Announcing Recovery Advice for Business: Expert advisers offering free services to small firms

Today we are delighted to announce the launch of the Recovery for Business Advice scheme.

Supported by the government and hosted on the Enterprise Nation website, the initiative gives small firms access to free, one-to-one advice with an expert adviser to help them through the coronavirus pandemic and to prepare for long-term recovery.

Advice offered includes bespoke, specialist assistance on accountancy, legal, and advertising to marketing, recruitment and digital to help businesses adapt to difficult circumstances and to bounce back as the UK economy recovers.

Business experts, supported by the UK's major professional and trade bodies, have rallied behind the initiative, with thousands of expert advisers already on hand and ready to do their bit to help small businesses recover and rebuild.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, Advertising Association, Law Society, Management Consultancies Association and Business Service Association are among the professional bodies to have signed up for the scheme.

Small business minister Paul Scully said: "We have stood by small businesses throughout this crisis, offering a wide-ranging package of financial support. However, it is also important that business owners get easy access to expert advice and support.

"It is incredible to see so many professional advisers stepping up to do their bit for small businesses across the country. This advice platform will help to boost our recovery from the impact of Coronavirus, giving small businesses extra support to adapt their business models and come back fighting."

Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic has left thousands of SMEs facing a set of completely new challenges now and into the future. There has never been a more important time for firms to turn to the trusted advice of a professional and start on a path to recovery.

"We've been overwhelmed and astonished by the generosity of the adviser community, thousands of whom have stepped forward to give their time and knowledge to revive, guide and support the nation's small businesses through the pandemic to regain the momentum and restore the economic confidence with which we started the year.

"Running a business can be isolating at the best of times, and this initiative will mean founders will not have to face the future alone."

How the Recovery Advice for Business scheme works

Business owners looking for advice who are not yet a member

If you're not yet an Enterprise Nation member, sign up via this page and you'll get free membership until 31 December 2020. You will then be asked questions in the Make a Plan diagnostic tool which allows us to identify the level and specific areas of support you need.

You will then be directed to a personalised dashboard with a detailed action plan including links to suggested tailored advice and relevant professional advisers willing to help. Advice focuses on key areas including:

• Accounting and finance

• People and building a team

• Planning, strategy and pivoting

• Marketing, PR and social media

• Technology and digital tools

We encourage you to contact advisers using the 'request a free call' button on their profiles. Advisers are offering up to one hour of free advice to help small business owners during this time.

Businesses owners looking for advice who are already a member

If you're already a member, you just need to log in and go to your member dashboard to access the Make a Plan diagnostic tool. You can access the direct link here.

We encourage you to contact advisers using the 'request a free call' button on their profiles. Advisers are offering up to one hour of free advice to help small business owners.

Advisers wanting to offer advice who are not yet a member

Ask your trade/professional body for the code to sign up and create a free profile by visiting the adviser sign up page here. You'll get free membership until 31 December 2020.

If you are a member of a body that's not yet participating, please ask them to do so! We can help with supporting materials and onboarding. Email hello@enterprisenation.com for details.

Advisers wanting to offer advice who are already a member

If you're already a member of Enterprise Nation, there's no need to sign up. Simply show your support by including a message in your profile like this example here.

We encourage you to complete your profile in full and add this copy to your bio: I'm here to help. I'm volunteering free advice calls of up to an hour as part of the Recovery Advice for Business scheme, over the next 6 months. Please get in touch to see how I can help your business.

Log in and go to settings to update your profile. Watch tips on completing your profile here.

Lapsed members

If your membership has lapsed, please contact hello@enterprisenation.com and our team can help you reactive so you can take part in this important initiative.

Professional bodies support Recovery Advice for Business

Sharron Gunn, BFP FCA, Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales executive director, Members, Commercial & Shared Services, said:

"Throughout the coronavirus crisis, ICAEW Chartered Accountants have acted as trusted advisers to businesses of all shapes and sizes. Now, as companies seek to recover and rebuild, we are proud to support the Recovery Advice for Business scheme to better connect firms to the high-quality professional advice they need. Whether it's cash flow management, tax advice or securing access to finance, I know our members will want to help any small businesses who may be struggling, and support the UK to get back on its feet."

Tamzen Isacsson, chief executive of the Management Consultancies Association, said:

"Despite lockdown, our consultants have been supporting private and public sector clients across the UK enabling businesses to recover, deliver critical new services and plan for an uncertain future. We're proud to be supporting this joint initiative to help restore the UK back to economic growth and help advise small businesses which are the backbone of our economy."

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:

"The CIPD is delighted to partner with Enterprise Nation to launch the Recovery Advice for Business scheme, supported by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic people professionals have been at the heart of the organisational response in these challenging times. This new scheme is an important step forward in supporting small firms through the next stages of the crisis.

"The CIPD is calling on its members who are independent consultants and have experience in working with small firms to help by volunteering an hour of their time per month to advise on people and organisational challenges. We hope we can play our part as a profession to help lessen the devastating impact the coronavirus crisis could have on businesses of all sizes."

Stephen Woodford, chief executive of the Advertising Association, said:

"We are proud to be part of the Recovery Advice for Business scheme. It is a huge opportunity for our industry to help Britain's challenger brands and businesses as the economy rebuilds, supporting entrepreneurs to get their businesses back on track to fast growth and with real impact."

Mark Fox, chief executive of the Business Services Association, said:

"Supporting Britain's SMEs is vital to economic rebuilding and the levelling up agenda. BSA members large and small, and from the private and VCSE sectors, stand ready to help.

"It is critical that everyone now draws together in common endeavour, just as they did during the pandemic. Our sector has been helping keep the country going during lockdown and now has the capacity and reach to play its full part in recovery - supporting in particular those communities and sectors which have been particularly badly hit."

President of the Law Society of England and Wales, Simon Davis, said:

"The coronavirus crisis has significantly impacted small businesses across the country, and now more than ever they need expert legal advice to help weather the storm.

"I welcome this opportunity for solicitors to play their part in this effort to support the national recovery by offering valuable legal advice to small businesses."