OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE BUSINESS SUPPORT GUIDE FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE FOREWORD Welcome to the Business Support Guide for businesses currently operating or looking to relocate to Britain’s Ocean City. There is a large and yet frequently changing amount of business support available making it a full time job for businesses to keep up. To make the process of finding appropriate support easier for businesses in the City, Plymouth City Council Economic Development Service produce and maintain two booklets focussed on helping start-ups and existing businesses to find support locally available: Click here to see Business Support Guide for Start Ups We aim to update this guide at six monthly intervals to ensure the contents stay relevant and up to date. The information in this guide is subject to change and was accurate when published in November 2019. If you notice any business support that has been left out, please contact us: E [email protected] www.investinplymouth.co.uk Plymouth City Council OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE SUPPORT SERVICE CONTACT COST PROVIDER Business Advice ACAS (Advisory, Provides free and impartial 0300 1231100 Free. Conciliation and information and advice to www.acas.org.uk Arbitration Service) employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. BEIS (Business, Brings together businesses and [email protected] There may be cost Energy and regulators to consider and www.gov.uk/government/org implications from the Industrial Strategy) change how local regulation is anisations/office-for-product- service provider. delivered and received, safety-and-standards promoting growth. Better Business for Up to date advice on business www.bbfa.biz There may be cost All regulation to help you achieve implications from the accepted standards at service provider. minimum cost. They have access to a wide range of technical advice and where appropriate will direct you to other support available. Business Support The Government’s Business 0300 456 3565 Advice is free. Call Helpline (England) Support Helpline (England) charges may apply. offers advice and guidance to enquiries@businesssupporth elpline.org new and existing businesses. It has information on national www.gov.uk/business- and local schemes, grants and support-helpline loans to help businesses start and grow. Chartered Trading Free impartial legal guidance www.businesscompanion.info Free, impartial legal Standards Institute for businesses that sell goods guidance for and/or services to consumers. businesses. Connecting Devon Advice and support for [email protected] Advice is free. and Somerset businesses to understand the www.connectingdevonandso benefits and adapt to faster merset.co.uk broadband availability across Plymouth. Plymouth City Council OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE SUPPORT SERVICE CONTACT COST PROVIDER Cyber Essentials Help to guard against the most 0808 2812459 Free online resource. common cyber threats and [email protected] demonstrate your commitment to cyber security. www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov .uk Devon and Cornwall A not-for-profit organisation 01752 294187 Membership fee Training Providers that covers both Devon and [email protected] applies. Network Cornwall, providing Training, om Skills, Apprenticeships info and support, Workforce www.trainingprovider.com Development and Apprenticeship Levy. Digital Business The Digital Business Academy info@digitalbusinessacademy All courses are Academy from Tech City UK has more uk.com available free to than 50 courses from www.digitalbusinessacademyu everyone in the UK. University College London, k.com University of Cambridge and other industry experts. Diversity Business Business support for the Black, 07376 790747 Initial free Incubator Asian Minority Ethnicity [email protected] consultation followed (BAME) living in Devon to help by two free days of them thrive in business and www.dbi.org.uk business support to integrate effectively into their BAME businesses wider community. followed by chargeable support. Enhance Social The programme delivers [email protected] 12 hours of support is Enterprise business support and advice to available for free. www.new.devon.gov.uk/econ established social enterprises omy/business- within the Heart of the South support/enhance-social- West LEP area. enterprise/ General Data Advice for people to have www.gov.uk/gdpr Free online resource. Protection more control over their Regulation (GDPR) personal data and be better protected in the digital age. Great Business Support, advice and inspiration 0300 456 3565 Great Business is a for growing your business. www.greatbusiness.gov.uk free online resource. Plymouth City Council OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE