Access to Support
It can be confusing when you try to work out what support your business requires, and at what stage you may need to ask for it. In London Thames Gateway you will find everything from financial grants to hotdesking facilities and academics ready to help trouble shoot.
This quick guide outlines some of the services available.
Own It
Intellectual property advice comes from Own It, a pan-London service to help SMEs retain exclusivity to new products, designs and ideas. Own It is a partnership between Creative London and the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London.
www.own-it.org
London Manufacturing Advisory Service (LMAS)
LMAS is another pan-London organisation, this time working to help raise productivity and performance. Advice is open to any London SME (below 250 employees).
www.mas-london.co.uk
START Woolwich
START offers a full range of services and premises for new business, including a direct link to the St John's Innovation Centre and Cambridge University departments and the University of Greenwich, as well as an on-site management team providing full building management and business support, the latest telecoms solution providing DDIs, voicemail, remote retrieval of messages, call forwarding and conference calling. START also hosts networking events, seminars and business clubs, as well as having meeting, training and conference rooms available to hire by the hour.
START Woolwich is part of a national scheme, run in partnership with local universities relevant to each of its areas of operation. START provides contacts in key departments across the country, accessing expertise in technology and business study, manufacturing advice and training programmes, and opportunities for research contracts. In bringing people together, START delivers an unrivalled range of services and expertise.
www.start-international.co.uk/locations/woolwich/index.html
Think Big
Think Big is a unique in-house team of multilingual innovation and technology specialists, run from the Thames Innovation Centre (TIC). With over 90 years' accumulative experience in technology and innovation, the TIC Think Big team can provide you with insightful advice on every phase of your development lifecycle, from idea generation to production. Within this remit, TIC Think Big innovation and technology specialists, together with financial consultants provide advice on raising finance (public and private), market and business strategy, and technological road maps, as well as information on exciting networking opportunities and business initiatives.
www.thinkbig-itg.org
Enterprise Team
The TIC also has a one-stop business advice and support service for start-ups, micro and small businesses. The on-site team of business advisers is well placed to help get you up and running, and to plan for the unexpected as your business grows. The Enterprise team provides aid and guidance to any small firm looking to expand and flourish in Bexley. The services include: financial health checks, access to expert business advisers, links to regional business agencies and much more.
If you're thinking of starting a not-for-profit business venture, they can help too. Thanks to European funding, they can offer quality advice and support to help local community enterprises get off the ground.
