Business Advice and Development
Thinking of starting a business
One of the major obstacles in the decision to set up a small
business and become self-employed is a fear of the hurdles and the
regulations associated with 'going it alone', as well as a worry
about the viability of the venture. These need not be something to
be concerned about if they are tackled in an organised way and if
advice and guidance is sought from people who are experienced and
trained to help.
Furness
Enterprise has help and guidance for a new business
start-up. Because it is funded by government and private
sponsorship it is provided at no-cost to the budding entrepreneur.
The objective of the Agency is to encourage the creation of new
businesses and to make sure these new businesses prosper and
grow.
The Agency Advisers are qualified and are members of the
Institute of Business Advisers. They are knowledgeable in what
needs to done to make the experience of starting a new business
enjoyable and rewarding.
The Council is also committed to providing a wide range of
services to local businesses and the community at large. The
Council's Economic Development Unit plays a key role in encouraging
investment in the area. The Unit is also working to increase the
quality and variety of work skills offered to residents, helping
them to make the most of new employment and training opportunities
as they are created.
Franchises
There are around 600 businesses in the UK that are franchised
but what is franchising and would it be suitable for you?
It's a way of setting up in business for yourself but not on
your own. With a franchise you run the business, but using methods
that have been already tried and tested by another company, called
the franchisor.
It is a way of being your own boss without many of the risk
factors. However, you are ultimately answerable to the franchisor
and this approach may not be for some people.
There are a large number of websites that deal with selling
franchises, amongst them is:
www.franinfo.co.uk/.
Where can I find business opportunities within
the area?
To
look for businesses for sale in the area you can look in the
local press, or visit some of the
many websites that deal with the sale of businesses. A small
selection are below:
Furness Enterprise
New Deal for people starting their own
business
Are
there any courses that I may find useful?
Learndirect run a number of courses that may be useful to you
including IT courses such as word processing, databases and
spreadsheets. They also run essential business and management
skills courses covering finance, marketing, personnel and health
and safety. There are a number of Learndirect centres throughout
the region.
Other locally run courses are as follows:
What
taxes will I have to pay?
There is also a help line run by the Inland Revenue for newly
self employed people. Telephone number 0845 9154 515, which is open
from 8am - 8pm.
Do
I need planning permission?
Planning holds a balance between the need for new development
and the need to protect the environment and tries to ensure all
development is environmentally sustainable. Construction methods
also need to comply with the Building Regulations for which there
is a separate set of approvals. More information can be found on
the
Building
Control page.
Working from home
You do not usually need planning permission just to work from
home but sometimes you do.
The key test is whether the residence has changed because of
the business. If the answer to any of the following questions is
"yes", then you will probably need permission:
- is your house no longer chiefly a private
residence?
- will your business result in a marked rise in
traffic, people calling or working around the house or in out
buildings?
- will your business involve obvious activities not
usual in a residential street?
- will your business disturb your neighbours because of
noise or smells?
Basically you need to ask yourself if the house is still
mainly a home or has it become business premises? This is whatever
the business, including using a room as an office, hairdressing,
repairing cars, storing goods, using part of the house as a bedsit,
running a "bed and breakfast", providing childminding or music
teaching.
Do I
need a licence?
Many businesses require a licence eg. hairdressers, pet shops
and places of public entertainment. For appropriate advice and
guidance covering all aspects of trading,
licensing and public health legislation contact
our
Environmental Health Department.
What standards do I need to abide by?
Trading Standards Advice in Barrow-in-Furness is provided by
Cumbria County Council.
Work carried out by the Trading Standards service covers
the following areas:
- Weights and Measures
- Food Labelling
- Product and Toy Safety
- Home Safety
- Your Rights when Shopping
- Credit, Borrowing and Lending
You can see more information on this service on the Cumbria
County Council web site:
Will I
need to pay business rates?
The non-domestic rates or business rates, collected by local
councils are the means by which businesses and others who occupy
non-domestic property make a contribution towards the cost of local
services.
Details regarding Rateable Values, the Rating Multiplier,
Transitional Arrangements, Unoccupied Property Rating, Charitable
and Discretionary Relief, Relief for new, non-agricultural business
on previously agricultural land or buildings, Rating Advisors and
Rate relief for businesses in rural areas is available from your
local Council Office, by telephoning 404735, or by email
to
barrownndr@liberata.com.
The Valuation Office Agency assesses rateable values that are
the basis for working out business rates bills. More
information is available from the Business rates pages
of
Valuation Office
web site.
Where
can I get rid of trade waste?
Barrow Borough Council provides full Domestic and Trade Refuse
Collection Services.
Trade Refuse services can be arranged by
ringing 01229 894760 during office hours.
What is e-business?
e-business relates to businesses utilising new information and
communication technologies such as e-mail, the world wide web and
e-commerce.
The following are e-business projects/services on offer in the
area:
Web Site
Advice
We have collected some general advice for businesses who
are considering commissioning a web site. The advice can also
be applied to existing web sites as it highlights the current
standards and guidelines that all web designers should be
aware of.
The document is available for download as a Word document and a
pdf:
Web Site Advice as
Word document (44kb) | Web Site Advice as PDF (35
kb).
Barrow Borough Council do not endorse any listed service, and
will not be held responsible for any agreement or contract based
upon the contents or documents on this page.
Get Safe Online Web Site Launched
Get Safe Online will help you protect yourself against
internet threats. The site is sponsored by government and leading
businesses working together to provide a free, public
service.
"To help the public educate themselves, the Get Safe Online
campaign will raise public awareness of the issues and provide
solutions through a new website:
www.getsafeonline.org/.
The website is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information
about online safety, to give home users and small businesses the
advice they need to use the Internet safely."