The expert guidance on offer for area's growing businesses
Victoria Ballard, who runs an educational chart company based in Sevenoaks, is featuring in radio advertisements to promote the services of Business Link in Kent.
Victoria, and others helped by Business Link, are heard speaking from personal experience about how valuable they found the organisation's guidance and support with running their growing companies.
The South East England Development Agency (Seeda), which funds Business Link in Kent, is supporting Business Link's advertising.
"The regional advertising campaign promotes the benefits of taking advice," explained Bob Jones, from Business Link.
"Business Link advisers can quickly and effectively provide business owners with the information, support and referrals to other services which will help them to respond effectively to the current economic downturn."
The Victoria Chart Company and its range of "encourage and praise" reward charts was founded in 2003, after Victoria Ballard, a former graphic designer, realised that a reward chart she had made for her son Joseph, to help with his cerebral palsy, had drawn admiring glances from friends.
Today, she is exporting her products around the globe.
"Starting a business can be a very lonely journey, but Business Link has brought me real peace of mind, reassuring me my efforts and business are on track," said Victoria.
"It continues to help me with a wide variety of things, from contacts through to sourcing larger storage and workshop facilities."
In the meantime, research by Business Link has found that 49 per cent of business customers in the South East that use Business Link expect to grow in the next 12 months, compared with only 24 per cent that do not. Despite the economic downturn, there is considerable optimism and resilience among small and medium-sized firms in Kent.
Of the 30 per cent of businesses in the county that reported being negatively affected by the downturn, 83 per cent are taking mitigating actions.
These include: revising their business plan (36 per cent); streamlining processes to cut costs (36 per cent); and using or investigating different sales channels (34 per cent). However, one in seven small firms affected by the downturn has taken no action at all.
"It's no surprise that Business Link customers are twice as confident about growing their business than those who haven't met our experienced team of advisers or used the information on our website," said Bob Jones.
"Since October, we have helped more than 3,800 businesses across the South East to review their company operations and devise plans to anticipate and adapt to the changing market."
Jeff Alexander, Seeda executive director for competitiveness and growth, added: "This research makes it clear that more businesses in the South East need to make use of the fantastic service offered by Business Link. The free expert guidance and support available could make a huge difference in this difficult economic climate."
To book a free business review health check with a Business Link adviser, call 0845 6009006 or email info@businesslinksoutheast.co.uk.
Source: This is Kent
VICTORIA Ballard, who runs an educational chart company based in Sevenoaks, is featuring in radio advertisements to promote the services of Business Link in Kent.
Victoria, and others helped by Business Link, are heard speaking from personal experience about how valuable they found the organisation's guidance and support with running their growing companies.
The South East England Development Agency (Seeda), which funds Business Link in Kent, is supporting Business Link's advertising.
"The regional advertising campaign promotes the benefits of taking advice," explained Bob Jones, from Business Link.
"Business Link advisers can quickly and effectively provide business owners with the information, support and referrals to other services which will help them to respond effectively to the current economic downturn."
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The Victoria Chart Company and its range of "encourage and praise" reward charts was founded in 2003, after Victoria Ballard, a former graphic designer, realised that a reward chart she had made for her son Joseph, to help with his cerebral palsy, had drawn admiring glances from friends.
Today, she is exporting her products around the globe.
"Starting a business can be a very lonely journey, but Business Link has brought me real peace of mind, reassuring me my efforts and business are on track," said Victoria.
"It continues to help me with a wide variety of things, from contacts through to sourcing larger storage and workshop facilities."
In the meantime, research by Business Link has found that 49 per cent of business customers in the South East that use Business Link expect to grow in the next 12 months, compared with only 24 per cent that do not. Despite the economic downturn, there is considerable optimism and resilience among small and medium-sized firms in Kent.
Of the 30 per cent of businesses in the county that reported being negatively affected by the downturn, 83 per cent are taking mitigating actions.
These include: revising their business plan (36 per cent); streamlining processes to cut costs (36 per cent); and using or investigating different sales channels (34 per cent). However, one in seven small firms affected by the downturn has taken no action at all.
"It's no surprise that Business Link customers are twice as confident about growing their business than those who haven't met our experienced team of advisers or used the information on our website," said Bob Jones.
"Since October, we have helped more than 3,800 businesses across the South East to review their company operations and devise plans to anticipate and adapt to the changing market."
Jeff Alexander, Seeda executive director for competitiveness and growth, added: "This research makes it clear that more businesses in the South East need to make use of the fantastic service offered by Business Link. The free expert guidance and support available could make a huge difference in this difficult economic climate."
To book a free business review health check with a Business Link adviser, call 0845 6009006 or email info@businesslinksoutheast.co.uk.
Source: This is Kent
