Intervention and the Battle for Better Business

A critique of business support in the United Kingdom including exclusive interview with Lord Heseltine

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05: Quality Marks (1999)

21st June 2015 By Elliot Forte

Ian Peters and the Chamber of Commerce“We still have considerable duplication of effort at local level. From a business point of view, it’s a muddle, from a funding point of view, it’s a waste. The way forward is a single unified business organisation at a local level. It presumes that the existing Chamber network, TECs and Business Links will disappear.”
Ian Peters. British Chambers of Commerce Director-General (1997)

In the United Kingdom there are 3 mainstream groups representing businesses – the British Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Confederation of British Industry. These organisations influence Government on all aspects of business support policy. Chapter 5 examines the mandate of these organisations and their right to speak for business.

In 2003, Patricia Hewitt, the former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, asserted that Business Link was “in a pretty pathetic state when we took over”. Chapter 5 discusses the 1997 Enhanced Business Link policy that introduced five key tests for Business Link Operators.

  • Board Fitness – evidence the people steering Business Links are up to scratch
  • Pay your way – expectation 25 percent of revenue will be privately generated
  • Performance management – demand for regular data to evidence activity
  • Perform or die – “rigorously enforced” audit of numbers against contract
  • People quality – continuous evidence that advisers and staff are fit for purpose

The impact on the effectiveness of small and medium sized business support is investigated.

Filed Under: Chapter Profiles

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Chapter Profiles

01: Shoots and Roots (1992)

02: Business Link Goes National (1994)

03: A Toolkit of Competitiveness

04: Knowledge Driven Economy (1997)

05: Quality Marks (1999)

06: Whiz Kids and Failed Business People

07: A Small Business Service (2001)

08: Best in Class (2004)

09: Help Yourself

10: Localism (2005)

11: No Wrong Door (2007)

12: Recess Stress (2008)

13: Dragon’s Breath (2008)

14: Prisk End (2010-2011)

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Reception

“For many reasons, this is a valuable book, and it is an important innovation for the policy field in itself. It will remain a valuable historical resource.”

Review by Professor R Bennett MA PhD FBA. Emeritus Professor. Cambridge University

Contact

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Elliot Forte (Author)
Email: elliot.forte@businessthink.co.uk

COPYRIGHT © 2015 Business Think Ltd. The right of Elliot Forte to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Copyright owner.