Business Support Helpline - A Useful Guide

Transcription

1 Guide to Government s Business Services August 2014

2 Why small business is big business 2

3 Index Helping small businesses: What support is there for a small business? 4 Business Advice 5 Local Advice & Support 6 Support for start-ups 7 Running a Business 9 Growing a business 11 Staff 13 Accessing Finance 16 Developing new ideas and products 19 Exporting 22 Digital 23 Government s Business Support Guide 24 If you have any questions or comments on this guide, please contact: Andy Harrison Andy.Harrison@bis.gsi.gov.uk 3

4 Linda Prosper Helping small businesses What support is there for a small business? Guide for business facing officials What is it? Business Support Directory This document sets out Government s national business support service. It is intended as a guide to be used by you and your organisation to signpost businesses to relevant areas of help and support, if the occasion arises when meeting business. Why? The cross-government Small Business Steering Board has suggested that Government should explore all channels in raising awareness of business support, especially to small business. What s the benefit for you? This directory is a tool that can be used to supplement the help and guidance that you offer to business. It should make your job easier, by pulling together useful information in one place in addition to your own tailored service. You do not have to recreate this information, potentially saving you costs which mean your resources can be used elsewhere. What s the benefit for small businesses? Using the information in this directory will mean that businesses receive consistent advice about what support is available, no matter where or who they turn to for such help. With your help, they will be signposted to information that they need, such as, guidance and schemes which can help them start and grow their business. The directory of government support covers: Business Advice Local Advice & Support Support for start-ups Running a Business Growing a business Staff Accessing Finance Developing new ideas and products Exporting Digital 4

5 Government s Business Support Guide Business Support Directory Business Advice GREATbusiness.gov.uk The GREATbusiness.gov.uk website has been redesigned as a single portal for business seeking support from government. It is designed to enable business to find the support they need. At the core of the website is a new online tool My Business Support, to help businesses identify their needs and then direct them to the most appropriate public and private sector support. This tool will sit alongside the Business Finance and Support Finder tool, so that business can search for the support they need. My Business Support: Business Finance Support Finder: Business Support Helpline Tel: (Monday to Friday, 9.00am 6.00pm) The Business Support Helpline offers advice and guidance for new and existing businesses. It has information on national and local schemes as well as grants and loans to help businesses start and grow. A team of specialist advisors can provide a more in-depth, personalised service for complex business issues. Businesses can choose a telephone appointment time convenient for them and get up to 60 minutes of free, expert advice. The Business Support Helpline has been expanded and enhanced to deliver and raise awareness of government support through social media channels and provide an open access Knowledge Bank of national and local information about business support by all advisers. This is accessible via: Webchat: Facebook: Twitter: 5

6 Local Advice & Support Growth Hubs At the local level business support is available from an increasing number of Growth Hubs. These are partnerships of business support providers in a local area, helping business get a joined-up consistent service no matter where they turn to for advice. Growth Hubs bring together both public sector and private sector bodies and can include: local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, enterprise agencies, universities, libraries and other private sector business support providers. Growth Hubs offer a way in to business support at both the local and national level, so can offer advice in all areas of running a business. Growth Hubs: Advise on what local and national support is available Assesses a business s needs and connects them to the right support Makes it easy to contact other businesses for advice, support and mentoring by offering business to business networking opportunities. Currently there are 18 Growth Hubs with more being established throughout this year and next. To find the nearest growth hub, use the My Business Support online tool: 6

7 Support for start-ups Starting a business requires careful planning, research and preparation. This section provides information on Government Support Schemes, grants and initiatives to help a business start-up. General sources of advice Both the website and the Business Support Helpline can offer advice about starting up a business and direct business to more support. Businesses can call to speak to a business support advisor (9.00am pm Monday to Friday) The greatbusiness.gov.uk website offers general advice and help on: the basics of starting up / advice on legal structures tax obligations HMRC can also offer start-up information Local support The My Business Support Tool identifies business needs and directs them to the most appropriate support Find local events relevant to starting up a business on the Events Finder tool on Start-up Finance The Business and Finance Support Finder tool can be searched for support available to start ups and has an in-depth database of information about grants, loans and other financial assistance available to businesses in the UK. Find out more on: The Start up Loans Company provides low-cost loans and mentoring for entrepreneurs over 18 years old who are looking to start a business. Anybody living in the UK and is at least 18 years of age or older at the time of registration, can apply for a Start Up Loan, even if they have already started a business but they must not have been trading for longer than a period of 12 months. Find out more: 7

