Business Link's demise leaves a hole that needs filling, say small firms
Posted by Dan Martin in Business trends, Regulation on Sun, 05/02/2012 - 13:09
The business support services put in place following the closure of the face-to-face elements of Business Link are inadequate, small companies have complained.
According to research by the Forum of Private Business (FPB), 61% of entrepreneurs rated the present support being offered by the new 'streamlined' and centralised Business Link as not enough to help business growth.
Only 10% of respondents believed that England's new support structure, which includes a revamped Business Link website, call centre and mentoring scheme, will provide them with cost-effective support and a third said support from Business Link is irrelevant to their business.
Another 40% said they had not required its help to date and 22% complained that the public sector should not be involved in business support of the type provided by Business Link at all.
"It is probably true that the old Business Link services were underused and small firms do see value in some of the recent changes to public sector support, including the new website, but the removal of local advisers providing a face-to-face service has not been popular," said the FPB's senior policy adviser Alex Jackman.
"It is important that a streamlined, centralised service does not mean reduced support, advice and guidance overall – particularly with Local Enterprise Partnerships set to operate more as strategic bodies – so quality control and effective monitoring is key.
"In addition to having a single point of contact covering all regulatory bodies in local authority areas, practical and valued support should come from organisations such as HMRC being prepared to treat small businesses with more understanding and respect, rather than continually wielding the stick."
As part of its Get Britain Trading campaign, the FPB is calling for:
- Proper quality control in order to gauge the effectiveness of the new Business Link support services, including monitoring small business feedback closely, and a willingness to adapt the system to changing need
- Assurances that the reduction in government websites, which took place early on in the Coalition's term of office, does not lead to reduced public sector advice, guidance and support – particularly over red tape
- Reconsideration of the date for mandatory online VAT filing, particularly in light of insufficient broadband cover in many rural areas and following reports of issues with HMRC's own systems
- A single point of contact, or single hotline number, covering all regulatory bodies in local authority areas – this is currently being trialed via the Leicestershire LEP
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