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Through its Business
Birth Rate Strategy, the Scottish Enterprise network has
introduced a wide range of initiatives aimed at encouraging
more entrepreneurship in Scotland. The objective was and
is to increase the business birth and survival rate in Scotland
to a level which compares with similar regions in England
and Wales.
The increasing interest in and awareness
of business start-up has led to an increase in the demand
for appropriate advice and support from the Scottish Enterprise
Network. Its response has been to establish Small Business
Gateway as the single door entry for business start-up and
development advice and support.
BDA has harnessed its knowledge - gained
in managing both volume and high growth business start-up
programmes throughout Europe and the UK and more locally
at Monklands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire
- to refine a process which meets the requirements of Small
Business Gateway.
The key features of the process, aimed
at increasing both the start-up and survival rates, are
as follows:
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Use of advisers
who have experience in running a business and who can
add value to SBG clients. |
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Professional and
appropriate business planning within a standardised
format resulting in cross referrals with an emphasis
on sales and marketing. |
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Links with private
sector business support network. |
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Focused Aftercare
advice. |
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Relevant training
seminars available to SBG clients at appropriate times
in the business life cycle. |
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Effective e-commerce
based management information systems. |
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Open and comprehensive
reporting systems with clients. |
This process coupled with a hands
on approach by BDA management has achieved very positive
results in terms of substantial increased rate of business
starts, improved sustainability levels and high levels of
satisfaction from SBG clients.
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