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
Gov.uk
Gov.uk is the government's online resource for businesses.
It contains information about starting up and running a business in
the UK, including help if you're self employed or a sole trader
Business Link Support Helpline
Support for people with a business idea;
looking to start a business for the first time; a new start-up or
an en existing businesses wishing to improve and grow their
operations.
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.
PRIME (Prince's Initiative for Mature Enterprise)
PRIME support over 50s on their journey to
self-employment through providing training and services to support
enterprise. The Prince’s Initiative support the over
50s through all stages of self-employment – pre start up,
start up and getting going.
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.
GrowthAccelerator
GrowthAccelerator is a service provided by leading business
growth specialists, delivering uniquely tailored advice to
businesses. It is a partnership between private enterprise and
government. GrowthAccelerator offers to help you:
- Attract investment by developing funding proposition and
introducing you to funders
-
Stimulate product development, commercialise innovation and
motivate your employees
-
Energise plans with one-to-one leadership and management
advice
-
Meet peers who have tackled the same barriers as you
-
Connect with business experts and networks to achieve insight
and build relationships
To find out more and check your businesses
eligibility.
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
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
Greening Business
Greening Business is a free service targeted
at businesses, with fewer than 250 employees, delivered by
qualified green business advisers providing a number of services
including:
- a comprehensive review of your business
premises, energy use and waste management; development of a bespoke
action plan to identify how to save money on energy, water,
transport, and consumables
- advice on local suppliers and recycling
resources
- assistance in developing an environmental
policy; crucial for winning tenders and new business
- advice on UK and international environmental
regulations and green standards including ISO14001, Carbon Trust
and the energy efficiency standard (BS EN 16001)
To register your interest:
Manufacturing Advisory Service
The Manufacturing Advisory Service provides companies, whatever
their size, with practical support on all aspects of manufacturing
and offers direct access to manufacturing experts with a proven
track record. Subsidised consultancy assistance is available where
it is needed.
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.
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.
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.