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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06: Whiz Kids and Failed Business People

21st June 2015 By Elliot Forte

Lord Alan Sugar and business support“I visited many Business Link centres, which I understand are funded in some way by government although I am not at all clear how. To be frank, apart from meeting a nice bunch of people, there was no real business advice dished out other than simple stuff you could pick up and learn for yourself on the Internet.”
Lord Sugar. House of Lords Debate, Hansard (24th March 2011)

In 1999, the Government demanded Business Link Operators address “people quality” issues, stating clearly that failure to do so would result in cancellation of contracts.

Doubts and criticism about the people at the heart of the service would continue without respite for the next 12 years.

Chapter 6 completes a nuts and bolts appraisal on the experience and skills of the advisers tasked by Government to help small and medium sized businesses. Commonly held myths are challenged with fact. Vocal critics are named and their claims investigated.

The Chapter closes with a critique of the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative, the Government’s multi-million pound investment and ill fated attempt to introduce national quality standards for advisers.

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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

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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.