Business Link visits HBN

Register as a Supplier

The Huntingdonshire Business Network welcomed Business Link to a special Friday meeting at the Commemoration hall in huntingdon on 29th February 2008.

The 8 Business Link panellists were there to explain how the new East of England part of their organisation, encompassing Bedfordshire, Herts, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, could assist businesses in the Huntingdonshire area.

There had been a dramatic change in function from the more proactive one held in the past, in that Business Link now concentrates on providing businesses with advice. There is a panel of advisors (not consultants, they were keen to add), some with expertise in different Sectors such as healthcare, who not only provide independent advice to new businesses but also brokerage business to business contacts.

The 22 strong HBN audience kept up a steady stream of questions and comments to clarify the role of Business Link. We found out that the advisors cannot recommend individual businesses to others, instead they have to recommend a t least three in a particular field to avoid bias.  These are taken from the supplier database, which therefore makes it important for service providers to ensure that they are registered with the database.

Fears were raised and allayed about this leading to loss of clients if referred to Business Link as part of a company’s offer of additional help to their client.

HBN twice put the question to the panel on how HBN as an organisation could be of assistance to Business Link and was studiously misheard, perhaps for fear of breaking impartiality. However, our local BL representatives, Nicky Whiting and Dominic O’Sullivan will be attending HBN meetings on a regular basis to keep both BL and HBN informed of each others activities.

The key message to come out of the meeting was the need for businesses to register on the supplier brokerage database by going to www.supplierbrokerage.org.uk . If you are not on the list, you cannot be recommended!

Photos of the panel and HBN audience available at:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/HBNPhotoManager/HBNSeminars

Dr Chris Thomas
Milton Contact Limited