8 The Business Finance Guide produced by the British Business Bank and the institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, sets out the full range of access to finance options as a business goes from start-up to growth to listing on the stock exchange. Visit Home Businesses It has never been easier to start a business from home. A checklist can be found on the GREAT website - and guidance can be found at Looking for office space Space for Growth is a government scheme that offers surplus office space in government buildings to start-ups, small businesses, social enterprises and charities free of charge or low cost. Find out more: Enterprise Zones could also help businesses locate some start up space. Find out more: Small business tax relief has been extended for a year. If a business s property has a rateable value below 18,000 ( 25,500 in Greater London) it would be considered a small business. For more information, please visit: What happens to benefits if an individual wants to start up a business? If a person is unemployed, the new Enterprise Allowance Scheme provides money and support to help start a business. For more details visit: Further sources of advice Enterprise agencies offer free independent advice and support to those thinking about starting or already running a business. Find the nearest member of the National Enterprise Network through their website - VAT and Tax payment For the range of taxes that maybe applicable to business, please visit: 8

9 Running a Business This section covers help for running a business. GREATbusiness.gov.uk and Business Support Helpline Both the website and the Business Support Helpline T: can help provide advice on running a business. Using the Business Support and Finance Finder tool a business can find government-backed support and finance for business, including: grants finance and loans business support e.g. mentoring, consultancy funding for small and medium-sized businesses The tool enables a business owner to customise their search by location, size and activity. Visit: Gov.uk also provides advice The British Business Bank Finance Guide, produced by the British Business Bank and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), sets out the full range of access to finance options for businesses as they go from start-up to growth to listing on the stock exchange offers information and guidance about financial issues that can help business survive, including: Financing and planning business growth Finance options for new businesses Equity finance for growth businesses Debt finance and grants for growth businesses Tax relief and incentives for business Help with Bank lending appeals Dealing with late payments Funding and support for new ideas Writing a business plan Growth Vouchers The government s Growth Vouchers scheme allows businesses to get a grant of up to 2,000 to cover half the cost of getting expert advice. The Growth Voucher can cover: finance and cash flow recruiting and developing staff improving leadership and management skills marketing, attracting and keeping customers 9

10 making the most of digital technology Find out more: Business Support Directory Mentorsme This scheme offers a business a mentor to help develop ideas and grow a business. There are over 115 mentoring organisations on the Mentorsme portal (operated by the British Bankers Association (BBA)), providing access to around 27,000 business mentors, including over 15,000 volunteer business mentors from the small business community, recruited and trained via the Get Mentoring initiative. Find out more: Business Continuity Management The Cabinet Office have produced guidance on Business Continuity Management that helps to identify parts of an organisation that cannot afford to be lost, such as information, stock, premises, staff and planning how to maintain these if an incident occurs. For further details visit: ontinuity_managment_toolkit.pdf 10

11 Growing a business Growing a business requires good planning and execution. This section provides information on Government support schemes, grants and initiatives that are designed to help growth businesses succeed. GREATbusiness.gov.uk and Business Support Helpline Both website and the Business Support Helpline T: can help provide advice on growing a business. The Government s Growth Vouchers scheme pays 50 percent of the cost of expert advice up to 2000 on: finance and cash flow recruiting and developing staff improving leadership and management skills marketing, attracting and keeping customers making the most of digital technology Find out more: GrowthAccelerator GrowthAccelerator is a unique, English-wide programme, led by some of the country s most successful growth specialists. Businesses can find new connections; new routes to investment, access new ideas and strategies to help business achieve its full potential. Find out more: Advice The Growing Your Business section on the GOV.UK website - provides information and guidance including: Plan for growth Get extra funding Increase sales to existing customers Attract new customers Improve your products and services Develop new products and services Hire and train staff Work with a mentor The Business and Finance Support Finder tool - has an in-depth database of information about grants, loans and other financial assistance available to businesses in the UK 11

12 Business training and networking events The Events Finder tool enables businesses to search for local business related training, workshops, networking events and seminars in the UK. Find events relevant to growing a business on the Events Finder tool on Mentorsme A business mentor can help a business develop ideas and grow. There are over 115 mentoring organisations on the Mentorsme portal (operated by the British Bankers Association (BBA), providing access to around 27,000 business mentors, including over 15,000 volunteer business mentors from the small business community, recruited and trained via the Get Mentoring initiative. Find out more: The Business Exchange The Business Exchange is about delivering game-changing opportunities to small businesses by posting pledges of meaningful commercial support from big business. These pledges could be offers of investment, or the sharing of intellectual capital and physical assets. Find out more: Superfast Broadband Connection Vouchers This scheme offers business with fewer than 250 employees a voucher of up to 3000, to install superfast broadband in to a business. It covers the capital costs for connection and set up but not the maintaining cost for any broadband package. The 22 super connected cities are: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Derry/Londonderry, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Oxford, Perth, Portsmouth, Salford, York Find out more: 12

