A royal invitation

On 16th November our Managing Director Karen Friendship was honoured to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace, at the invitation of His Majesty The King. The reception was held in recognition of the contribution made to the UK economy by the country’s 5.47 million small businesses.

According to 2022 government figures, 99.9% of businesses in the UK have 0 to 249 employees (one of the definitions of an SME) and employ around 16.4 million people. Their total turnover is around £2.13bn, which is just over half of all private sector turnover in the UK. Hence the SME community’s contribution to the UK economy is indeed significant.

Karen joined other business leaders to proudly represent the sector, and conversed with HRH The Earl of Wessex. Photographs within the palace were not permitted; but these pictures show Karen arriving for this very special occasion.