Advice and Support

In this section, you will find a range of advice and support to help your business. If you need any further information or help with signposting to appropriate advice and support, call the Economic Development Team on 01684 862151 or email ecodev@malvernhills.gov.uk

Advice and Support from Malvern Hills District Council

The Council offers a wide range of services and advice to businesses, including economic development, planning, environmental services, licensing, business rates, trade waste, and more. For more information, call the Customer Contact Centre on 01684 862151.

Business Start Up support - Balancing Business

Balancing Business provide free professional, practical and individual business support to people who are interested in setting up their own business. The advice is delivered through workshops and on an individual one-to-one basis and will cover a range of useful topics to help people start up their own business.

Workshops:

These workshops are supported by Malvern Hills District Council and are free of charge to anyone starting in Business/self-employment.  However, prior booking is essential.  Balancing Business also deliver monthly clinics in Malvern and Tenbury Wells through the Worcestershire County Enterprise Programme. For more information please call Anabela at Balancing Business on 07894 413776 or email info@balancingbusiness.co.uk.

http://www.balancingbusiness.co.uk/

Business Link

Whether you are thinking about starting your own business, have recently started your business, or have been established for some time Business Link can help.

Business Link offers impartial and practical information, advice and support to suit your specific needs, no matter what stage your business is at. By simply contacting  0845 600 9 006 you can benefit from their knowledge, expertise and contacts, making it easier to move your business forward.

They can offer you information and support tailored to your needs, including the following:

• Access to business information and research
• Expert advice on how to improve your business performance
• Training and better development for you and your employees
• Access to quality assured suppliers
• Specialist manufacturing advice
• Starting a business
• Finance and grants to develop your business

StartUp Britain

StartUp Britain is a unique web portal which is designed to bring together the very best in support and advice for start up businesses and entrepreneurs in one place.  In total it is estimated that StartUp Britain will deliver a benefit package that represents over £1,500 in value for every start up company in Britain. For more information, visit: http://www.startupbritain.org/

finditinworcestershire.com

finditinworcestershire.com is a business portal that aims to make tendering opportunities generated from local regeneration schemes, council procurement and local businesses transparent - while supporting local companies to give them the best chance of success when they tender.

Some of the main features of the site are:

• Opportunities to supply to the council and big contractors – when buyers post a new contract on the site, you’ll get sent an email alert automatically
• A suppliers' directory - where you can showcase your business for free
• A support and advice section - with contact details of local networking organisations and government support bodies
• Regular FREE breakfast events, workshops and themed events - where you can network and find out about upcoming opportunities
• Business news from around the county and comprehensive business event listings

It’s free to become a member of the site, so join today – and find out about the amazing opportunities and suppliers on your doorstep, here in Worcestershire.

The Prince’s Trust Business Programme

The Prince’s Trust Business Programme helps unemployed young people (aged 18-30) to explore and test their business ideas, write business plans and start their own businesses or achieve alternative goals in education, training or work. The support available could include: a low interest loan of up to £4,000 for a sole trader, or up to £5,000 for a partnership (the average loan is between £2,000 and £2,500 and is subject to availability); business skills training; business planning support; ongoing advice from a volunteer business mentor; and access to a wide range of free and discounted products and services, including a free Legal Helpline.

Visit the Prince’s Trust website to find out more.

Malvern Small Business Forum

The Malvern Small Business Forum has been set up to provide a meeting place for small businesses and for those who have recently decided to start up or are thinking of doing so. The aim is to provide an opportunity to talk with others in a similar situation, to share experiences and make business contacts. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month in the Elgar Room in the Council House, on the corner of Church Street and Avenue Road, from 7pm until 9pm. If you run a small business or are thinking of starting one up, why not come along to the next meeting (booking is not necessary). For more information visit the Malvern Small Business Forum website: http://www.msbf.biz

Are you a BIG business of tomorrow?

Working with Business Link West Midlands, Winning Moves is able to offer up to 10 days of fully funded support from experts guaranteed to help you grow your business and achieve your aspirations.

Space on this programme is limited and support will be given to those select businesses that have the potential to make a significant contribution to the local economy. Businesses in all sectors are eligible, with the exception of those in the retail sector. Businesses need to be West Midlands based, employ 2-50 staff, and have aspirations to achieve a minimum of 10% growth per annum (for existing businesses) or a £5million valuation by end of the 3rd year (for start ups).

Winning Moves is able to provide:

• Access to a team of growth specialists to help move your business forward
• 1-2-1 support to help you achieve your stretching goals
• Specialist expertise to address specific issues
• Access to other business support being delivered nationally and locally
• Valuable information and connections to get your business known

To find out more, please contact Paula Farrington on 01785 827600 or email paulaf@winningmoves.com

Get Paid and Improve Your Cashflow

For advice on how to improve your cashflow, visit Credit Management Matters - an online portal designed to help you get paid with tips from the UK centre of excellence and links to resources brought to you by leading industry professionals.

Train to Gain

The government has announced the closure of the Train to Gain service, which will end on 31 July 2011. The programme helps English businesses invest in training to help them grow and succeed.

Although the service is closing, funding has been allocated so that learners who started their training prior to 31 July 2011 can complete their course.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships can make your organisation more effective, productive and competitive. For more information, visit http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk.

Graduate Advantage

Need an extra pair of hands? It’s not always possible to find time or resources to complete the projects that could make a real difference to your business. Recruiting a student or graduate on a short-term placement is a low-cost and low-commitment way of boosting your workforce.  

Business can benefit from:

• Free front-end recruitment services
• A flexible, low cost recruitment solution lasting from 4 weeks to 12 months, full or part-time
• A subsidy of up to £1,000 (subject to availability and eligibility) to pay your new recruit

For more information, go to http://www.graduateadvantage.co.uk.

locations4business

locations4business.com is a business location portal which provides comprehensive and comparable information on potential locations for your business. So whether you are expanding your business or relocating or setting up a new factory or office then locations4business.com has all the information you need. To find out more about Malvern Hills District and why it is a great location for your business please visit this page.

Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership

The Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is an independent collaboration between the local councils, local business, trade organisations and the voluntary sector. Its role is to help develop a business environment in Worcestershire which will encourage inward investment, stimulate the region's economy and to identify and promote appropriate projects for funding.

Visit the Worcestershire LEP website www.worcestershirelep.org to find out about current news, progress and opportunities that the Worcestershire LEP is involved in as well as information about who is involved, what activity has been taking place and their main priorities.

Procurement

For information on how to do business with Malvern Hills District Council and current tender opportunities, go to the Procurement page.

To access a range of government contract opportunities, log onto Contracts Finder.

To access a range of London 2012 Olympic Games related contract opportunities, log onto the CompeteFor website.

Solutions for Business

Solutions for Business is a suite of publicly funded business support products and services designed to help businesses start, grow and succeed.

The right advice, loan or grant, at the right time, can make the world of difference to your business. Solutions for Business products are simple to understand and access, good value for money and directed to where they will have most impact to help businesses grow. They are designed to equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills you need to tackle issues your business might be facing.

Eligible businesses can gain support in areas such as starting up, understanding finance, training and skill development, resource efficiency, exploiting ideas, international opportunities and marketing and growing your business. For more information about Solutions for Business products visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/solutions  

See our Grants and Finance section for more information on available support.