Business Support & Advice

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Directory of Business Support

There are a range of organisations that can help you:


Business support organisations

Business Link, the North East Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) are the three key business support organisations that work across the region. In County Durham, Northumberland, Tees Valley and Tyne and Wear there are further organisations that work specifically with businesses in their area . There are also some online business websites worth using.

Business Link

www.businesslink.gov.uk and www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk
Business Link are a fantastic resource for all things to do with setting up and running a business. Their website is full of information and tools and they have advisors across the North East.

Business Link Tourism Skills Brokers
Business Link have specially trained Tourism Skills Brokers that work across the region. They only work with travel and tourism-related businesses. Contact the correct advisor for your area:

Gemma Cooper, Tees Valley
Tel: 0845 6009006  Email: gemma.cooper@businesslinknortheast.co.uk

Nigel Martin, Durham
Tel: 0845 6009006  Email: nigel.martin@businesslinknortheast.co.uk

Alan Revie, Durham
Tel: 0845 6009006  Email: alan.revie@businesslinknortheast.co.uk

Mandy Dowson, Tyne & Wear
Tel: 0845 6009006  Email: mandy.dowson@businesslinknortheast.co.uk

Marian Bassam, Northumberland
Tel: 0845 6009006  Email: marian.bassam@businesslinknortheast.co.uk

 

North East Chamber of Commerce

www.necc.co.uk
The North East Chamber of Commerce is a large and active chamber of commerce representing more than 5,000 businesses across the North East region. They provide networking, training, and a wide range of member benefits and services.

Federation of Small Businesses

www.fsb.org.uk
The Federation of Small Businesses is a non-profit making and non-political membership organisation, with over 210,000 members across the UK. They offer 24 hour support and a legal helpline.

  

Entrust

Not to be confused with the landfill charity, Entrust is the enterprise development agency for businesses across the North East. It is very active with start up businesses.  Click here for their website and more information: http://www.entrust.co.uk/page.asp?id=77

 

In Durham:

Wear Valley and Teesdale Enterprise Agency

This agency was formed by the merge of the Wear Valley Development Agency and The Teesdale Enterprise Agency. They provide a broad range of services to new, existing and developing businesses and provide advice, access to funding and training. They offer regular business events and courses. Click here to view their website: http://www.teesdaleenterprise.co.uk/about.asp

County Durham Development Company

This is the business development arm of Durham County Council. It offers support, advice and trade intervention for new and existing businesses, in a way that is tailored to the business' needs, rather than pre-packaged.  Click here for their website: http://www.durham4business.com

East Durham Business Service

The enterprise agency for the district of Easington, the East Durham Business Service is active and committed. It provides support, advice, grants and training for start-ups and existing businesses as well as bespoke services on training, marketing and funding. For more information and to access their events, visit their website: http://www.edbs.co.uk/economic-development/index.php

 

 

In Northumberland:

Northumberland Business Service

With six centres across the county this proactive and committed business service offers advice, support, funding information, business events and workshops. Click here for their website: http://www.n-bs.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28


The Northumberland National Park

The National Park Authority looks after the landscape, heritage and culture of Northumberland National Park, helping to make it a special place for people to live in and enjoy. They do this by making sure that communities and businesses in and around the National Park are supported with good advice, guidance and funding. They encourage any existing or planned business in the Park area to pay them a visit, to discuss new ideas or to explore how to expand and grow in a sustainable way.
www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk

 

In Tees Valley:

Invest in Hartlepool

This is the service offered by Hartlepool Borough Council. They offer support, guidance, funding and training and a regular program of business events and networking. Follow the link to their website: http://www.investinhartlepool.com/index.php

 

Darlington Business Venture

Darlington Business Venture is the Enterprise Agency for Darlington, working to support new businesses and existing businesses through the provision of advice, training, counselling, business information, access to finance, workspace, conference and training facilities and business-to-business networking.
http://www.dbv-northeast.co.uk/

Middlesbrough Forum

Supported by Middlesbrough Council and other partners The Middlesbrough Forum provides business events, information and networking opportunities. View their website at http://www.middlesbroughbusinessforum.co.uk

In Tyne and Wear:

Tyneside Economic Development Company (TEDCO)

Covering the whole of Tyneside, TEDCO provide tailored support, advice and guidance to new and existing businesses. Click here to visit their website: http://www.tedco.org

 

South Tyneside Business Support: South Tyneside Means Business

Funded by South Tyneside Council, this is an active and dynamic support service for new and existing businesses. Offering advice, guidance and funding information, click here to view them: http://www.southtynesidemeansbusiness.co.uk/externallink.asp?id=46

Business Support Websites

There are also some good business websites. These are www.startups.co.uk (and it's partner site www.growingbusiness.co.uk ), www.newbusiness.co.uk , www.smallbusinessadvice.org.uk and also have a look at www.businessballs.co.uk for an alternative approach.

