What needs to change at Business Link?

[Alex Bellinger]

Lots of people sadly say they have had a bad experience and that Business Link's array of retired bankers and accountants (is that true?) offer pretty run-of-the-mill advice.

Have any of you guys used them and what are your experiences of them? How do they need to change?

[Patricia Mata]

Well, yes and to some degree, was slightly put off at the first appointment. I asked a few questions and then did it more or less myself. I later found out that there was a female business link adviser but was not offered this initially. I was told , "there's not much that can be offered in your field, as it's a lucrative area". I was a little shocked as I, like anyone else trying to set up in business, should be given motivated and encouraging advice. I think there was even a sense of ' well you seem able enough' like I didn't actually need the sort of help they were able to give.

So I searched around the internet and found your website Alex.

However for anyone less used to the 'hard knocks' in life, but still with a business dream it could have been snubbed out.

I am glad I didn't go back home and feel deflated. The reception I had was so tired and can't be bothered, with no buzz, contrary to the way I was feeling, that I challenged myself to disregard the reception and go for it anyway.

I'm so glad I did. When anyone speaks to me about their dream, in business or whatever, I am delighted to hear it. It's an Idea, It's a query..It is a DREAM! Someone's hopes. These things are precious and wonderful and make people feel alive and determined and COULD and SHOULD be encouraged.

Advice to business link advisers?

Drink more coffee and WAKE UP! and listen to the dream, look excited, be excited, feel excited. Take time to understand what is being offered, by the individual that is in front of you and let them go away feeling happier to have met you, not more determined to face an additional challenge YOU have set them.


It's a person centred thing I suppose Alex.

Tish
Person Centred Consultancies / Person Centred Business Network

[Alex Bellinger]

Hi Tish, I agree about hearing people's business ideas, hopes and dreams. It's part of the motivation of doing SmallBizPod in the first place. That said, I also think a sense of realism is important too. As we all know, running your own business is no cakewalk.

Achieving that balance of ambition, dream and realism is vital and if your average Business Link adviser can't understand that it's a crying shame.

The only thing I'd add to your coffee suggestion Tish, is a cattle prod ;)

[Patricia Mata]

LOL,an all to the cattle prod. Yes realism, vital to this whole process. However with good planning, research, motivation and support, dreams can come true. Thank you my additional mentor you!

[Dennis Howlett]

Most people I've come across say that once you get past the first discussion things go downhill very rapidly. I can't for the life of me understand why they use bankers. They have no understanding of business beyond lending. I used to present to them all the time and it always had to be 'baby steps' as most times they were clueless about what makes business tick.

In theory the accountant should be a good resource but most often are poor. That's because it's dead easy to make money as a professional accountant and so most have no idea about the trials and tribulations of making cash flow work in the real world. As for technology - forget it. Most of the time.

BTW - I used to be a partner in a firm of Chartered Accountants so I've seen this kind of problem first hand and on many occasions. That's one of the motivating reasons around what we're doing at FreeAgent Central (shameless plug) where we're surrounding the service with business advisory material related to that world.

[Chris Garrett]

The small amount of advice I got from BusinessLink was severely out of date. They seem to have very little knowledge of online business, they need to get more up to date and offer more courses about blogging etc, so they can offer training on how to promote your business for little cost.

[Madelaine Kirke]

My experience of businesslink was very positive. I came out of an interview with new ideas, information and, possibly most important, energised. I was taken seriously and encouraged. Very helpful all round.

[Alex Bellinger]

The more I receive feedback, the more I believe the success or otherwise of Business Link is entirely down to whether you happen to hit on an adviser who suits your needs at the time you seek advice. Stating the bleeding obvious, I suppose.

[Kelvin Jones]

I completely agree.

I think business link is a great resource, but I personally don't like the way they outsource their business advice to local enterprise agencies.

I found business link very professional and helpful. They were proactive in helping me. That completely changes when I went over to the enterprise agency.

My advisor was not particularly forthcoming in helping. I asked for information on funding and she new of 2 or 3 schemes that could help only because she also wokred with them. When I asked about other grants for, the usual response was... oh I don't know anything about that one... not very helpful.

[Heather Gorringe]

I've had a mixed experience with Business Link - but generally positive. I have had the retired banker advice but also ended up with a mentor who has since become our accountant. In my experience often entrepreneurs are really good at the action end of the business and less good at procedures and accountancy... For me this is where Business Link was able to match my need with the advisor. It would have been all too easy to meet up with a marketing advisor - we would have no doubt had a lot of fun too. However, the back end of the business was the area that needed support and often that advise was the most pleasant I had received but did stand us in good sted for the long term.

[Tim Wright]

We have had good advice, discussions and guidance on marketing and overseas opportunities from Business Link. This is almost certainly because we have been lucky to get involved with advisors that fit our business and have the necessary skills. However, we have been referred to other resources that have proved to be unhelpful, almost to the point of rudeness.
As a further source of advice and assistance, any small to medium business looking for a way into foreign markets would be well advised to contact the UKTI (UK Trade and Investment). We've started the process to market our warehouse and distribution software into other countries. They provide resource from local British embassies to assist with market research and setting up meetings with prospective partners. The also provide translators with appropriate technical skills (which we've used on a recent visit to France). See http://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ for more details. Probably comes with a similar health warning as Business Link that it all depends on who you get, but we've been happy so far.

[Alex Bellinger]

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. I did end up writing something on Business Link in the end and your input was very useful.

[tim]

I think the trouble with Business Link is, they have to many people who have never been in business working for them or people who were in business around 20 years ago. What I would like to see is part time people working at Business Link where Businessmen and Women commit to a number of hours each week to help new business people.