Business Advice Birmingham

Kickstart your business idea in 1 hour with a personalised Action Plan. Includes 30 days of entrepreneurial support online and over the phone.

SWM can support your business in the following ways... Funding: Each year we promote over 800 million funding accessible by organisations in the West Midlands. Sign up for our e-newsletter for a monthly update straight to your inbox. Membership: Joining SWM is a way of raising the profile of your organisation. Our members have access to strategic, practical and profile-raising benefits including an annual review, members only networking events, and a wide range of promotional opportunities. Many of our members also provide products and services aimed at improving your sustainability. . Networks: SWM run many networks aimed at sharing good practice and learning from peers. They are free to join and will allow you to make useful connections with a wide range of other organisations. Support: SWM are independent and provide advice to organisations who want to improve their sustainability. We can help you plan for a more sustainable future bringing benefits to the economy, the environment and society. Our case studies provide examples of some of the support projects we have worked on. Communications: Our communications share details of funding, events, support and news to help your organisation become more sustainable. Sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter to keep up to date.

Our mission is to provide dynamic support which nurtures peoples enterprising aspirations, skills and talents, to create sustainable futures that grow tomorrows economy.

Birmingham City Council's website contains a section dedicated to helping businesses in the city. There is also a page specifically for start-ups and this includes links to relevant business support organisations, funding and start-up programmes.

We invest in research and innovation to enrich lives, drive economic growth, and create jobs and high-quality public services across the UK. We are transforming tomorrow together.

Start up while you studyDo you dream of being your own boss? If you have the desire and passion to build your own business, our Enterprise Hive is here to help you get your idea off the ground. We offer an array of support for our budding student entrepreneurs, from expert consultations to industry mentoring and even a start-up grant to get you going.You're in good company too Birmingham is the UK's biggest start-up city outside London, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ more than half the national workforce and generate 16 billion annually.To find out more, you can book an appointment with our Enterprise Hive team below or email any questions you may have to enterprise@ucb.ac.uk. You can also connect with the Enterprise Hive on Twitter and Instagram.

Startups is one of the UK's most popular sites for anyone thinking about starting a business. There is a page specifically about Birmingham and what it is like to start and run a business in the city.

The Department for Business & Trade helps businesses export and grow into global markets. We also help overseas companies locate and grow in the UK. Our services are provided in over 100 markets throughout the world. We are passionate about what we do. Thats why we constantly review our services in light of customer feedback and the impact they offer, which means theyll vary from time to time.

Virgin is entrepreneurial at its heart, having spent the last 50 years starting and scaling businesses around the world. In 2013, Virgin StartUp was founded by Sir Richard Branson to support the next generation of founders who are looking to do the same. Since then, weve helped tens of thousands of founders to start and scale and were just getting started. Their website includes this great article and interview with Tobias Ellinas who started his own business in Birmingham.

Prowess is the online hub for women-friendly business support, inspiration and information. Our vision is an environment where women in business can flourish. Be inspired Prowess is full of stories and shared experiences from women who’ve made their own way in business. Everyone has a story to tell. And women who are thinking of starting a business – and those looking to grow – say there aren’t enough stories of real women in business out there. In our recent survey 43% said they wanted to read more experiences and case studies from ‘real’ women in business! Read them here, or submit your own here.

The GBSLEP Growth Hub website has a great section dedicated to starting a business... 'Life happens! Maybe youve been made redundant; perhaps you work part-time; you could be a stay-at-home parent; you might have retired from your job, but have too much energy to retire from the workplace; or you could be unemployed / between jobs. You may have a business idea, but not sure how to take it further. Have you ever thought about or ever wanted to be your own boss? If you can devote the time to invest in your own future, then well help you on your way, giving you the practical tools and confidence to succeed.'

Startup Sprint is a 1 month programme that will take up and coming entrepreneurs through the fundamental steps of launching their own business. BEC fosters a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and community-building for rising entrepreneurs seeking the know-how and tools to build their start-up. Starting with a look at our module on Entrepreneurship & Challenging Times, by the end of the programme you will have an understanding of who your customers are, be able to identify suitable business models for your business, validate your idea and, finally, begin creating the first version of your product or service. Startup Sprint startups also receive tailored mentorship to support in business strategy, trouble-shooting challenges, and avoiding costly mistakes founders typically fall into. BEC, 21st floor at Alpha Works Alpha TowerSuffolk Street Queensway BirminghamB1 1TT

Federation of Small Businesses are experts in business. Formed in 1974, we are a non-profit making and non-political organisation whose member base covers the length and breadth of the UK. Our aim is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. We realise this aim by offering our members a wide range of vital business services including advice, financial expertise, support and powerful voice in government, influencing the decisions that affect their businesses.

The West Midlands Growth Company exists to support inward investment into the region, creating new jobs and opportunities for its population. Our Investment support team consists of specialists in the areas outlined by the West Midlands Combined Authoritys local industrial strategy, which identifies five key sectors in the local economy, supporting four key areas of the local economy.

