Member Article

'Easier access' to business advice for small firms

The number of business support schemes is to be simplified from 3000-plus to well under 100 as part of new proposals to help small business announced by Small Business Minister Margaret Hodge last week.

The proposals will address the wide concern among small firms who frequently tell Government they are confused by the array of business support schemes currently available. The slimdown is intended to reduce the backroom costs of providing business support, including marketing and administration work, freeing resource to be targeted to help firms more.

Margaret Hodge said: “We want to take some of the hassle out of getting help to run a business. By cutting down the number of support schemes without cutting the amount of support we believe we can do that. Simpler, easier to use and understand support while cutting back on unnecessary duplication. It’s simple common sense for both business and the tax-payer.”

Under the proposals, the Government’s small business information and advice service Business Link would be the first port of call for all of Government’s business support.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .