe website which provides useful tools and resources. Adobe also has a free online conversion tool for PDFs.

PDF file Diversity.pdf
size 112kb

Word file Diversity.doc
size 40kb