Business Advice and Support Service

The Centec Enterprise Advice Service has an excellent record of providing advice and guidance to those people, employed or unemployed, wanting to start their own business. Another facet to the service is providing support and advice to already established businesses. This can take the form of acting as a sounding board for ideas, problem solving, helping with tenders, and producing financial information and business planning for funders and potential clients.

Clients are invited to attend an initial interview with one of Centec's SFEDI accredited business advisers, when the business idea will be explored. An evaluation will be made in order to determine what skill requirements the individual may need and to assess whether the idea is viable. After the initial interview the client is invited to attend a series of advice sessions and over time, the business idea will be investigated to identify if it is viable enough to create a successful operation. A business plan will be produced along with financial projections. the completed business plan is often used as a key to open up a range of funding opportunities for the client to access, eg High Street Banks, Prince's Trust, MSIF and Business Liverpool. Centec's service is tailored to meet the needs of individual clients as they move into self-employment. Extensive support and aftercare is given to new businesses to increase their guidance on expansion and development, recruitment and personal issues, VAT registration and other tax implications and marketing and promotion.

Over the past five years (2004-09) Centec has given enterprise advice to over 700 individuals (2:1 conversation rate), which has resulted in the creation of 378 new businesses employing over 450 people. Part of Centec's strategy has been to become pro-active in seeking out potential enterprise clients by holding half-day surgeries at local Job Centre's and maintaining close links with other CBED agencies, the banks, Prince's TRust, Liverpool City Council, Alt Valley Partnership, Business Link, MSIF and the Social Enterprise Network amongst others.

Liverpool City Council has also contracted with Centec to support a number of local social enterprises that are at risk of shutting down due to loss of funding from The Children's Fund, which ceased early last year. This takes the form of "business health checks" and providing assistance with business planning, policy formulation and documentation and assistance with tendering for contracts.

In order to provide an holistic service for new start-up businesses Centec operates a managed workspace facility. Many of its businesses clients choose to rent space from Centec in order that business support is close at hand.

For more information please contact Frank Duckers on 0151 525 1954 or email frank.duckers@centecltd.com