Guide To Starting And

Transcription

1 Guide To Starting And Growing A Business In Liverpool 1

2 2 OUR BUSINESS IS HELPING YOUR BUSINESS

3 Welcome to Liverpool Vision s Guide to starting and growing a business in Liverpool. Over the last decade the city s business environment has been transformed by private sector investment, creating business confidence and most importantly new jobs. One sure sign of a healthy city economy is its indigenous business base. We work with companies to realise their ambitions to become bigger, better and more competitive. Some of these businesses are featured in this guide, from sectors representing the city s key strengths - creative and digital, engineering, wealth management and the visitor economy. Our business growth service is designed to help you take your business to the next level. With a dedicated team of experienced business growth and start-up managers, we can offer bespoke free advice, from developing your product range to expanding into international markets. If you d like to find out more about the services we offer, please contact our Growth team or visit liverpoolvision.co.uk/businessgrowth Joe Anderson Mayor of Liverpool Max Steinberg Chief Executive Liverpool Vision 3

4 Success is about seeing opportunities and taking them 4 Paul Durose Managing Director, Fletchrose

5 CONTENTS Page Liverpool Vision s Start-Up & Growth Managers 7-9 Specialist Advice Useful Contacts and Organisations Finance and Funding Local Advice Agencies Useful Business Numbers For more information please visit: liverpoolvision.co.uk/businessgrowth 5

6 6 THINKING OF STARTING A BUSINESS?

7 Starting a business can sometimes feel like taking a leap into the unknown, that s why our team of start up managers are here to help. We provide industry knowledge, expertise, contacts and business experience to help you take that leap. Have you thought about? Step 1: Start with an idea, you need come up with a realistic plan that can turn your product or service into reality. Step 2: Research your market, identify potential customers. Step 3: Set up your business, work out which legal structure is right for you. Step 4: Develop your business plan, covering areas such as marketing, finance, competition and research. Step 5: How will you finance your venture? We can help and support you with all the above, and that s just the starting point. Call one of the start up team: Ahmed Elmi or aelmi@liverpoolvision.co.uk Liz Lacey or llacey@liverpoolvision.co.uk Nick Owen or nowen@liverpoolvision.co.uk For information on how to apply to the I m Liverpool, I m Business programme, go to 7

8 8 Already in business and want to grow?

9 Business Growth in Liverpool is a tailor made support programme designed specifically to help Liverpool businesses. We offer funded advice, guidance and support to businesses seeking to increase productivity and / or create or safeguard jobs. The service is provided by Liverpool Vision and delivered by our Growth Managers, who can offer support in areas such as: Business Planning Financial management IT strategy Sales & marketing People (roles, skills, recruitment & training) We have a wealth of skills within the team to really help your business, so just speak to one of our Growth Managers: Lisa Ashby (City Centre) or lashby@liverpoolvision.co.uk Sue Wood (East Liverpool) or swood@liverpoolvision.co.uk Karen Tate (North Liverpool) or ktate@liverpoolvision.co.uk Paul Chapman (South Liverpool) or pchapman@liverpoolvision.co.uk Dan Ryan (Knowledge-Based Businesses) or dryan@liverpoolvision.co.uk Hiren Gandhi (Business Technology Manager) or hgandhi@liverpoolvision.co.uk Or just call our main number on

10 10 NEED SOME SPECIALIST ADVICE?

11 Support for High-Growth Businesses Growth Accelerator is a government-funded scheme to provide tailored and intensive support to businesses with high-growth potential. If you think you fit this definition or have ambitious plans for your business, go to ACME/Creative Industry Network If you are an existing business in any creative industry games, garment and fashion, design, graphics, art or literature you can get assistance from the ACME programme and by joining the KIN network. For business advice, contact Dave Parrish, david@davidparrish.com To find out more about the support offered by ACME, go to Technology Support Our Business Technology advisor can help you understand the technology that is available to improve your business or processes. An independent review of your current technology, potential technology, your website or IT infrastructure could help stage your business for growth and new markets. For technology advice contact Hiren Gandhi hgandhi@liverpoolvision.co.uk Help With Finding Business and Commercial Premises Liverpool Vision s Property Link service helps you search a database of available commercial properties. Find it here: aspx. In addition, if you need specialist advice for more complex property requirements, contact Mike King mking@liverpoolvision.co.uk 11

12 12 USEFUL CONTACTS AND ORGANISATIONS FOR BUSINESS START-UP, SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT

13 The government maintains a site dedicated to helping you start or grow a business, with useful information, contacts and links. To start accessing this information, go to Start-Up Britain or National Enterprise Network Manufacturing Advisory Service Provides manufacturing business support for companies based in England, helping them to improve and grow. Chambers support You can get help with export documentation and training in export-import from the Chamber of Commerce International Trade Initiative. Elena.enciso@liverpoolchamber.org.uk x 2330 UKTI UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice Intellectual Property Office (Patents) The Intellectual Property Office can help you get the right type of protection for your creation or invention information@ipo.gov.uk HM Revenues & Customs HMRC has plenty of guides and information on the regulations and procedures for starting and running a business. Go to 13

14 14 If You Can t Get A Bank Loan...

