Business help is 'difficult to access'

Date: 27th October 2011

Small businesses around the UK have been told that help is available but difficult to access.

Serial entrepreneur and Dragon's Den investor Deborah Meaden has revealed that she decided to get involved in the Local Business Accelerator Scheme after identifying the difficulties businesses face when trying to access help.

The expert said that it is an "awful" situation if help is being made available but businesses are not aware.

Commenting on the scheme, Ms Meaden said: "It will hopefully generate funds within the local economy which is very important to the local community [and] the wider community, not just the business community. It will bring focus on those businesses so I think it is an all-round good thing.

"For me, I just wanted to make sure we shouted as loud as we possibly could about this, to make sure that we engage as many businesses as we possibly can. My answer is [that] there is help out there, but it is quite hard to find."

Spearheaded by the Newspaper Society, the new scheme will provide £15 million of free advertising to small businesses across the UK.