Norfolk Chamber advises all its members involved in working with clients on business advice to look at the option to register on the new government Market Place within the Enterprise Nation website. The Growth Voucher scheme has now launched and will give £2k match funding to businesses employing under 49 full time employees to be used against business advice against the themes: Raising Finance; Expanding your workforce; IT & Web; Leadership and Management; Marketing and Customer Service. Click here the criteria for Growth Voucher Advisors. (Jason see below)
If you are a business employing less than 49 employee I strongly suggest you register to see if you can access Growth Voucher funding. It does not seem very onerous but you do need to be able to match fund any voucher value agree once you have met with one of their advisors to discuss your needs.
Full details on how to register to be a Growth Voucher Advisor can be found here
Criteria for Growth Voucher Advisors
1. Certain level of membership of a Professional Body
Professional bodies must:
- Have a code of conduct, which includes a complaints handling process and the ability to remove a member if found to be breaking code
- Be recognised as the lead authority or one of the lead authorities on one or more of the five advice topics of the Growth Vouchers programme
- Have robust membership standards (i.e. members must prove relevant qualifications, experience, continuing professional development, references, etc.)
For example:
Managing cashflow, late payments and negotiating finance
- ACCA – Professional ACCA qualification
- ICAEW – ACA, Full member
- CIMA – CIMA member in practice
Developing skills and taking on staff
- CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) – Chartered member
Improving Leadership and Management
- Institute of Consulting – Member
Marketing, attracting and keeping customers
- Chartered Institute of Marketing- MCIM
Making the most of digital technology
- BCS The Chartered Institute for IT – Chartered IT Professional (CITP)
2. Three years experience of working in, or advising, small businesses
3. Professional indemnity insurance
Note: We are happy to talk to other professional bodies and organisations that accredit advisors in the five topics that the programme focuses on with a view to including them in the programme if they meet the criteria or have suggestions about how the criteria could be adapted.
Why are businesses required to be members of professional bodies?
We want to ensure that advisors are qualified to provide advice and that there is a route of redress available if a business receives bad advice. Professional membership at the levels stated will ensure that advisors meet baseline standards and that there is a complaints procedure in place. While this won’t guarantee quality, it should reduce the risk of bad advice and protect businesses to some degree. The rating facility on the Marketplace, and other experience, qualifications, references and training, will help small businesses decide who to select.
