Success of Business Growth Team highlighted
Last updated | 20/01/2012
The positive work being done by the Council’s Business Growth Team to support the development of local businesses will be discussed by the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday 25 January.
The team of business advisors sits within the Council’s Planning and Regeneration Service, and supports existing local businesses to realise their growth potential.
The team works with smaller growth companies that might not be catered for by other agencies such as Scottish Enterprise, which works with larger firms, and Business Gateway, which supports start-ups.
Services offered by the team include:
* One-to-one advice to businesses
* Help for businesses to access support and advice from other Council services, and from other business development agencies
* To source potential funding and offer direct financial support to Council business grants and loans.
A report to the committee says that since April 2011 the Business Growth Team has dealt with 151 enquiries from local companies and has had 227 client one-on-one sessions. Currently the team has 111 active business clients across Perth and Kinross.
To date, 12 business growth grants have been approved with a total grant value of £104,000. This will help attract additional private sector investment of £285,000. These projects are expected to create 17 new jobs and safeguard 39
existing jobs within the businesses being supported.
Invaluable to local economy
Enterprise and Infrastructure Convener, Councillor John Kellas, said: “The work done by our Business Growth Team to help small business to develop is invaluable to our local economy.
“Businesses certainly welcome the financial support we can provide in the current financial climate, but the help provided by our business advisors goes much deeper than that.
“They provide free, confidential advice to companies and can review their operations to identify new opportunities. They also provide access to advice, support and funding from other local and national agencies.
“The Team is developing new initiatives this year, including the creation of a Perth and Kinross Business Growth Group, which will create a network of support agencies to enhance communication and ensure co-ordination of events that can assist local companies. The creation of a local ‘Business Week' is also being looked at, and Business Advisor surgeries in rural towns are being developed.
“The Team has done some excellent work over the last 12 months to support businesses and attract investment to Perth and Kinross, and this work will continue and develop in 2012.”
The Committee will also be asked to approve that the Council proceeds to tender for a Tayside-wide Business Gateway service in partnership with Dundee City Council and Angus Council.
Since 2008 there has been a joint Business Gateway arrangement in Tayside, with Dundee City Council as the lead authority. The current contractor is Enterprise North East Trust which operates from offices in Dundee and Perth.
Over the last three years Business Gateway has provided support to a growing number of start-up businesses in Perth and Kinross, increasing from 212 in 2008/09 to 281 in 2010/11.
A new Business Gateway contract is due to be in place by 1st October 2012, and the Committee will be asked to agree the continued co-operation with colleagues in Angus and Dundee, and to proceed to tender for the Tayside-wide service.