13 Staff Every business needs an efficient, reliable and skilled workforce. There are many resources, schemes and incentives to help businesses recruit, employ and develop their people. GREATbusiness.gov.uk has an employment and skills section that sets out essential information on recruiting and training staff, especially for the first time. Find out more: The Business Support Helpline T: can also help provide advice on this issue. Universal Jobmatch Free online system which matches candidates to jobs. Businesses can advertise jobs and search for jobseekers whose CVs match their needs. Find out more: Small Business Recruitment Service Government service which provides individual support for small businesses, including: a helpline with specialist advisers who understand small businesses recruitment needs help with the design and wording of job vacancies to ensure that businesses get the best person for the job signposting to other types of support (eg ACAS for employment legislation issues) a contact who can advise on the local labour market an aftercare service to ensure business continue to get the service they need after they ve recruited someone Find out more and use the service: Telephone: (option 2) Textphone: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Employment Allowance Small Business employers can get 2,000 by claiming this relief on National Insurance bills. Employment Allowance is for nearly all employers that pay Class 1 National Insurance contributions on their employees and directors earnings. This includes: businesses charities Find out more: 13

14 Apprenticeships Business Support Directory Grants of 1,500 are available to a business taking on an apprentice for the first time. Find out more: Resolving problems with staff ACAS ACAS provides impartial information, advice, training, conciliation and other services for employers and employees to help prevent or resolve workplace problems. Find out more: Developing staff ACAS Model Workplace ACAS offer leadership and management advice on how to engage staff and build up a business Employer Ownership of Skills This fund, offers employers in England direct access to public investment to design and deliver their own training solutions. Employer Investment Fund This fund, led by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, has supported 87 projects. Apply for a Growth Voucher The Government s Growth Vouchers scheme pays 50 per cent of the cost of expert advice. Up to 2000 helping business develop staff and providing recruitment advice. Find out more: Online learning from ACAS Ten free online courses that provide advice on employment issues. Training in people management and disputes Discover the range of courses relating to employment that are available from ACAS. 14

15 Accessing Finance The choice of finance options available to small businesses is now a far greater one than just banks. This section contains advice and information to help businesses find out how to access affordable and appropriate finance. The website provides information about the variety of funding sources that are available. There is also guidance on the law regarding late payment of debts and on how to make an appeal if a bank turns down a loan request. Find out more: Businesses can also search the Business and Finance Support Finder tool on gov.uk. This is an in-depth database of information about grants, loans and other financial assistance available to businesses in the UK - the Business Finance and Support Finder, which users can browse based on things like their location, size, and type of industry. Find out more: The Business Support Helpline T: can also help provide advice on this issue. British Business Bank The British Business Bank is being set up as a state-backed economic development bank. It will support economic growth by bringing together public and private sector funds to create more effective and efficient finance markets for smaller businesses in the UK. Find out more about the funding the bank can offer and unlock: Specific schemes: The British Business Bank Finance Guide, produced by the British Business Bank and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), sets out the full range of access to finance options for businesses as they go from start-up to growth to listing on the stock exchange offers information and guidance about financial issues that can help business survive, including: Financing and planning business growth Finance options for new businesses Equity finance for growth businesses Debt finance and grants for growth businesses 15

16 Tax relief and incentives for business Help with Bank lending appeals Dealing with late payments Funding and support for new ideas Writing a business plan Business Support Directory Find out more: Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme (EFG) (run by the British Business Bank) Businesses that have been turned down for a commercial loan can ask their bank to access the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, which backs loans to viable businesses who don t necessarily have the security a normal loan would need. EFG is open to viable businesses that: operate in the UK have a turnover of no more than 41 million are seeking finance of between 1,000 and 1.2 million wish and can afford to repay over a period of between 3 months and 10 years for term lending and between 3 months and 3 years for overdrafts, invoice finance and other revolving facilities require the finance for an eligible purpose (most business purposes are eligible the most significant exclusion is the financing of specific export orders, as alternative forms of assistance for that purpose is provided by UK Export Finance, see page 18) operate in a business sector that is eligible for EFG (almost all sectors are eligible where exclusions apply they arise from EU State Aid rules) Find out more: Innovate UK (formally known as Technology Strategy Board) Offers funding, business support and networking platforms to help boost technology and innovation: Smart grants Offers up to 100,000 co-funding for R&D projects. Smart is aimed at SMEs with high growth ambition and potential. Pre start-ups, start-ups, and small and medium-sized businesses from all sectors across the UK, undertaking R&D may apply. Find out more: Innovation Vouchers worth 5,000 are available for expert help to develop ideas. This scheme is open to micro, small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 250 employees only. Find out more: 16