15 Finding Finance A starting point could be the government Business Finance Support Finder. Access To Finance Service Free, impartial advice about funding and financing options for your business. Start-Up Loans If you are and looking for funding to start a business, you could get help from the government Start-Up Loans Scheme. New Enterprise Allowance NEA is an interest-free loan with free business advice and support for anyone claiming Job Seekers Allowance who wants to start a business. To apply, ask at your local Job Centre or contact either the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. richard.smith@liverpoolchamber.org.uk or Blue Orchid: Northwest Fund A range of loan funds and equity finance for start-up and business expansion Merseyside Special Investment Fund Loans from 3000 to 50,000 and a loan and equity scheme up to 2m

16 When you re passionate about your business you can light up the room Bayo Jide Director and Founder Belgravia House of Gifts 16

17 Community Credit Unions Credit Unions are community savings and loan schemes that can now offer affordable loans to people and businesses, based on your ability to repay the loan. They are therefore easier to get and more flexible than bank loans. Three local credit unions are involved, Partners Credit Union, Lodge Lane Credit Union and Riverside Credit Union, each with its own rules about lending so contact them all to find out if they can help. Partners Credit Union: New Oxford House, 75 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2HT Lodge Lane Credit Union: coop, 81 Lodge Lane, Liverpool L8 0QE Riverside Credit Union: Penketh Drive, Liverpool L24 2WZ Crowdsource Your Finance/Crowdfund Your Business Crowdsourcing is a way of using the power of the internet and social media to take your business to the world and ask for help or finance from potentially millions of supporters and investors. The best known are Crowdcube: Kickstarter: There are other crowdsource financing sites like PeopleFundIt. Find out more at 17

18 You will achieve success if you believe in yourself Kayleigh and Talia Baccino Founders, Trendy Vend 18

19 Small Grants and Lending To Social Enterprises and Entrepreneurs UnLtd (help for new social entrepreneurs) The Social Enterprise Loan Fund The Key Fund Big Issue Invest 19

20 20 LOCAL ADVICE AGENCIES

21 City Centre Blue Orchid, 4th Floor, Compton House, L1 3BT North Liverpool Stepclever Provides grant funding for start up and established business in North Liverpool and South Sefton Contact either Carl Flaherty or Kevin Hermanson for assistance in North Liverpool Aintree, Croxteth and Fazakerley Centec, Centec Business Centre, Stopgate Lane, L9 6AW East and South Liverpool Dream High ELECT 49 Ruscombe Road, Liverpool L14 4Au Granby Toxteth Development Trust 129d Lodge Lane, Liverpool L

22 BME/BEM Businesses Muslim Enterprise Development Service (MEDS) 350 Upper Parliament St, L8 7QL Farhad Ahmed Women Entrepreneurs The Women s Organisation 54 St James Street, L1 0AB jo.austin@thewo.org.uk Young Entrepreneurs Striding Out Elaine Owen or Tamsin Fielding info@stridingout.co.uk Princes Trust Jo McKnight or jo.mcknight@princes-trust.org.uk 22

23 Students and Recent Graduates Liverpool Community College The Learning Exchange Centre, Roscoe St L1. Vesna Levi /3350 for startup events and mentoring Liverpool Hope University Hope Park, L16 9Jd Elizabeth Underhill or Carol Buckman Liverpool John Moores University LJMU Centre for Entrepreneurship, 70 Mount Pleasant, L3 5UX or University of Liverpool University of Liverpool Management School, Chatham Street L69 7ZH

24 Pacificstream Enterprise Solutions Pacificstream offer business advice to all businesses and low cost business space and hot-desking for digital businesses at: Basecamp3, Parliament Street L8 5rn Social Entrepreneurs If you are a social or ethical entrepreneur you can get specialist advice from Social Enterprise Network 151 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2AH. School for Social Entrepreneurs Blackburne House, Blackburne Place, Hope Street L8 7PE lisamairah@blackburnehouse.co.uk Confederation of Social Entrepreneurs rosemary@rlkpartnerships.co.uk Help For Micro-Businesses & The Self Employed Making Business Work is a free support programme aimed at helping the self-employed and those running businesses with only s few employees to survive and grow lisamairah@blackburnehouse.co.uk 24

25 Business Associations and Networks Liverpool Chamber of Commerce CIC Federation of Small Businesses Downtown Liverpool In Business DLIB is a business club providing leadership to the private sector, a voice for business when talking to the public sector and helping to create networking environments to attract entrepreneurs and high growth companies. South Liverpool Business Network Liverpool Vision supports and works in partnership with the SLBN to support businesses in this part of the city. Find the network here L1578 Businesses in the L15, L7 and L8 area of the city have their own on-line network at North Liverpool Business Forum The North Liverpool Business Forum is an informal breakfast meeting for local businesses from all industry sectors providing you with an opportunity to network with other members of the business community. East Liverpool Business Forum info@localmarketingliverpool.co.uk Professional Liverpool 25

26 26 USEFUL BUSINESS NUMBERS

27 HM Revenues & Customs VAT Helpline Newly Self Employed Helpline PAYE and Employment Helpline Planning Issues and Building Control Contact Liverpool City Council on or go to the business web pages: and follow planning. Business Rate Enquiries If you have a Business Rates query, you can book an appointment to see an advisor at any One Stop Shop or phone Business Licensing Some businesses such as market stalls need to be licensed by the City Council. To enquire about street trader, entertainment or taxi licencing, go to or phone Environmental Health & Trading Standards If you have problems with waste management, environmental health or pollution, go to the City Council Environmental Health site: You can register a food business online at or get advice by calling If you want advice about trading standards or wish to register a complaint go to or phone

28 28 For more infomation please visit: liverpoolvision.co.uk/businessgrowth