British beauty council create new trading hub

In response to complaints of increased costs and confusion of post-Brexit trading rules, the British Beauty Council have created a new trading hub, to support personal care businesses as they navigate their way through the jargon. The British Beauty Council reported that many businesses in the industry are confused by the new Brexit rules and feel anxious about rising costs as they try to recover from the pandemic. Their new trading hub will be dedicated to collating the vital information scattered across multiple platforms, to create a reliable space for business owners to resolve any issues they may be facing. Two years ago, ‘Brexit day’ marked the end of the UK’s membership in the European Union and the start of a “transition period” that was completed at the end of last year. Since 1 January 2022, new rules have been in place for businesses moving goods between Britain and Europe.

What The Hub Aims To Do

Victoria Brownlie, chief policy officer at The British Beauty Council, says: "Business owners must be able to navigate their way through the latest rules to remain operational and successful. We have taken this on board and aim to help them make a success by cutting through the jargon and keeping them up-to-date with ongoing changes and requirements." The new online trading hub will provide easy-to-find guides on exporting and importing goods, together with all you need to know about new VAT rules. It will also host videos, details on relevant support funds and news on the latest developments. The hub will evolve to include information on trading with the US and Asia. Victoria adds: "We have created the hub to help businesses navigate through the process of trading overseas, whether this is the start of their journey or one that they are already on, but experiencing bumps in the road.”

Feel Prepared

The changes apply to all European trade, whether firms buy or sell goods once a year or every day, and no matter what type, volume or value – so all businesses need to be prepared. Yet, a recent survey by the Federation of Small Businesses found that only one in four SMEs, which will be impacted by the new rules, are ready. A third said that they were unaware of their new requirements. To read about their other projects, head here!