17 Angel Co-Fund (run by the British Business Bank) Business Support Directory Makes equity investments of between 100,000 and 1 million in smaller businesses in the UK. It invests alongside strong syndicates of business angels to support businesses with strong growth potential. Find out more: Small Business Rate Relief Most small businesses are eligible for the government s small business rate relief scheme. The scheme has been extended for 1 year from April If a business s property has a rateable value below 18,000 ( 25,500 in Greater London) it would be considered a small business. Find out more: Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme Tax incentives for investors to invest in start-ups and small businesses. Find out more at: The Start up Loans Company provides low-cost loans and mentoring for entrepreneurs over 18 years old who are looking to start a business. Anybody living in the UK and is at least 18 years of age or older at the time of registration, can apply for a Start Up Loan, even if they have already started a business but they must not have been trading for longer than a period of 12 months. Find out more: UK Export Finance This offers businesses planning to export goods or services from the UK a form of credit guarantee or insurance to protect against non-payment or other financial issues. UK Export Finance (UKEF) can provide guarantees, insurance and advice in support of UK exports large and small. Working across a wide range of sectors, UKEF can consider support for exports to over 200 countries. Find out more: 17

18 Developing new ideas and products If it creates something unique, a business has Intellectual Property (IP) that it can protect and exploit. This section highlights where to get advice on copyright, patents, design and trademarks and support schemes. There are many funding opportunities for businesses who want to develop and exploit their IP. There are also schemes and initiatives in which businesses can collaborate with research partners, such as universities, to develop new ideas. These are listed below: Technology Strategy Board Offers funding, business support and networking platforms to help boost technology and innovation: Smart grants Offers up to 100,000 co-funding for R&D projects. Smart is aimed at SMEs with high growth ambition and potential. Pre start-ups, start-ups, and small and medium-sized businesses from all sectors across the UK, undertaking R&D may apply. Find out more: Innovation Vouchers worth 5,000 are available for expert help to develop ideas. This scheme is open to micro, small and medium-sized businesses with fewer than 250 employees only. Find out more: HMRC Find out about the 225% tax relief that businesses could be eligible for Research and Development costs. Find out more: Catapult Centres A Catapult Centre is a physical location where the very best of the UK's businesses, scientists and engineers work side by side on late-stage research and development - transforming 'high potential' ideas into new products and services to generate economic growth. Businesses may be able to access specialist equipment and emerging technologies through them. Find out more: Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) is an impartial and practical business support service for manufacturing businesses in England, helping them improve and grow. 18

19 They have an 80 strong team of expert Manufacturing Advisors on the ground working with management teams to plan long-term strategies, improve processes and bring new products to market, helping to develop activity and capacity in supply chains. MAS growth products typically provide 66:1 return on a businesses initial investment. They offer a free review of a business and advice. They offer their subsidised services to SMEs: Less than 250 employees Having an annual turnover of less than 50m or a balance sheet of less than 43m Not part of a group which in itself exceeds one of the criteria above. Find out more: Intellectual Property Office (IPO) The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) can help with patent applications. Find out more: Intellectual Property attaches Advice on protecting a businesses rights in key international markets through our specialist attaches. Find out more: British Library Business & Intellectual Property Centre and its network The British Library Business & Intellectual Property Centre and its network of Centres based at other libraries around the country can offer businesses impartial free advice; support around patents/copyrighting and protecting ideas/products and marketing them. The Centres offer business support as well as a specialised intellectual property service. Find out more: The wider network: GrowthAccelerator GrowthAccelerator is a unique, English-wide programme, led by some of the country s most successful growth specialists. Businesses can find new connections; new routes to investment and access new ideas and strategies that a business needs to achieve its full potential. Find out more: 19

