Introducing Business Link’s comprehensive support services
Business Link can provide expert help to businesses – whatever sector they are in, and whatever type of business support they need.
Business Link offers information, advice and support to businesses of every type and size, as well as to those considering starting a business. All businesses can benefit from the Business Link service: from information on any aspect of starting or growing a business, to one-to-one business advice for established businesses seeking to grow. Help is available online, by phone or face to face.
Referring your clients to Business Link
The importance of the financial industries to Norfolk's economy is recognised by Shaping Norfolk's Future and Business Link is keen to work closely with the financial sector and its businesses.
This involves offering support to businesses in the sector as well as collaborating with those that offer a business- to-business service. The B2B service has an important role, acting as an intermediary and signposting SME businesses to publicly-funded business support when appropriate.
Like the banks and other professions, financial service organisations, recognise when businesses need advice or support on issues which are outside their own scope. Business Link welcomes referrals from FIG members and can offer its free, confidential and impartial information and advice service to members' clients, adding value to their own offer. By referring your clients to Business Link, you are increasing their chances of survival and sustained growth, and perhaps even helping them on their way to becoming a ‘big-name business' of the future.
Business Link Advisers
Business Link Advisers work with business owners or senior managers on generic business issues such as strategy review, marketing, finance, HR, heath & safety and environmental legislation. While they are not specialists in financial services, advisers can help clients find a suitable supplier for any further support that they might need in this area, as well in other areas such as IT, website development or sales and marketing.
Specialist Advisers are available covering sectors including IT and e-commerce, the Creative Industries, Medical and Healthcare and Social Enterprise.
Skills Brokerage
Our Advisers are also able to carry out a training needs analysis to help businesses decide which solution is best for developing their staff. Advisers will refer businesses to the relevant organisation for their training or other staff development needs, including:
- Train to Gain for NVQs
- Apprenticeships
- Response to Redundancy
- Leadership and Management development
- Specialist training for specific sectors
- Sector Skills Councils
Integrating Services: Trading Overseas and Inward Investment
This year, support to SME businesses in Norfolk has been further integrated. EEIDB Ltd, the company that delivers the Business Link service in the East of England, now provides the UK Trade & Investment services covering international trade and also delivers the Inward Investment service. This is already an established strand of activity in the FIG arena, thanks to the continuous efforts on international activity undertaken by the SNF Sector group.
Contact Business Link
Whether you are a business in the Norfolk Financial Industries sector group and would benefit from our services yourself, or want to refer your clients to Business Link check out our website, telephone our advice line, or arrange a meeting with a Business Link Adviser today.
Spread the word to your own business clients: together we can add greater value.
For further information on all our services visit the website www.businesslink.gov.uk/east or telephone: 08457 17 16 15
David Martin, Partnership Director - Norfolk, East of England IDB
East of England IDB is the preferred supplier of Business Link, International Trade, Inward Investment and Investor Development services in the East of England. Business Link is a government initiative to promote enterprise, funded in the east of England by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).
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