Advice, updates and support to help businesses plan and respond to COVID-19 have been collated below. Through the following links, businesses can find out how to access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply. The West Midlands Growth Company will continue to monitor and update this page, based on the latest Government guidance and resources. Support is on offer for businesses and employees in the West Midlands, including free, online resources. Baskerville House, 2 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2ND

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is a modern and innovative business support organisation connecting businesses to opportunity. With a long history of providing specialist business support, the Chamber assists customers in starting up a business and achieving sustainable self-employment. A team of dedicated Business Advisers equipped with the knowledge and expertise helps customers every step of the way to ensure their success in starting up and maintaining a flourishing business.

Enterprise Agency providing specialist business advisory and training support to social enterprises across the West Midlands and co-operatives across the West Midlands, East Midlands and East of England. Most of our services are free to eligible clients.

Key Fund is a social enterprise and understands the unique difficulties faced by similar organisations when looking to develop and grow. By providing tailored investments we are continuing in our mission to break down the barriers to accessing finance, enabling social organisations to increase their community, economic and environmental impact. We are offering loan finance from 5000 up to 300,000 throughout the North of England.

Business Support Agency committed to developing and supporting Black and Minority Ethnic communities by providing general business advice, financial support, consultancy, conference facilities and premises. Unit 7, 3b Business Village, Alexandra Road, Handsworth, Birmingham B21 0PD

Allen IP provides UK, European, International, and Foreign, Intellectual Property services. We regularly process patent, design and trademark applications before the UK IP Office, the European Patent Office, OHIM

In-detail information about the licensing process in the City of Birmingham, including contacts and relevant links.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry is steeped in history having been established for over 200 years but, like the business environment over the decades, it has changed and adapted accordingly. Today???s Chamber is a modern, innovative, membership-based business support organisation that can help businesses rise to the opportunities, challenges and demands facing all sectors.

Web article that promotes the idea of starting a business in the City of Birmingham, including details on programs and support available to small and medium sized businesses.

Business Birmingham is an organisation set on helping to build the Birmingham economy by bringing in new businesses to operate from within Birmingham, we offer a range of services to help setting up in Birmingham.

The UKs most comprehensive public business information service for starting, growing and developing your business, learning new skills and safeguarding your intellectual property. We provide open access to physical and electronic business information resources for all our customers. Business Insight has more than 40 services to help you with your business information needs including a Company Formation service. Other popular services include Business Start-up information and support, Business Advice Sessions.

Business Supporter is a free portal site that brings you all the best small business web sites and online services provided for you by Business Insight. Our aim is to provide a gateway to useful services and information that will help you solve your problems, develop new skills and business interests.

Our aim is to enable access to a variety of support services to pre-start, start up and business growth. Our sole purpose is to provide inspiration and support to ordinary women to become ???extraordinary???; breakout of their comfort zone and help them access advice and further support to realise their ambition to ???do it their way???. Go-Woman! is geared toward providing REAL business support for women. A ???one-stop??? service that can provide a central support hub, through sign posting and referrals.

Informative article about the business licensing process including the instructions for obtaining a license in Birmingham.

Just as the importance of ethnic minority businesses is growing in Birmingham, so too is the influence of the Institute of Asian Businesses ??? a key part of Birmingham Chamber. The IAB promotes awareness of and provides solutions for the business needs of its members and the wider Asian business community.

Established in 1984 the National Business Register provides data on all 10 million UK businesses, companies, trade marks and brands. An entrepreneur can access all this combined data free of charge to help in choosing the right identity for their new enterprise. One of the biggest threats to a new business is mistakenly copying someone elses established name, in the same type of trade, whether locally or nationally. Our unique search facility solves this problem and we also provide full information advice and support in setting up a new business, company, trade mark and domain name. All this information is available online via www.start.biz with each section colour coded for ease of use, you can also speak to one of our business advisors on 0800 069 9090 (freephone).

Sandwell Womens Enterprise Development Agency [SWEDA] is a unique agency which has been successfully providing services to the community for the past 15 years. SWEDA exists to encourage enterprise, provide career guidance and business advice and promote the personal and professional development of people in the West Midlands.

Wellmeadow Limited is a management consultancy firm in Shropshire, providing business support to firms across the West Midlands. We provide a mix of non executive director support and interim management on a part time basis for a variety of organisations, but mainly privately owner-managed firms (especially family firms). If you would like to chat over a business challenge you are facing for no fee, then we would be happy to speak to you and give you some advice on a no obligation basis. We understand that a decision to work with a firm like us will not be taken lightly, and may seem quite daunting. It

We mostly help medium sized private companies by joining their boards as non-exec directors and helping out wherever we can. We do help start ups from time to time though, just to put something back. We started up once too.

Official website of the Young Professionals Birmingham, association that supports local non-profits, organizations, businesses and the city itself.