Business Improvement
Business Improvement – helping businesses start, improve and grow
We are changing the way we help businesses to improve and grow.
We know that small businesses who take advice do better, so we have transformed the information and advice available to them online. In November 2011, we launched a new set of services which are available on the Business Link website. These include new tools to help businesses work through common business issues and information about local events.
The website now provides a comprehensive start-up service through the “My New Business” section. This brings together all the information people need when thinking about starting-up or running a business. It also provides access to a range of services to make it easier for businesses to register for VAT, PAYE and notify Companies House.
A helpline is also available to support people who cannot find what they need on the website or who are unable to/have difficulty accessing the internet.
We are facilitating the development of a wide network of business mentors. Through www.mentorsme.co.uk, sponsored by the British Bankers Association, businesses can access and learn from other experienced business people.
Government is also investing £1.8m to fund Get Mentoring. This initiative will recruit and train 15,000 volunteer mentors from the small, medium and micro business community who will be accessible through www.mentorsme.co.uk. Over 3,000 business people have already stepped forward. Volunteers can register for free training via www.getmentoring.org.
A new programme, Business Coaching for Growth, will target SME businesses with high growth potential, providing coaching to help them overcome barriers to growth and connecting them to knowledge, finance and other networks. The new programme will roll out from early 2012.
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Can you help us to tell others of these changes? Try our tool-kit.
More information setting out Government policy to help businesses is set out in our publication Bigger, better business: helping small firms start, grow and prosper (PDF, 229 Kb) .
The Business Link regional advisory service formally closed on 25th November 2011. Further information is available on the Business Link website or the Business Link helpline number of 0845 600 9 006.
We have also published an Equality Impact Assessment (PDF, 107 Kb) , which assesses the potential impact of the changes on certain groups of people.