Tourism-specific organisations

Public sector organisations and private sector tourism associations all offer advice, support, marketing and often training and research. Check our Who's Who in Tourism section for contact details of local, regional and national tourism organisations and to see how tourism is organised in our region and the UK. The main ones in the North East are as follows.

One NorthEast Tourism

This is the tourism arm of the regional development agency, One NorthEast. It has five areas of responsibility:

  1. to work with other organisations in the region so we get the most value from all the money and effort expended on developing tourism
  2. to encourage the right investment in tourism and to influence central government's thinking
  3. to help tourism businesses develop to meet the needs of today's customers
  4. to promote the region to the UK and abroad
  5. to co-ordinate visitor services across the region (including all the Tourist Information Centres)

Click here to view One NorthEast Tourism's activities


Area Tourism Partnerships

There are four area tourism partnerships, each with responsibility to manage, support and grow tourism in their county or area. They work closely with One NorthEast Tourism and other government and private sector organisations to:

  1. to promote their areas through websites, publications and PR to the UK
  2. to help tourism businesses develop and grow
  3. to help the staff who work in tourism to develop and grow
  4. to research the needs of tourism in their areas and develop plans for meeting those needs

The four organisations are (click to view their activities and contacts):


People 1st

www.people1st.co.uk
People 1st is the skills agency for the tourism, leisure and hospitality industry. This is a public-funded organisation aimed at helping the people in these industries improve their skills, achieve qualifications, drive up quality and reach career success.

 

Tourism associations

Tourism Associations market specific towns, districts or areas and also provide networking and support opportunities for tourism businesses located within those areas.

www.visitalnwick.org.uk
Alnwick Tourism Association is a voluntary organisation the purpose of which is to promote tourism to the Alnwick District for the benefit of the local businesses and wider community.

North East Hoteliers Association Tel: 0871 3769029
This hotel association has 27 members operating across the 4 sub regions within the North East of England. Monthly meetings bring members together to discuss and address issues within the business and tourism community.
Please contact the Chairman, Damon Roberts, at damon.roberts@thistle.co.uk in the first instance.

www.nnta.org
North Northumberland Tourism Association was founded in 1985 and is the oldest established tourism association in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.

www.visit-rothbury.co.uk
Rothbury & Coquetdale Tourism Association (RACTA) is a voluntary organization consisting of diverse businesses in and around Rothbury and in Coquetdale.

www.whitley-bay-hoteliers.co.uk
Whitley Bay Hoteliers Association is for all types of accommodation providers in and near Whitley Bay. 


Local authorities and the national park

Local authorities in North East England.
Contact your local authority to discuss local rules and regulations, licences, planning, environmental health, health and safety, rates and a wide range of other business information.


Northumberland National Park
The National Park Authority looks after the landscape, heritage and culture of Northumberland National Park, helping to make it a special place for people to live in and enjoy. They do this by making sure that communities and businesses in and around the National Park are supported with good advice, guidance and funding. They are happy to talk to anyone with an existing business or who is planning a business in the Park. They say, "It is our aim to empower local people to generate and run new ventures of all kinds that will enrich the economy and life of the community."
Click here to visit their site.

 

Banks

Since small and medium business is a huge source of revenue for banks, they go to considerable efforts to provide business managers who will offer a wide range of help and advice, not just on financial topics. Your bank should have a vested interest in helping you; if you don't get the help you need, consider changing banks. Click here or go to www.yell.com to search for banks or visit http://bba.moneyfacts.co.uk/ to compare business accounts.


Professional services

Accountants, lawyers, insurers, architects, designers and marketing agencies all provide invaluable professional help. Many professionals are very happy to talk over ideas and problems, for free, at an initial short interview. They will be steering you towards their solutions but can be very useful as a starting point. When engaging professional help, try to get recommendations from other businesses in your area, or ask organisations to provide you with a client list or references.

See the Business Benefits Pack for professional services and other businesses selected by One NorthEast Tourism because they offer specific services to tourism businesses. These businesses cannot pay to advertise in the pack - they must be invited.

 

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