'A&E department' for small businesses set up as recession continues (From Wiltshire Times)

'A&E department' for small businesses set up as recession continues

10:40am Monday 29th June 2009

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Small businesses that have been adversely affected by the recession will be able to get free expert advice on a new helpline launched by Wiltshire Council.

The Wiltshire Buiness in Crisis Helpline is designed for small Wiltshire firms employing fewer than 50 people who are in need of immediate support through a business crisis.

They will be able to get advice from experts on a wide range of issues from legal and human resources to serious financial and cash flow problems.

Wiltshire Council’s service director for economy and enterprise, Alistair Cunningham, described the service as ‘an accident and emergency department for small businesses’.

“When a business calls the helpline,” he said, “They will go through a sort of ‘triage’ where an adviser assesses what kind of expert they need to speak to.”

Within two hours they can expect a call from a specialist who can give support either over the phone or in person. Then five days later someone from the helpline will make a follow-up call and offer to arrange a visit from Business Link.

Launching the service at the Wessex Chamber of Commerce monthly Business Breakfast event on Friday, leader of Wiltshire Council Cllr Jane Scott said the initiative was one of many that were devised following a report published earlier in the year, looking at the impact the recession was having on people in Wiltshire.

As well as putting more money into the local Citizens Advice Bureau and running a programme for young people to help get them into employment, the helpline aims to prevent businesses going under and therefore affecting families.

Cllr Scott said: “This is to offer crisis support for small businesses in order to give them the support so they don’t go under.

“We know if we keep businesses buoyant we won’t have the individuals who go through unemployment, having houses taken off them, and all the other social issues associated with a recession.”

Mike Williams, chief exec of the Wessex Chamber of Commerce, said “Wiltshire Council should be commended for doing something quickly and not sitting on this report for months until the recession is over.”

The telephone line will run from now until early summer next year and there is funding to help more than 200 businesses.

Call the Wiltshire Business in Crisis Helpline on 01225 718222.

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