Advice on Starting or Growing a Business
The Royal Borough is home to thousands of businesses ranging
from multinational corporations to small family firms.
The Council works to promote a vibrant and sustainable economy,
in an attractive environment and provides support to business
through commissioned services and by promoting an established
network of business support agencies.
Who to talk to for advice
Business Link
Business Link is government's online resource
for businesses. It contains information, support and services –
whether you work for a large organisation or are on your way to
starting up. Business Link is the first place to go to find
guidance on regulations and to access government services. It also
has a number of useful online tools, calculators, and case studies;
and provides access to funding options, as well as wider
support.
Portobello Business Centre
Portobello Business Centre is the borough’s enterprise agency,
partially funded by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,
they offer information, free advice and confidential guidance from
qualified experts on the following issues:
- accessing finance
- debt and cash-flow management
- recruitment and redundancy
- support for innovation or changing your business model
- accessing local supply chains and finding new local business
opportunities
Find out how the Portobello Business Centre can help you:
The Prince's Trust
The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme supports unemployed
young people aged 18-30 to work out if their business ideas are
viable and whether self-employment is right for them. Depending on
the outcome of this process, the programme can then offer mentoring
support and, for those that really need it, financial support to
start a business or mentoring support to secure goals in
employment, education or training.
Enabled4Growth
Enabled4Growth helps businesses, led by disabled people in
London, survive difficult trading conditions, improve their
financial health, prepare for and achieve business expansion. As
well as working directly with disabled-led businesses,
Enabled4Growth has created a network of financial services and
funds that recognise the value of working with disabled business
leaders.
Mentorsme
Mentorsme connects companies with mentoring organisations that
can support and guide their growth. If you are a business that
needs support or a business professional who can offer
support, Mentorsme can help you connect with each other.
Kensington and Chelsea Chamber of Commerce
The Kensington and Chelsea Chamber of Commerce is committed to
providing members support to help their businesses grow and to
sustain the business community in the Royal Borough. Networking is
the priority of this Chamber - helping members meet, mix and
support each other in business.
Finance
Understanding Finance for Business
Understanding Finance for Business is a programme designed to
maximise the success of London businesses in raising finance to
support their growth ambitions. The programme gives hands-on
support to companies in making informed choices about the type of
finance they need, and gives tailored advice through seminars,
workshops and one-on-one support to prepare themselves to present
an attractive proposition for banks, business angels or venture
capital investors.
The programme incorporates two streams of intensive support:
-
Gateway2Finance - for support to raise debt finance from banks
and other institutions.
-
Gateway2Investment - for support to raise equity finance from
business angels, venture capitalists and other investors.
Find out how Understanding Finance for Business can help
you:
Greater London Enterprise
GLE Group provides a range of financial products to unlock the
potential of businesses and organisations across the UK, from
grants and loans, to cashflow and equity finance.
Business Growth Fund
The Business Growth Fund is a £2.5 billion equity
investment fund backed by five of the largest banks in the UK. If
you have sales of approximately £5 million - £100 million a year
and need growth finance of around £2 million - £10 million the
fund may be able to help.
Grow your market
CompeteFor
CompeteFor is a free service that enables businesses to compete
for contract opportunities linked to the London 2012 Games and
other major public and private sector buying organisations, such as
Transport for London (TfL), Crossrail and the Metropolitan
Police.
Contracts Finder
Contracts Finder is a free service for businesses, government
buyers and the public. This service comes from government under its
transparency commitment, and you can find live contract
opportunities, closed tender documentation, contract awards and
contract documents. You can also subscribe to email alerts to
receive updates on existing or new items.
Wedge Card
Wedge Card is a local retail reward scheme for independent
retailers who want to attract and retain business by offering
incentives and promotions to Wedge Card holders. Nearly 600 shops
across the Royal Borough are participating in the scheme, taking
advantage of the 150,000 free cards distributed to residents and
visitors to the borough in spring 2010.
UK Trade and Investment
UK Trade Investment (UKTI) works with UK-based businesses to
ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the
best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner
of choice.
Reduce costs and your impact on the environment
Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust Delivers are a not-for-profit company providing
specialist support to help business boost returns by cutting carbon
emissions, saving energy and commercialising low carbon
technologies.
EcoVate
The EcoVate project provides eligible London-based Small and
Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) 2 – 5 days of tailor-made free
environmental support. SMEs can get expert advice on innovative
ways to tackle issues such as waste, water, energy, transport,
green procurement, environmental management systems and product
design amongst others.
Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
WRAP works to help businesses reap the benefits of
reducing waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in
an efficient way.
Innovate
The British Library Business & IP (Intellectual Property)
Centre
The Business & IP Centre, at the British Library in London,
has all the business and IP information you need as an innovator
and entrepreneur. Learn from the success of others and meet
like-minded people. It's free and can save time and money.
Designing Demand
Designing Demand helps businesses discover how to become more
innovative, more competitive and more profitable. It does this by
giving managers the skills to exploit design by spotting
opportunities, briefing designers and running projects that
deliver.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Knowledge Transfer Partnership advisers help businesses identify
an academic or researcher who has the right expertise to help
that business with projects that can benefit from the
knowledge base.
Skills and training
Public Health Training Service
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea delivers low-cost
Food Safety, Health and Safety and Public Health training to
businesses and organisations across London.
Leadership and Management Advisory Service
The Leadership and Management Advisory Service supports
senior leaders with grants of up to £1,000 to enhance their
business-building and leadership skills, with the aim of fostering
business growth.
Health at work
Fit For Work Service
Kensington and Chelsea Fit for Work Service is a free service
that is for employees and employers in the borough to improve
health and wellbeing in the workplace. If you have employees who
are currently trying to cope with health problems at work, or who
have been absent from work due to sickness, the service can quickly
assess their health and other barriers to work, and support them
back to work through referring them to health practitioners,
working out tailored back-to-work plans, and offering assistance
and advice with issues such as debt and housing problems.
Health at Work Advice Line
The Health for Work Advice Line for Small Business is a free
service that provides small business managers with expert advice
and support they need to help employees experiencing ill health,
minimising the impact on the business.
Recruiting
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus Employer Direct online is a free service from
Jobcentre Plus that allows you to notify jobs to the UK's most
visited recruitment website. It gives you total control of your
jobs - you can notify and manage your jobs whenever you like -
straight from your PC via the Internet.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships can make your organisation more effective,
productive and competitive by addressing your skills gaps directly.
They are designed to help your employees reach a high level of
competency and performance.