The national Business Support Helpline is a key element of the Government’s business support provision. The Helpline is a multi-channel service and can be accessed by telephone ( ), web-chat, and social media. It is accessed via GOV.UK and GREAT, alongside a number of partner websites and growth hubs. It is a national, two tier service for all businesses: Tier 1 handles basic queries and provides signposting, diagnostic support and business improvement advice to pre-starts, start ups, and existing businesses to help them start and grow. For businesses that require additional support e.g. businesses in crisis or facing significant business challenges, or those that show potential to grow, the Helpline also offers a Tier 2 service - a call back phone appointment for them to have one hour of free advice. The Helpline supports the business information on GOV.UK and GREAT, assisting visitors to GOV.UK to find and understand the information they need. This helps to provide consistency and a safety net for government support, ensuring there is ‘no wrong door’ to business support, with businesses being helped wherever they come into the system. The service has developed over time to provide both national information, which all businesses require, plus advice and signposting to local sources of help. Introduction to the Business Support Helpline

A consistent service to all individuals wanting to start a businesses and established businesses, regardless of location, stage, or size. General advice relating to starting or running a business and assistance to end users in navigating the broader network if they are unclear about what they need or want. Assistance for visitors to GOV.UK in finding the information they require. A national emergency response service for issues affecting business. Growth Hubs

Customer Journey Multi-channel access Tier 2 complex Signposting Growth Hub referrals Information and Guidance Tier 1 Triage/ Simple queries 9 – 6 telephone support Signposting to national and local information/support Basic information and simple queries Web chat management Event promotion Outbound calling for analysis and research Emergency response Experienced business advisors Bespoke in-depth conversations: Obtaining finance In difficulty Complex Needs Growth aspirations HMRC webinars Emergency response Social Media CRM Knowledge Bank Reporting

Business Support Helpline the story so far

What can the helpline do for you?

Advice and Support Available The service is able to assist with a wide range of general business topics including: Starting a BusinessWriting a business plan Start-up Finance/GrantsCreating a website RegulationsLegal Structure Finance/Funding Est. BusinessesSales & Marketing International Import/ExportEvents Business PlanningInnovation & IP HR & Recruitment, Skills and TrainingFinance Management Location and PremisesBusiness in crisis

Phone The Business Support Helpline has a team of experienced advisors who can answer the hubs inbound telephone calls. 9am-6pm Mon-Fri on All out of hours telephone calls are picked up by answerphone and called back the next working day. Hubs can use the Helpline as their primary/only helpline number or advertise the national number alongside a local number and direct specific customer segments to the most appropriate number. For example: the Helpline can handle the high volume/ resource intensive pre-start calls, allowing the hub to deal with high growth/ established businesses.

The service can also support you through Web Chat. Web Chat enables a two way, live conversation between a company and the Helpline. The service can be easily set up and requires a widget, which we will provide, to be placed on the web pages where you require the chat facility. The chat is presented to one of the Business Support Advisors who talk to the business live online. At the end of the chat a full transcript, including any web page urls, is ed to the business. Web Chat

Social Media The Business Support Helpline is also on Twitter Facebook (facebook.com/Businesssupportgov ) and You Tube.Twitter FacebookYou Tube We will interact with your social media channels and promote your offers, events and support through these channels. The Helpline can also make referrals to your growth hub from customers contacting us via our Social Channels. 5889Likes Followers

Knowledge Bank The Helpline knowledge bank (KB) is managed and updated daily and includes both local and national information. We can provide access to the KB which is a cloud based platform and can be accessed on the device of your choice. You will be provided with personal log-ins and have real time access to our information to support your clients. Each growth hub will have a dedicated senior knowledge manger who can visit the hub, help to ensure the information we hold about the hub is up to date, assist with understanding the data received from the Helpline and resolve any queries or concerns.

All hubs/LEPs receive monthly reporting, giving a summary of callers accessing the Business Support Helpline Reporting and Information

How do you become a partner?

Jane Fairclough at BIS and inform her you wish to incorporate the Business Support Helpline as part of your growth hub’s business support offer Incorporating your growth hub into the Business Support Helpline – Step 1- Data Sharing In order to share businesses contacts with hubs, the Helpline has to know a hub is legally complaint with its data sharing protocols. If you wish to receiver this data, you will be asked to agree and sign a Memorandum of Understanding and Information Sharing Agreement which sets out the roles and responsibilities for the Business Support Helpline, your growth hub and BIS (who funds the Helpline). The MOU covers the Helpline service offered, and the requirements of you as a partner provider of the service e.g. we will need a copy of your data protection documentation, to ensure a range of data protection requirements are met.

Details of your growth hub offer, as well as any schemes, providers or initiatives that are available within your growth hub area, that you would like included in the Knowledge Bank should be sent directly to the Knowledge Managers This will ensure that the helpline advisors have all of the information they need to signpost customers Add information to the Knowledge Bank – Step 2 Please include as a minimum the following information: Service / programme name Call to action information e.g. telephone and A short summary of the scheme/programme that outlines the offer Eligibility criteria, location and duration Links to service detail or literature online Promotional material which can be shared electronically Please include as a minimum the following information: Service / programme name Call to action information e.g. telephone and A short summary of the scheme/programme that outlines the offer Eligibility criteria, location and duration Links to service detail or literature online Promotional material which can be shared electronically

Add your details to the Business Finance and Support Finder – Step 3 The BFSF tool is the finance and support finder tool on GOV.UK: The Knowledge Managers can have content added/amended/deleted from the BFSF on your behalf; this can include any initiatives/schemes from within the growth hub locality that meet the below criteria: Complete a BF-SF template and send it to Or to your dedicated Knowledge Manager: Helen Watson or Ken ArnoldHelen Watson Ken Arnold Please keep us updated if your support offer changes at anytime. The Knowledge Managers will also check the accuracy of your information held by us every 6 months as a minimum.

Promote the Business Support Helpline as part of your service – Step 4 You will also need to qualify the 0300 number on your website and other marketing collateral with the information below: Calls to 0300 numbers will cost the same as calls to geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02), and may be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes in the same way as geographic calls as defined by your provider’ You will also need to qualify the 0300 number on your website and other marketing collateral with the information below: Calls to 0300 numbers will cost the same as calls to geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02), and may be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes in the same way as geographic calls as defined by your provider’ Growth hubs can white label the Helpline to make it look like a local service e.g. Humber Business Support Helpline or by tailoring when used alongside a local number e.g. for starting up advice; for businesses in crisis etc. The Helpline number and description should be promoted prominently on your website

Any Questions? Please contact: Sally Pomfrey Enterprise Directorate, Department for Business, Innovation & Skills | |