Mark Protherough, ICAEW’s Executive Director, Learning & Professional Development, attended the launch of ICAEW’s Business Advice Service (BAS) in Sheffield recently.
Addressing the business breakfast audience at Bramall Lane, he said: “Start-ups or growing small businesses can always benefit from professional support, but in the current harsh economic climate good advice is even more vital to help SMEs become the engines of growth so desperately needed.
“The Business Advice Service will offer SMEs the opportunity to discuss their business with a qualified chartered accountant through a free initial consultation. ICAEW Chartered Accountants will be able to offer expert advice on a whole range of issues – from starting a business to turnaround, restructuring, financial management or taxation issues.”
James Newman, himself a chartered accountant and chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and Finance Yorkshire, said: “We would encourage SMEs to take up this opportunity, as we know from our current and past experience that applications which have a business adviser involved are much stronger and have an almost 300% increase in their rate of success.”
He added that he was very pleased to see ICAEW and its members grasping the opportunity to help SMEs and to put something back into the economy.
For Finance Yorkshire, Chief Executive Alex McWhirter said: “Finance Yorkshire applauds the referral mechanism in place in ICAEW’s Business Advice Service and the beauty of it is that it can work both ways with Finance Yorkshire referring businesses to the website and businesses been referred to Finance Yorkshire if they have funding requirements. We look forward to a strong working relationship with ICAEW.”
BAS is supported by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and small businesses can find details of ICAEW chartered accountants in their local area at www.businessadviceservice.com . Those participating in the service will also carry the BAS symbol.
Alternatively please contact: ICAEW Regional Office Yorkshire & Humber on 0113 322 0871 or email yorks-humberside@icaew.com.
Finance Yorkshire can be contacted on 0845 649 0000, email info@finance-yorkshire.com
ICAEW Business Advice Service launch, Sheffield
Left to Right: James Newman (chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and Finance Yorkshire), Mark Protherough (ICAEW Executive Director, Learning & Professional Development), Alex McWhirter (Finance Yorkshire Chief Executive) , Steve Knowles (President, Sheffield Society of Chartered Accountants) and Chris Manners (ICAEW Regional Director)