Download our latest report: Supporting Business Action 2008-9: A Review of the South East Business Link Sustainable Business Service

PRESS RELEASE

28 September 2009

What’s Stopping You? One-Day Event Designed For Women

If you are interested in working for yourself, or have started trading in the last 12-months, come to Business Link’s What’s Stopping You?  This FREE informal one-day event for women will give you the support, information and inspiration needed to make working for yourself work for you; whether your dream has always been to run a successful business or to simply make enough money in difficult financial times. 

What’s Stopping You? aims to motivate and inspire women. It offers the support and information crucial to start, survive and thrive in the current economic climate and it could just change your life! 

So book now and don’t miss this chance to get FREE information and advice, tailored to your needs. Plus benefit from the experience of other women who have set up on their own.

This event is for any woman interested in working for herself, or who is in the first
12-months of trading.  To find out more and book your place, visit www.whatsstoppingyouevents.co.uk or call the Business Link events hotline
01732 878 007

ENDS

The government has recently published ‘Low Carbon Industrial Strategy: a Vision’, setting out its scope and ambition for developing a low carbon economy. And now businesses have the opportunity to comment on what is needed to achieve the transition to a low carbon economy.

Before the final Low Carbon Industrial Strategy document is published in the summer, the government wants to know your views on its vision for the strategy and how to achieve the transition to a low carbon economy.

To learn more visit Business Link

The Chancellor gave his Budget Report on 22 April 2009

To read more visit Business Link

The government is tracking confirmed cases of influenza A H1N1 (also known as swine flu) in the UK, which include transmission from person to person inside the UK

You can use this page to keep updated on the most important business issues arising from swine flu, so we recommend you sign up for immediate email alerts at the bottom of this page, or bookmark it for easy reference

To keep informed with Business link visit here

Preparing your business for challenging times ahead?

There is a range of free support to find finance, raise productivity, or save money by reducing waste and saving energy. Whether you need to increase cashflow, keep your staff on, improve their skills and flexibility, or simply reduce costs, you can get real help to keep your business fighting fit.

Visit the Real Help for Business site

Book to attend Kent 2020 Vision 2009 at www.kent2020.co.uk

On 21st October, Gordon Brown visited Kent Science Park in Sittingbourne, to announce the Government’s package of business support to help small and medium sized businesses.  Note below from Bob Jones, after attending the event:

Dear colleague, partner, Kent businesses,

Just some notes from yesterday’s PM Q&A session at Kent Science Park.  For those of you there I hope you recognise some of my take on the content.  If not feel free to send your own impressions round!

First, a really good turn out from businesses with some coming from as far away as Camberley. Apologies to those of you who got ‘bumped’ from the event.  The tight timescale meant that organisation got a little chaotic towards the end.

Next, the PM was very impressive, speaking for 15 minutes on the economy, no notes, no hesitation, really clear structure and direction.  Lord Mandelson was with him, along with John Denham, S of S DIUS, Jonathan Shaw, Minister for the SE and Jim Braithwaite, SEEDA Chair who hosted.

PM’s presentation:
There are three key issues in the world economy currently:

• restructuring of industry for the future
• first ever global commodity shortage pushing prices of ’staples’ up: energy, petrol, bread, other foodstuffs
• first ever instance when global capital markets and movements have broken out of the national regulatory systems set up after WW2

Challenges posed by each:

• skills and investment in industries for the future: PM believes UK very well set with clear advantages in science & technology, higher level skills, creativity and inventiveness.  Need to focus on further development of skills in work force and on science and technology skills. Changes taking place in funding and in making training fit for purpose and relevant (Train2Gain will be targeted at SME market with tailored offer).  Sharon Goodyer of the Cake Bake Company asked about help with relevant skills and had a great exchange with the panel, including an offer from the PM to get a cake from her for Lord Mandelson whose birthday it was (thanks Fraser for the tip, I passed it on to SEEDA!!!).  Sharon was also all over the media yesterday, haven’t seen it yet but catch it on-line if you can!

Quote from PM:
“If you’re not first in education you will be second in most things”

• China: UK has the best relationship with China of any EU country (Lord M) and we were urged to ‘twin properly, build trust and familiarity, allocate time effort and energy’.  China Gateway seen as major opportunity.  China is nervous about investing overseas as has had a bad experience so imporatnt to be in for the long term.
• Finance: banks need to return to behaving like banks, not as instruments of government.  Need to ’save’ them is around their unique and pivotal role in markets.
  VAT ‘holiday’/loan: PM said that the way forward is to engage with Inland Revenue who are prepared to stage paymentrs and be ‘flexible’.
  Need to engage with global community to set up new regulatory framework for capital markets and PM is focussing on this as a priority.

He accepts that times are tough but expressed confidence in UK ability to ride it out (no clue on for how long) and be successful in the longer term (”the global economy will double in the next 20 years and we need to be ready for that”).

I’m sure that there were bits I missed so as I say do email them round if you were there.  Sorry to Chris and Fraser that I didn’t ask your questions, hopefully some of what you were interested in is contained in this note!

With the Business Link service ramping up to help companies please ‘bang the drum’ for the brand and make sure any concerned SME colleagues know about what we can offer them.  We didn’t get a mention as a service yesterday and we are keen to get the offer out there to help those who need it.

Best wishes,

Bob

Bob Jones
MANAGING DIRECTOR, BUSINESS SERVICES
Business Support Kent CIC