Liverpool waterfront
In the meantime, Watson and his team are working to try to make sure small firms are still getting the best help they can offer. There are currently 25 people based out of the Liverpool office, with 15 of those working as business brokers – a figure that will soon double to 30.
“All good things must come to an end eventually,” he said.
“And I think it is important to point out that no economy can depend on subsidies forever.” Watson also insists that the level of co-operation with other related agencies is now much smoother, cutting out the confusion previously experienced by people looking for business support.
In particular, he says, there is a greater lever of co-operation with the body previously known as BusinessLiverpool, now incorporated into the recently formed economic development agency, Liverpool Vision.
“We are now working closely with people from The Mersey Partnership, Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Vision. I think it is now generally accepted that we are the first port of call if you are seeking business development advice.
“If you know exactly what you need and where to get it, then we certainly wouldn’t want to get in the way of that. But when you contact us you know that we can help you tap in to a greater number of offerings.”
Mike Taylor, formerly chief executive of BusinessLiverpool, is now director of investment and enterprise for Liverpool Vision.
Mr Taylor acknowledged the danger of business people confusing the role of Business Link and Vision, but insisted things were now much clearer than they had been in the past.
He said: “Central government is looking to simplify the landscape for business support, and we are working closely with them to do that.
“Business Link is now being recognised as the main brand for business support, and what we are trying to do is add value to that.
“They will provide a brokerage service which offers support in terms of the internal mechanics of a business. That may cover things like marketing, stock control, ICT and internationalisation.
“We will look at the external factors – things like searching for suitable premises.
“The system is not perfect, but what we want to make sure we don’t do is further confuse the private sector. We can do this by each one knowing what the other is doing, and we are working towards having shared databases.”
‘It’s great to know I can turn to them if I need any business advice,’ says charity journalist >>>