PrintAt a time when businesses across the East of England are being forced to tighten their belts, having the right access to tailored business support is absolutely critical.
One recurring theme that stands out from my discussions with regional businesses is the need to explain exactly what publicly-funded business support is out there.
In the East of England, there are a number of support initiatives – but, unless businesses can access them quickly and easily, they might as well not exist. This is a point echoed by the recent Richard Review of Small Business, a report carried out by the Conservative Party's Small Business Task Force on the business support system.
For a long time I have wanted to address this – and believe that we now have a solution in the form of The Business Map, which was launched earlier this week.
The map has been inspired by the design of an underground map, where each ‘line’ represents a different area of support or advice. I hope that The Business Map will be the ideal starting point for any business seeking support - from increasing sales to employing staff, maximising growth opportunities to finding the right sources of finance.
The Richard Review called for a single national website for business to visit to navigate through the options available. Although The Business Map is a tool designed exclusively for businesses within the East of England, I think that the principles could be rolled-out on a national level – making things simple for businesses!
I am keen to hear your views.