SUPPORT SERVICE CONTACT COST PROVIDER Growth Hub The Growth Hub service is 03456 047 047 Free service. Heart of the South the first point of contact for [email protected] West LEP both new and established o.uk businesses seeking business www.heartofswgrowthhub.co support. .uk/better-business-for-all Growth Support A fully funded 1:1advisor 03456 047 047 Free - ERDF eligibility Programme service which helps businesses [email protected] applies, limited to Devon County Council identify and plan their o.uk specific business development needs. Additional sectors. follow up specialist workshops www.devon.gov.uk/economy/ available including a mandatory business-support/growth- Digital Support session and a support-programme/ further session from a choice of Finance, HR, Marketing, Innovation, Business Planning. Health and Safety Online health and safety www.hse.gov.uk A vast amount of Executive (HSE) toolbox, providing relevant information is information to SMEs that available for free applies to their industry. through the HSE website. HMRC Support and advice to help www.hmrc.gov.uk Information on the businesses understand their website is provided tax affairs. Aimed at new, free. The website also start-up and expanding allows businesses to businesses, and contains download relevant videos, interactive tools, documents and forms factsheets and online for free. presentations, as well as signposting to other services. ICO – Information Find out about your 0303 123 1113 There is a data Commissioner’s obligations and how to comply, www.ico.org.uk protection fee and Office including protecting personal there are three tiers information and providing of fee but for most access to official information. organisations it will be £40 or £60. Institute of Business advice session with a www.icaew.com ICAEW offers one Chartered chartered accountant including hour free business Accountants subjects such as business support. England and Wales growth, securing loans, capital Business Advice Service and finance, export planning, meeting tax and regulatory requirements. Plymouth City Council OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE SUPPORT SERVICE CONTACT COST PROVIDER Intellectual Property The Intellectual Property 0300 300 2000 Information supplied Office Office provides advice and www.gov.uk/ipo by the Intellectual guidance to educate businesses Property Office is free about their IP rights and but to protect IP will responsibilities including have a cost associated trademarks and designs. with it. MarJon Business MarJon Business School is an 01752 636700 Fee dependent on School innovative business school, www.marjon.ac.uk/about- programme and dedicated to developing the marjon/marjon-business- eligibility. entrepreneurial effectiveness school of all its students through a suite of programmes and flexible modules suited to both the student and local business community. MentorSME MentorSME is a gateway for www.mentorsme.co.uk Free service. Some businesses that are looking to mentors on the contact a mentor in their area. website charge for their services, each is different and some offer free information to SMEs. Plymouth City Free impartial support to help 01752 304820 Free service. Council businesses identify available [email protected] property, relocation advice, Business Relationship https://www.visitplymouth.co. Programme recruitment, links to regional funding and skills schemes, uk/invest/contact network introductions, economic research and gateway to relevant council services. Plymouth City Provides free patent searches 01752 306795 Free of charge. Council by appointment and advice and [email protected] PATLIB guidance around copyright, v.uk trademarks and designs. www.plymouth.gov.uk/librari es/informationandresearch/pr otectyourideas Plymouth City Council OFFICIAL:SENSITIVE SUPPORT SERVICE CONTACT COST PROVIDER Plymouth City Advice, guidance and training public.protection@plymouth. Free thirty minute Council courses to all businesses gov.uk advice session. Public Protection concerning regulation and best www.plymouth.gov.uk/public Service (PPS) practice. Operates the assured protectionadviceandsupport trader scheme ‘Buy With Confidence’. www.plymouth.gov.uk/public Key services: protectionadviceandsupport/ Trading Standards environmentalconsultancy Environmental Health trading.standards@plymouth. (Food Safety) gov.uk Environmental Health www.plymouth.gov.uk/busine (Environmental sses/businessadvicetradingsta Protection) ndards Licensing www.plymouth.gov.uk/public protectionadviceandsupport/f oodsafety Plymouth Octopus Provides infrastructure 01752 395131 Free website Project (POP+) support for the Voluntary and [email protected] resource. Community Sector in Plymouth. www.plymouthoctopus.org Plymouth Social Promotes social enterprises in [email protected] Membership