Make Business Your Business – supporting the start-up and development of small business

Monday 28th May saw the launch of Lord Young’s report and guide on small business start-ups and enterprise. Lord Young’s report can be accessed:

• Online HERE
• On Kindle HERE
• and on iBooks by searching for 'Make Business Your Business'

Lord Young’s report shows that this is a great time to start a business, with record numbers of people becoming their own boss, supported by a wide range of help and encouragement to entrepreneurs from all ages and backgrounds. It provides an assessment of the landscape for supporting new small businesses, in particular:

• The accessibility of new technology, including the adoption of the internet to market and trade a business;
• The increasing support arising from collaboration and relationships with corporate brands and other private sector business, including mentoring;
• The issues of finding and attracting finance, in particular the onset of new sources of SME finance through ‘crowdfinance’ providers; and,
• The need to redouble Government’s efforts and progress to ensure that its procurement business is open for business to SME suppliers.

The report and its accompanying guide showcase the abundance of help and advice on offer to entrepreneurs from the public and private sectors. This includes a number of new initiatives:

• StartUp Loans to offer mentoring, support and finance to young people aged 18 to 24looking to start a business.Backed by £82.5 million of Government money, StartUp Loans have the potential to help start over 30,000new businesses.  Visit www.businessinyou.bis.gov.uk for further details.
• A new online Home Business Guide www.bis.gov.uk/home-business-guidedeveloped by Emma Jones.
• New online tools, developed by School for Start Ups, to help firms make the most of the internet to win new customers and reduce their costs: www.businesslink.gov.uk/webfuelled (or view the BusinessLink.gov.uk videos on You Tube).