Vision targets smalls firms with growth potential
Liverpool Vision, on behalf of Liverpool City Council, is inviting nominations from private sector organisations, business support agencies and individuals to potentially join a team of enterprise advisers.
The economic development agency wants to recruit agencies and individuals from across the economy who can spot businesses ready to grow and assemble a portfolio of support that they need.
Rather than contract with organisations for the delivery of business support services, Liverpool Vision will buy the time of expert advisers and business coaches either directly or through their parent or employing organisations, people who will report to the Head of Entrepreneurship within Liverpool Vision on a seasonal or part-time basis.
Vision said its current programme of support for self-employed and small businesses has so far helped around 80 new businesses to start with potential turnover of around £5m. Mike Taylor, deputy chief executive of Liverpool Vision, said: "Those businesses that we have helped to start will employ around 120 people who otherwise might have remained on the dole."
The new approach is called Start to Grow Your Business and will focus on encouraging enterprise and entrepreneurial action in key sectors of the economy such as knowledge economy, culture and tourism and creative industries.
Cllr Nick Small, cabinet member for enterprise at Liverpool City Council, said: "Our focus has to be on people and businesses that can win, win business, compete and create jobs as we grow the economy. We'll continue to have a focus on groups traditionally under-represented as business managers such as women and amongst ethnic minority communities but a new emphasis on growth in key sectors such as the knowledge economy and other creative businesses."
Alongside the facilitators an extensive mentoring database and an online business portal with resources and offers will be developed, which will help entrepreneurs grow on their own.
The deadline for the nomination of candidate enterprise facilitators is 18 January.
