Government’s new business mentoring scheme to launch in July, minister reveals
Posted by Dan Martin in Business trends, Regulation on Thu, 19/05/2011 - 18:43
The government’s new network of up to 40,000 business mentors will kick off in July with an online portal, the small business minister has confirmed.
Speaking at the Business Startup Show in London, Mark Prisk said ministers have got several groups on board to offer free mentoring to entrepreneurs as part of the scheme which replaces the face-to-face services provided by the scrapped Business Link network.
“We have got big businesses, banks, employers groups and other bodies to say they want to take the lead and not the government,” Prisk said. “If we do there’s a danger it will become bureaucratic.”
While he didn’t reveal exactly how the new website will work Prisk commented: “My ideal is that you type your postcode into the site on a phone or laptop and available mentors in your area pop up.” He also said “a code of conduct” for mentors was being worked on.
Questioned by audience member Malcolm Brabon from Venn Business Solutions about whether all 40,000 mentors will be available in July the minister admitted they won’t be but said: “I am reasonably confident that we can reach that number in 12 months.”
He also stressed that he was focused on making sure that there won’t be any geographical areas where mentors are lacking. “It’s my head on the block if we get it wrong,” Prisk quipped.
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