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The Small Business Service is one of the key driving forces taking forward the Government Action Plan for Small Business. The plan is structured around seven strategic themes - each one of which has a range of current and new actions and initiatives aimed at achieving the Government's small business objectives. Details of most of those initiatives are available from this website. You can also access a copy of the entire Action Plan from this site and we have developed an Implementation Plan which shows in more detail how Government is delivering the new actions. This is being regularly updated.

The 31st International Small Business Congress will take place on 26-29 September 2004 in Warsaw. The theme of the congress is "SMEs on the Integrating World Markets". Its objectives are to promote SMEs throughout the world, to initiate international business cooperation and to emphasize the role of SMEs in social and economic development. The congress will also offer an opportunity for entrepreneurs to take part in a Business Matching Programme.

This website provides the public, researchers, the media, and policy makers with information about who we are and what we are doing. We also operate another website - businesslink.gov.uk - that forms part of the Business Link national advice service, providing straightforward business information and access to a wide network of business support organisations. Last year Business Link:

• Helped over 430,000 businesses plus 170,000 people thinking of starting a business;
• Assisted 41% more businesses (almost 126,000) than in 02/03;
• Increased its average customer satisfaction rate to 88% - a 4% point increase on the previous year-end result and a 7% point improvement on 2001/02; and
• Achieved a market penetration rate of 33.9% (above its target of 27%).

The award-winning Business Link website was formally launched on 4 May and is based on extensive customer research to ensure it meets their needs. The new site:

• Provides quick and easy access for business to information and advice from a range of government departments and agencies.
• Provides information on issues which have been identified as important by business, explained in clear language, supported by practical tools to get things done.
• Is split into topics and features each of which responds to a particular customer need to assist the user to locate an area of interest as quickly as possible. Topics include 'Starting up', 'Finance and Grants', 'Tax and Payroll', 'Employing People' and 'Sales and Marketing'.
  

© Crown Copyright 2001 - 2004 | This home page managed by Jim Dimond | Last updated: 20-Jul-2004