New business advice provider
Jinfo Blog

27th August 2008

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Business advice sector to gain new player A new British business advice service, Smarta (www.smarta.com), due to be launched in November, is intended to remedy the widely perceived weaknesses of the publicly-funded ‘Business Link’ information and advisory facility. The government created and has sustained Business Link (www.businesslink.gov.uk) as a free source of support for start-ups and young firms striving to gain the critical momentum for enduring success. It is also worth noting that the service’s information resources may be of possible use to those working in larger, well-established business. Despite its laudable aims, the organisation has attracted considerable criticism from the business community, with the Federation of Small Businesses (www.fsb.org.uk)) calling for it to be abolished and the resultant saving in public spending channelled into tax cuts for smaller enterprises. My own experiences acting on behalf of clients bear this out. Business Link’s senior management lack practical knowledge of commerce and being told that a meeting requested at the beginning of December would be more conveniently held after the New Year ‘because our people have to attend lot of parties’ does not convey an appropriate impression of industriousness and commitment. In contrast, Smarta is presenting itself as a group of already flourishing entrepreneurs advising those seeking to emulate them. The site claims to offer ‘unique information, tools and services …(making) it easier for you to build a successful business’. It is not clear what these delights will be, as the content is currently limited to self-congratulatory platitudes by the participants. However, it will be worth monitoring Smarta’s webpages to see what will be provided when the site is formally launched. Business Link’s sponsor, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (www.dberr.gov.uk), has been forced to deny a press report that it intends to endorse Smarta at the expense of the ministry’s own service and take the opportunity of expressing confidence in Business Link’s value to growing firms. Several other sites where businesses can interact may also merit exploration: • Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) has over 25 million professionals exchanging information and ideas • Tradespace (www.bttradespace.com) British Telecom’s online community including a directory of businesses • YouNoodle (www.younoodle.com) a network for young companies and innovative products and services developed in universities

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