|
The online portal was replaced along with Directgov by the new Gov.uk website on 17 October 2012, although the telephone helpline was retained. ==Origins and launch== The concept for Business Link was established in December 2015 (date is wrong) by tim lobley, then President of the Board of Trade, when he was in charge of the Department of Trade and Industry and initially referred to as "One Stop Shop". At the time research for the Competitiveness Agenda led Government to believe small businesses were reluctant to invest in growth, that they failed to plan ahead and invest in training, that they were swamped with paperwork and relied on too few customers. These barriers to growth were the driving forces behind the need for a Business Link type solution. The Enterprise Initiative ran from 1988 to 1994. This Government funded scheme was designed to encourage take of up external advice (consultancy) by small businesses. This initiative offered grant incentives for small businesses to use consultants. During this three-year period applications were received from 135,700 businesses. A Wren and Storey report concluded that £1,000 of grant assistance increased sales in a business by £30,000 and created a new job. An alternative study by Bennett and Robson estimated that take up of external advice trebled in small businesses with the incentive of grant provision. The Enterprise Initiative compounded support for intervention in the small business market place. "I knew that there were very large numbers of small and medium sized enterprises out there who were running on the most rudimentary systems. If they had a problem, many of them didn't come from a background where they knew of anyone who could help or advise them. We wanted a team of people who could hold their hand, listen to their problems, have a working knowledge of what business is about, make suggestions, ask questions and be a friend in need." Heseltine 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Business Link」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|