Help from Top to Bottom

Real help for people and businesses is a phrase that is being bandied about an awful lot at the moment, particularly by the Government as it seeks to find ways to support the economy during the present downturn. This help currently includes the various funding schemes that have been put in place such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, business health checks courtesy of Businesslink, skills training for individuals and businesses, and many sources of advice to assist with personal debt, redundancy and getting back to work. Full marks for effort although clearly these are top down initiatives, and it will take time for this help to get through to those who need it and have some real impact on the economy.

However there are also some bottom up initiatives being launched, such as the one that I saw when I visited the Spelthorne offices of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce recently. Known as the Enterprise Zone (or EZone), it is a scheme intended to help new businesses through their start up period, and is designed to be a credible and more professional alternative to a home office. Along with a fully equipped office area with reception and secretarial support, there is also access to business services and advice, and perhaps more importantly the chance to share ideas and get peer support from like minded business people, who have decided for either economic or lifestyle reasons to strike out on their own. In short it is a practical, efficient and effective solution for new businesses looking to get going, and hopefully will quickly generate some benefits for all concerned as well as the economy as a whole. All in all a very good idea, which like all good ideas it just needs a little push, something I am more than happy to do.