New Business Link helpline to open on 25 November
A new business support telephone helpline to replace the scrapped face-to-face services offered by Business Link will open on 25 November, the government has announced.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) said contact centre company Careline Services has been appointed to run the service which will operate from two sites in Hounslow and Seaham.
BIS added that Careline "has an excellent track record in telephone-based customer support including business to business" with the helpline staffed by a "dedicated team, specifically trained to support businesses". It will work in partnership with the Business and Enterprise Group.
Careline Services was founded by British entrepreneurs Charles Cooper-Driver and David Jackson in 1997. It was acquired by Indian company Hinduja Global Solutions last year.
The helpline has been set up as a result of the closure of Business Link's regional offices which provide business support to entrepreneurs in England. BIS said it will be a "particularly important resource" for the 20% of small business owners who are not online.
As well the telephone support, advice is available via the Business Link website and the new network of mentors which launched last week.
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