The next step

http www bis gov uk assets biscore enterprise docs s 11 776 solutions for business government funded business support pdf

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http www businesslink gov uk bdotg action detail itemid 1081397463 r i 1081389933 r t campaign type oneoffpage

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New “Solutions for Business” - but are they any good?

Working on an old idea

Solutions for Business (SfB) isn’t a new idea. What the government has announced is an overhaul of the existing system which contains 32 products meant to help companies. They’ve now all been “reviewed, streamlined and improved”. Apparently, what we’re left with are “13 business support products” specifically tailored to meet the needs of businesses like yours.

What’s inside the packaging?

This all sounds very good, but there is a danger with nicely wrapped presents. Once you’ve peaked inside, the contents can turn out to be very disappointing. To save you the heartache, we’ve had a good look at the “new” SfB. So what’s our advice on this latest offering?

Products on offer

It’s claimed that the new SfB portfolio focuses on business growth. Some of the advice can be accessed at little, or no, cost and most of the products have been designed specifically for smaller companies. They include:

• finance for business
• networking for innovation
• knowledge transfer partnerships
• workplace training and apprenticeships; and
• high-growth coaching.

Note. Over the coming year, product availability will vary across the country as existing services end and new ones are brought in.

How is the SfB package accessed?

At the moment, probably because the new-style SfB is still in its early days, it can be quite hard to find reliable information on it. One of the ways you will be able to access the portfolio is via the Business Link website (see The next step). When we checked it out the links were mostly all up and running, although many said “finaldetails of this product are still being finalised”.

Tip. You can also register your interest for many of the products, e.g. finance for business, via Business Link. This is likely to be the quickest way to find information on the SfB.

Going direct

Where relevant, you can also approach service partners directly. For example, if you’re interested in hiring an apprentice, you can go to the relevant website (http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk).

Tip. It can be quite hard to locate the service providers, but the best place to look for details is in the guidance issued by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) (see The next step).

Our opinion. On the face of it, this overhaul to the SfB scheme seems like a good idea; if you have the time to dig around you should get some useful (and free) advice. Plus, accessing it should become much easier over the next few months.

For a link to the Business Link website (CD 12.13.03A) and for a link to the BIS guidance on the “Solutions for Business” (CD 12.13.03B), visit http://companydirector.indicator.co.uk.