Business Support & Advice

Business Link

Many people think of Business Link as just a service for start ups.  It isn’t. 

Business Link is a government funded program designed to support the economy through successful business growth – and that means helping businesses at all stages, especially those with a strong potential for growth and employment creation.

Its services are therefore very broad: it can help with everything from finding funding or premises, to accessing research, applying business planning formulas and finding suppliers like architects, website designers and specialist consultants.

A local service

The Business Link service runs across the UK, but here in the North East it is delivered by local specialists who understand the region, the marketplace and the key industries. There are even tourism-specialist advisors.

The Business Link website

The website, at www.businesslink.gov.uk (or www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk for the localised version), is thoroughly comprehensive and covers all business issues – everything you need to start up, employ staff, grow and stay legal.  It provides over 500 in-depth guides about business issues and over 70 interactive tools that help you make key decisions such as what type of business structure to use, when to register for VAT and whether you are meeting environmental legislation.

Services

Business Link offers the following services:

• An information service – access to reports, research, business formulas and market information
• Access to registered suppliers of all types – specialist consultants, market research companies, architects, advertising agencies, website designers and accountants to name just a few
• Finding funding – access to one of the UK’s most comprehensive funding database and specialist application help
• Training and skills – ensuring that you, and your staff, have the skills and know-how to deliver for your customers and keep your business competitive.  Because tourism and hospitality is a key industry for our region, Business Link has specialist skills advisors for tourism businesses: the Tourism Skills Brokers.
• Start up help for new businesses – a comprehensive start up service that covers every aspect from planning to launch
• Growth help for existing businesses – to help you work through all the challenges of growing your business: finding more customers, tackling new markets, gearing up staffing or production and taking your management skills to the next level
• Events – training, networking and awareness events hosted by Business Link and a wide range of other providers

Make contact

In addition to the website, Business Link have 29 access points right across the region where you can meet face-to-face with an advisor, click here to find one near you.  You can also telephone on 0845 600 9 006 or email enquiries@businesslinknortheast.co.uk, or request a call back through the website. 

Next step:

• Working with Business Link - what to expect