Your no nonsense guide to starting a business

If you’ve always wanted to start up in business but thought it would be too complicated, then Business Link’s new guide could be the answer to your entrepreneurial dreams. The business support organisation’s No Nonsense Guide to Starting a Business is a free publication that will demystify the start-up process and hold your hand through those first tricky steps.It’s split into four sections:

• First Steps: checks the viability of your concept and you as a business owner
• Lay the Foundations: covers the essentials of launching, such as market research and getting help and support
• Running Your Business: gives you tips on how to manage your company on a day-to-day basis
• The Directory: full of essential contacts for employment and legislation advice.

“While many more people are now thinking of working for themselves, some are deterred by a lack of confidence and business knowledge,” said Martin Wyn Griffith, chief executive of the Small Business Service, which supports Business Link. “ Starting up a business doesn’t have to be as complex or challenging as some people think, and, through this guide, we want to break down these perceptions.” Copies of the No Nonsense Guide to Starting a Business are also available free of charge by calling the Department of Trade and Industry publications hotline on 0845 015 0010.