20 Growth Vouchers Business Support Directory The government s Growth Vouchers scheme allows businesses to get a grant of up to 2,000 to cover half the cost of getting expert advice. The Growth Voucher can cover: Find out more: Mentorsme A business mentor can help a business develop ideas and grow. There are over 115 mentoring organisations on the Mentorsme portal (operated by the British Bankers Association (BBA)), providing access to around 27,000 business mentors, including over 15,000 volunteer business mentors from the small business community, recruited and trained via the Get Mentoring initiative. Find out more: Design Leadership Programme The Design Leadership Programme is a subsidised programme offering up to 10 days of design and innovation-focused mentoring over a period of 6 to 18 months. The programme helps businesses put design at the centre of their business strategy and will give businesses new skills and capabilities, boost competitiveness and speed up growth. The programme will be tailored to fit a business s needs, and will help to: identify medium to long-term strategic business challenges work out how to overcome these challenges make sure projects and programmes move forward make changes to business find specialist help and advice The programme and costs are different for each business. Most programmes cost between 2,000 and 10,000, and if an application is successful, the business will receive a subsidy which will pay 50% of the cost. The Business Support Helpline T: can also help provide advice on this issue. 20

21 Exporting A business can grow by exporting its goods or services and exporting needn t be hard or complex. This section offers details of practical support. UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) UK Trade & Investment should be a businesses first point of call for all exporters. It provides a comprehensive range of services and expert export advice, in the UK and overseas, helping businesses build & grow their international business Find out more: Open to export Open to Export is a community driven service for small and medium sized businesses, looking for help and support in exporting from the UK and has been developed in partnership with UKTI and BIS. Find out more: Export Control Export licences Find out which exports are controlled and therefore require an export licence; how to apply for one and; what compliance responsibilities you as an export have: For More details: UK Export Finance For businesses planning to export goods or services from the UK then it is likely they will need some form of credit guarantee or insurance to protect against non-payment or other financial issues. If a business can t get what it needs from the private market, UK Export Finance (UKEF) may be able to help. They provide guarantees, insurance and advice in support of UK exports large and small. Working across a wide range of sectors, UKEF can consider support for exports to over 200 countries. Find out more: HM Revenue & Customs HM Revenue & Customs: provides assistance on matters relating to importing or exporting. Their guides on these subjects can be found in the Imports and exports area of the GOV.UK website and provide assistance on a range of subjects from classifying goods to using online facilities. 21

22 Find out more: agelabel=pageimport_home. Digital Superfast Broadband Connection Vouchers This scheme offers business with fewer than 250 employees a voucher of up to 3000, to install superfast broadband in to a business. It covers the capital costs for connection and set up but not the maintaining cost for any broadband package. The 22 super connected cities are: Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Derry/Londonderry, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Oxford, Perth, Portsmouth, Salford, York Find out more: Growth Vouchers The government s Growth Vouchers scheme allows businesses to get a grant of up to 2,000 to cover half the cost of getting expert advice. Find out more: 22

23 Government s Business Support at a glance Accessing the right support GREATbusiness.gov.uk Government advice, guidance and support to help businesses start, grow and accelerate brought together into one place: My Business Support new on line tool to help you find the support that you need Business Support Helpline: FREE help and advice businesses can talk to an advisor on the phone, via web chat, Facebook or Twitter Telephone: , Web chat: chat help.com/ Facebook: Twitter: twitter.com/businessgov Growth Voucher: 50% grant up to 2,000 to finance strategic business advice growth vouchers Growth Accelerator: a scheme for high growth business Find a mentor online at Mentorsme Women in Enterprise web page in enterprise/ Financing business growth New enterprise allowance: Money and practical support for people on certain benefits who want to start their own business enterprise allowance Start up loans Government backed support & finance for business finance support finder British Business Bank finance guide business bank.co.uk/british business bank icaew jointly publish new business financeguide/ Extended tax incentives through Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme Small Business Rate Relief extended for 1 year for business rate relief/small business rate relief 23

24 Developing new ideas and products Claim 225% off R&D costs rates/claims/randd.htm Smart Grants of up to 100,000 /smart Innovation Vouchers for help to help develop ideas of /innovation vouchers Catapult Centres to access specialist equipment and emerging technologies Protecting your ideas: & protecting your rights in key international markets: Breaking into new markets Broadband voucher scheme get up to 3000 grant to cover connection charges Public procurement contracts and get access to 230 billion of public sector spending finder Hiring people with the right skills Looking to recruit advertise your vacancy and find suitable candidates at Practical advice, support and incentives at plus help for recruiters You can also call the Small Business Recruitment Service helpline for bespoke recruitment advice. Employment Allowance get 2000 off national insurance contributions allowance Grants of 1,500 by taking on an apprentice for the first time to make it happen/incentive.aspx Growing Internationally UK Trade & Investment: the first point of call for all exporters. Provides comprehensive range of services & expert export advice, in the UK and overseas, helping businesses build & grow their international business trade investment UK Export Finance: helping exporters by providing insurance to exporters and guarantees to banks export finance HM Revenue & Customs: provides help on the procedures required to export successfully 24