Business Support Homepage
 

businesssupportBusiness support has a vital role to play in the UK economy. Small businesses often need support and advice on a wide range of topics from planning and tax to marketing and advertising.


Colin Willman, Business Support Chairman

 

 

Current Work

 

> Small businesses require support that is easy to understand and access.

The Government intends to reduce the number of business support schemes from around 3,000 to no more than 100 by 2010.

 

 

The FSB wants government funded provision to support and improve business operations using the Information, Diagnostic & Brokerage (IDB) model. The brokerage should suggest the services that will support the needs of the business. This must include private sector provision.

 

The government should only fund the provision when:

  • It is a government policy, for example raising the basic skills level in the workforce; and
  • There is a problem with the ability to pay - e.g. small businesses accessing expensive training and accreditation. We stand by the maxim one business' grant is another business' tax.

 

> Small Business View of Business Support

 

The FSB produced a report in September 2007 entitled ‘the small business view of business support'.

 

The report found that:

  • 36 per cent of businesses are simply unaware of Government funded business support;
  • There has been a shift to Internet usage in accessing business support. 37 per cent of businesses said they used the internet for business support;
  • 40 per cent of businesses said they found out about Government support through ‘word of mouth';
  • 60 per cent said that free or low cost initial assessment would encourage them to use government support in the first instance;
  • 47 per cent of small businesses said that all information, advice and guidance should be free of commercial influence.

 

> Business Support consultation

The FSB responded to a Government consultation on the Business Support Simplification Programme in September 2007.

 

 

Stakeholders

BusinessLink

South East England Development Agency

Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform