Business links

Useful Links

Enterprise Agencies and Government Funded Advice

  • BRAVE – www.brave.org.uk – info@brave.org.uk – 0117 9445330 – Practical advice for small business
  • Companies House – www.companieshouse.gov.uk
  • Business Link – www.businesslink.gov.uk – Practical business advice
  • The NFEA is the membership body for Local Enterprise Agencies, and other like-minded organisations, in England. The site includes links to your local Enterprise Agency.


Useful General Government Sites

Intellectual Property

Money Issues

  • Inland Revenue & Customs have a useful site which has information sheets on all sorts of things including, for example, customs procedures, what to do if things are seized by customs, intellectual property rights ad importing goods for disabled people free of VAT. It also has VAT Guides and information on VAT Budget notices. The Press and Media section is particularly useful as a short cut to new information. It also links to the page where you can request information under the Freedom of Information Act. We strongly suggest that you already have a document on screen that you can cut and past information from as you only have 15 minutes to complete the form before you are timed out. There is a snail mail address to which you can write and a fax number. These sections are easlily accessed from HMRC Press Office.
  • Get Safe Online – www.getsafeonline.org – Internet safety guide
  • Fraud alert – to find out about or report internet fraud
  • Bank Safe Online – to find out about scams and to report banking
  • The Better Payment Practice Campaign – www.payontime.co.uk – Information on the regulations covering getting paid and paying on time

Environment

  • NetRegs help you to understand what you need to do to comply with environmental legislation and protect the environment. You can also ask to be alerted to changes in legislation that may affect your business www.netregs.gov.uk
  • Environmentally conscious business supplies www.kindoffice.co.uk
  • Bristol based charity which accepts clean waste of many types to recycle www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk

Miscellaneous

  • ACAS – www.acas.org.uk – Acas aims to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. They provide up-to-date information, independent advice, high quality training, working with employers and employees to solve problems and improve performance.
  • effectiveness development – www.jimconnolly.com – info@jimconnolly.com – 01427 891274
  • Hoax-Slayer is a site for checking the validity of those panic emails about viruses, etc.
  • The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise Promotion (QAEP) for individuals who develop and promote business enterprise. Nominations for the Award may be made up to midnight on 31 October each year. Awards will be announced on 21 April, The Queen’s birthday, and successful nominees will be informed shortly before the announcement. Recipients will receive an engraved crystal commemorative item and a Grant of Appointment and will be invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace in July the same year.
  • www.saferservices.co.uk – Directory of female businesses and tradeswomen
  • Instantly share your screen in real time, with any number of people, anywhere. Simple, easy to use and this beta version is free from Yuuguu

Networking links

Business start up

  • The Prince’s Trust – www.princes-trust.org.uk – support for 18-30 who want to run their own business.
  • The Prince’s Initiative for Mature Enterprise (PRIME ) – helps people over 50 to start up in businesses
  • NGCE (National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship) – Flying start – online support for students and graduate entrepreneurs
  • Barclays bank has put together a downloadable Small Business Pack which includes examples of good business plans
  • Inland Revenue and Customs advice for business start up