Support and Advice for Businesses
Leicestershire Business Advice Service
The Leicestershire Business Advice Service (LBAS) is a fully funded programme designed to support entrepreneurs and business owners across Leicestershire. Here are some key details about the service:
What They Offer:
- Expert Advice: Delivered by business support experts from Exemplas, providing one-to-one consultations tailored to your business needs.
- Workshops and Training: Covering essential business topics such as regulation & tax, market research, marketing, and financial management.
- Growth Support: Assistance for businesses at all stages, from start-ups to established enterprises looking to expand.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with other local businesses and access a network of like-minded entrepreneurs.
Core Themes:
- Prepare: Helping new businesses understand the steps needed to start effectively.
- Accelerate: Providing growth support to optimise business success and connect with a network of peers.
- Improve: Offering guidance to help established businesses identify and capitalise on opportunities for growth.
Funding and Accessibility:
- Fully Funded: The service is free for small to medium-sized businesses in the districts of Blaby, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire, and Oadby & Wigston.
- Government Support: Funded by the UK Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Grow Your Business with Free Grants and Digitalisation Support!
As part of our dedication to local development, we want to help you:
- Create new jobs or safeguard existing positions
- Expand your operations and reach new markets
- Boost your efficiency and competitiveness
Does your business belong to one of these thriving sectors?
- Manufacturing (for example transport equipment, food and drink)
- Life sciences
- Construction
- Logistics
- Engineering
- Technology
- Creative industries
- Low carbon
If so, we can help you unlock your growth potential! Please email enterprisingblaby@blaby.gov.uk
Business newsletter
Our business newsletter is emailed regularly and packed with the latest business support information, as well as news of events and workshops happening near you. Sign up to receive this newsletter:
Business Hub support request
Our Business Hub is on hand to offer dedicated help and support, and we're only a call or email away: if we don’t know the answer we promise to find out.
You can also get in touch by completing the online form below, or you can call Customer Services who will redirect you to a member of the team.
Health and wellbeing support
There are resources available to provide advice and information to help businesses, the self-employed and employees look after their health and wellbeing. Further details can be found in the website links panel below.
The Healthy Workplaces Leicestershire programme helps organisations of all sizes across the county to become healthier places to work.
The tailored programme has been designed in collaboration with, and for Leicestershire businesses, helping to ensure that the support that is most needed by the county's workforce is available to them and their organisations. Further information is in the website link in the panel below.
The Government's new online service offers free advice to employers, tailored to the needs of smaller businesses.
The guidance is for employers and managers and will help you support employees and understand any legal requirements. Further information is in the link in the panel below.
Starting up and owning a business can be both exciting and daunting, with lots of major decisions to make. Getting the right advice to guide you through this fundamental stage of development is key to the success of your business.
The external links below offer a start-up guide, as well as other useful forums which will help you to be well equipped for the launch of a new business venture.
Better Business for All is a local partnership between businesses and regulators aimed at removing barriers to growth and ensuring Leicester and Leicestershire are economically competitive areas.
The partnership gives your business a simple, single point of access to free advice on business regulations from those best placed to support you, the regulators themselves. They can provide answers to queries relating to food safety, health and safety, pollution, waste, licensing, taxation, trading standards and fire safety.
You can access this advice by calling 0871 384 3185. Lines are open from 9am-5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am-4.30pm on Fridays.
Complying with regulations can help your business provide a high and competitive standard of product that customers trust and help guard your business against liability. A good understanding of regulation can add value to your business.
As well as ourselves, the scheme is supported by:
- Leicestershire County Council
- Leicestershire Fire and Rescue
- Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce
- Federation of Small Businesses
- Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
If you own a business and find that some employees are finding it difficult to get to work, Choose How You Move, from Leicestershire County Council, can support your business and employees in adopting active modes of travel to get to and from work.
Initiatives include a free E-bike Loan Scheme. More information can be found on the 'Choose How You Move' website link below.
- Business Gateway Growth Hub
- Federation of Small Businesses
- East Midlands Chamber
- Start up Guide
- Enterprise Clubs - help to become self-employed or start a business
- Leicestershire Rural Partnership
- NBV Enterprise Solutions
- Innovate UK
- Choose How You Move E-Bike Scheme
- Healthy at Home
- Support with employee health and disability
- Healthy Workplaces Leicestershire
- Leicestershire Business Advice Service