Pathfinder Business Advice and
Planning Project
A business step by step guide
Is my business eligible for the free support?
Businesses are eligible for this support if they are within
the 100 years coastal erosion zone. To find out if your business is in this zone
please check the maps at http://www.northnorfolk.org/coastal/810.asp or contact the
Coastal Management Team on 01263 516004.
As the project progresses, further business will become eligible in some coastal
settlements.
All eligible businesses will be able to access the Health Check and Action Planning
but a check for outstanding business charges will be carried out prior to accessing
the specialist advice. This however does not necessarily mean that a business with
charges against them will be excluded from the scheme.
What will it cost?
There is no financial cost to take part in the business support initiative. All it will
require is some of your time and providing some information to enable the success of
the advice to be gauged and to inform future initiatives. Your business could access
up to £1550 of advice for free, and may be able to apply for more after a business
plan has been developed.
How do I apply?
The business advice is being co-ordinated by the North Norfolk Business Forum.
The Business Forum will guide your business through the different stages of advice
to ensure that it is simple to take part. To apply for the advice please contact the
North Norfolk Business Forum on 01263 510709.
How will any information be used?
In receiving the free support you will be required to agree that some of the
information gathered during the support can be used to assess the coastal issues
faced by businesses, the success of the initiative and to help guide future national
and local policy. Your business information will remain anonymous and will only be
publically available in an aggregated form whereby your businesses anonymity will
be maintained.
Pathfinder Business Advice and
Planning Project
The steps of business advice and
planning support
1.
Contact the Business Forum on 01263 510709 to express your interest and to
receive a Pathfinder Business Support Information Pack.
2.
Have a look through the information pack and check if you are eligible and if you
would like to receive the free support.
3.
Contact the Business Forum and register your business to start your journey of
business support.
4.
You will then be contacted by Business Link East who will arrange to meet you
to help you explore your business by completing a ‘health check’ and to work
out an action plan.
5.
Following the action plan the Business Forum will contact you and explain how
you can take advantage of the voucher worth up to £450 which is available to
you for gaining specialist advice.
6.
Select what specialist advice your require from your personalised action plan,
seek a supplier and obtain a quotation for the advice. Once you have a
quotation send it to the Business Forum.
7.
The Forum will then assess the specialist advisor, contact them and inform them
of the voucher scheme and send you a voucher towards the advice.
8.
You will then be able to arrange a time suitable to you to meet your specialist
and get your advice.
9.
Following the specialist advice you will be asked if you would like assistance in
developing or updating your business plan. This is a service that can provide
you with advice up to the value of £800.
10. If you wish to complete a business plan, a consultant will contact you and
arrange a suitable time to meet and work with you in the development of the
plan. There will be an opportunity to gain advice as to how to go about
implementing the plan and where else to obtain help.
11. Following the business plan you may be eligible to apply for further assistance
from the Pathfinder programme. We aim to assist with businesses looking to
relocate away from immediate risk from coastal change, businesses wishing to
invest in their business and are prevented from doing so because of coastal
issues and businesses that are looking to adapt the business to the changing
circumstances.
12. Following the support there will be aftercare provided at 9, 18 and 36 months up
to the value of £300 in total.