Access to finance
This is a service financed by Business Link 4 London, who receive funding for
this from the London Development Agency and from the European Union. We are able
to offer five days of business consultancy and mentoring for any existing or
start–up small or medium enterprise at a cost 80% subsidised by Business Link.
This advice comprises of an initial diagnostic session which results in an
agreed action plan for both you, the client, and for us, the consultants.
Following that we provide four days of intensive consultation and mentoring
support, enabling you the client to get all the targeted help you need in the
areas of importance to you. We will then use the most appropriate, skilled and
qualified experts registered with us to provide the specific support you need.
this is all geared towards helping you to successfully apply for finance to
start up, continue, develop or expand your business. We will help you to produce
business plans, financial, marketing, ICT and/or other needed plans, strategies
and documents to present to potential sources of finance which we will help you
locate.
This service costs £400 per day (a reduced rate on our normal commercial
consultancy daily fee of £500) and this is then 80n per cent subsidised by
Business Link, meaning that you only pay £80 per day for this service.
Any one interested in this please email by clicking
here
For non-registered business start ups and business start ups operating
outside the subsidised area
Wise Owls provides face-to-face business start up support for clients from
Hackney whom we are funded to assist. For other client groups we offer an
'Access to Finance' support facility, in conjunction with Business Link. This
service is offered at an 80% reduction with the client paying the additional
20%: £80 per day maximum, subject to negotiation on the basis of your situation.
This service can only be offered to registered businesses which have started to
trade (including pilot business operations).
For unregistered Business Start Ups from outside the Hackney area we offer an
internet-based support service starting with a basic business plan which you can
enter online after applying online. Wise Owls can then provide a full NVQ level
3 in Business Start Up which includes a business plan, on-line support and
registration and certification with the ILM at a cost of £499.
We can also provide low-interest Prime Loans to people aged over 50 who have
a satisfactory business plan and can gain acceptance for their proposal from our
loan panel. We are also able to provide an initial assessment of the applicant's
draft plans and to monitor progress after the grant has been awarded. In order
to benefit from the support available you should be registered as self employed
with the New Deal 50 Plus which would entitle you to additional financial
support once you have formally started to trade / act as a self-employed person.
Business start-up training
There are courses which are run from our ICT Training suite in Beechwood
Road, Hackney London E8 and consist of five separate days formal training. These
are free to beneficiaries from particular London areas (depending on which
public bodies are currently funding this service), and at a reduced cost to
others (prices can be negotiated dependent on clients' circumstances). This
formal training is then backed up by one-to-one hour-long mentoring sessions for
those who have completed a draft Business Plan. For more information please click here.
Business start-up on-line
This interactive course, which can lead to an NVQ in Business Start-Up
(level 3), is provided by Wise Owls as we are an accredited NVQ Centre with
ILM / NEBS Management. This course and the NVQ are charged at cost and, for
appropriate clients, money can be obtained by you from publicly-funded support
agencies. For further details click here.
Business loans
These are loans of up to £5,000 for people aged 50+ who wish to start up in
business, are receiving some form of benefit and who have limited funds. More
details are available here.
Market Place
Promote your businesses on-line through Wise Owls' Market Place
and benefit from the potential market of the tens of thousands of page hits per
month our site receives.
Information and links
We have information pages of interest to businesses, social enterprises and
startups, plus links to other sources of finance and support. More details Click here.
Business research
Access results of Wise Owls' surveys and other projects. Click here
Equalities and Diversity
Do you want to save yourself from an Employment Tribunal and/or having to
pay out
thousands of pounds in damages to staff or job applicants?
Would you like the security of knowing that your Equal Opportunities
policies and
procedures are legal and up-to-date?
Would you like training in Employment Equalities legislation plus practical
support
from ACAS to put together your own Equalities policies and procedures?
Would you like all this for only £199 plus VAT?
If the answer to some
or all of the above is “yes”, then contact Peter Murphy at Wise Owls (contact
details below) to discuss booking a place at one of our seminars, or possibly to
arrange a one-to-one consultation if there are no seminars scheduled.
ACAS are leading UK experts in employment law, and thus have a wealth of
knowledge relating to employment legislation, equalities legislation in general,
and the business benefits of diversity. Wise Owls are one of the UK’s leading
specialists in age equality and employment, having worked for 9 years helping
employers meet their employment needs and over 45s clients apply their skills
and experience.
The free service includes:
a confidential review of your current policies and procedures ( if you have
any)
template policies (if you don’t have any)
a presentation and discussion of the business benefits of diversity
a confidential action plan and report from your own personal ACAS specialist
advisor, including practical advice and support to help you implement legally
compliant procedures and work towards best practice.
This service is
especially suitable for small and medium enterprises and social enterprises who
need to be sure they comply with all the equalities legislation which has come
into force in recent years (most recently the Age Regulations), and who are
interested in making diversity work in their favour.
TO RESERVE YOUR
PLACE, PLEASE CONTACT:
Peter Murphy
Tel 020 8983 9716
email: ageworks@wiseowls.co.uk
Train to gain
If you like the idea of offering
training to your workforce, but are put off by high costs, the impact on
staffing levels, the difficulties in getting training from local Colleges that
fit in with your timetables and your training needs, you will be interested in
our Wise Owls Consortium’s Train to Gain service. We are currently providing NVQ
training to employees for employers in such subjects as IT, administration,
sales, security, hair and beauty, electrical installation and repair but can
also offer you a wide range of other training to meet your needs
We are a
highly flexible employer focused training consortium delivering Train to Gain
across 8 boroughs and can offer you free training in the skills you need, at
times convenient to you, starting when you want and being delivered either near
to you or at your premises. You tell us what you want and who your trainees are
and we will match that with the right training courses and qualifications for
your company and its workers. Please find attached one example of the training
offered by just one of our 6 partners.
Train to Gain can also pay you back
towards the cost of losing your employee during training – with reimbursement
available for the time they take off for training once they have passed their
NVQ
Here are some of the facts about training in the UK today:
Workers who receive training and development are more loyal to their
employers.
Replacing a worker who has left can cost you thousands of pounds.
Staff training and development translates into improved profits for your
company.
Training can be expensive and involve staff being out of the workplace for a
long time.
Train to Gain offers free training which takes place locally, or even in the
workplace.
Do you or your staff need any training to do your jobs better
and to increase the profitability and professionalism of your company? If you do
then please contact us today at ageworks@wiseowls.co.uk to discuss
your training needs and maybe to arrange for us to give you a free training
needs analysis.
