During the last financial year, Business Link has helped more people in North East England than ever before to get their new business ventures off the ground.

In total, Business Link helped to create over 4,500 new businesses between April 2009 – March 2010, an increase of over 16% from 2007-2008 and over 4% up on last year. In total it has worked with over 33,200 businesses and individuals to help them start-up, develop and grow, which is a 21% increase in market penetration over the past three years. Figures highlight that despite the challenges that businesses have continued to face during the past year, the North East is still one of the best places in the UK to start and grow a business. Almost 23,000 customers have received in depth business services, which comprehensively assesses strengths and weakness and offers recommendations for future development. In addition, over 2,300 jobs were safeguarded after companies actively looking to safeguard a position in the business were provided with advice, guidance or were helped to access funds from the North East England Investment Centre (NEEIC).

Additionally, Business & Enterprise North East (BE-NE), the organisation which delivers the Business Link service in the region, recently commissioned external research to measure awareness and perceptions of the services it delivers among users and non users of key BE-NE services, including Business Link. Key findings included an increase in overall brand awareness for Business Link to 95% and a rise in spontaneous, or unprompted, awareness to 57%. According to the research, more Business Link users now believe the organisation is more professional, more accessible and the first place for business advice compared to 2009 figures.

Key to Business Link’s growing impact on new business creation is its ongoing commitment to provide more business facing advisers than ever before. Many of these have direct experience of running businesses themselves and have developed a deep understanding of the firms they work with and a practical knowledge of the issues they face.

Business Link customers have also been able to access a growing number of additional support services, designed to increase opportunities for businesses in the region. Compete North East is a Business Link service which is helping companies to tender for and win major national and international contracts, including those relating to the London 2012 Olympics as well as other large-scale public and private sector projects. The organisation has also provided a substantial programme of practical workshops and events throughout the region. These included over 660 pre-start workshops alongside major events such as Business Exchange North East, which took place in March 2010 and saw 2000 buyers and suppliers from the region’s major priority sectors come together to do business and share ideas, information and contacts. Throughout the year, Business Link has also hosted a series of events specifically designed to help businesses combat the effects of the economic downturn, strengthen their position and capitalise on economic recovery. Keep Your Business Fighting Fit workshops took place at venues throughout the region covering a range of topics to ensure that North East businesses could improve their skills and knowledge to survive and thrive. And, the Keep Your Business Fighting Fit Conference saw high profile regional and national figures address the challenges of the economic downturn.

Rapid response to fast moving events has been crucial to Business Link’s ability to effectively support North East business over the last year. Following the announcement of the closure of Corus in February, Business Link has played a key role in a Rapid Response Group providing a dedicated team of Business Link advisers on site at Corus, every day - working with budding entrepreneurs.

Since February, over 250 Corus employees attended Business Link presentations and one-to-one advice sessions, discussing self employment options. And nearly 100 have gone on to meet with an adviser to progress their business idea.

Other initiatives include the launch of a support package to help ensure that the region’s businesses are best placed to successfully access finance from banks and other lenders. Business Link worked closely with the major regional banks and ONE North East to develop a set of guidelines for businesses that provide clear criteria when making a decision on whether to offer financial support.

Tony Sarginson, Head of External Affairs for EEF – the Manufacturers Organisation, said “Our manufacturers here in the North East continue to benefit from the support they receive from BE-NE. They are particularly appreciative of the way the organisation has responded quickly to the ever changing business trading conditions.”

Alastair MacColl, chief executive of Business & Enterprise North East, which delivers the Business Link service in the region, said: “These results are very encouraging and demonstrate the drive and determination of the North East business community in the face of some of the harshest economic conditions they are ever likely to face. They also highlight the ongoing commitment of the Business Link team to help even more businesses than ever before to start and grow. With signs that the economy is starting to recover, there is still plenty of work to be done to ensure that North East businesses maximise the opportunities the upturn will bring.

“Business Link is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that every North East business, regardless of size and sector, receives the support it needs achieve sustainable growth. Our priority is to offer practical and relevant help that will shape and grow the region’s economy and show the rest of the UK that the North East really does mean business.”