Business Support and Resources

Support, advice and resources for women looking to start or grow their own businesses

2WM
We hope you will find this site a useful gateway into the West Midlands, from links to business support, land and property searches, jobs, grants, news and events. Registration is free and we are constantly updating our knowledge base to provide your business with the latest information ‘online’.

4SmallBiz
Very useful web site with links to many organisations and other resources for small businesses.

Acas
Acas, specialises in helping firms meet their obligations under employment laws, offers a series of useful training tools on its website and much more! All you got to do is register!

Balancing Business
Delivers professional, practical and individual business support to entrepreneurs and existing businesses.

BERR - Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
BERR helps ensure business success in an increasing competitive world.

Birmingham Insight
The UK's most comprehensive public business information service for starting, growing and developing your business, learning new skills and safeguarding your intellectual property.

British Chamber of Commerce
Every Chamber sits at the heart of its local business community;reaching the entire business community and providing services, information and guidance to its members.

Business Zone
A website filled with business news and support.

City Spirit (St Paul's)

This unique serviced office space is set within the peaceful sanctuary of Birmingham city centre’s treasured Georgian Square.  Providing ‘value for money’ options to start or grow your business, you will receive the best grounding for success using the fully equipped business centre providing for all your needs, Just choose what you want to make your business grow.

A Virtual Office is a truly flexible and cost effective way to operate your business.  A ‘start up’, need a UK business location or not quite ready for the big office move yet,  a virtual office will give you just what you need.  Enhance your business image by meeting clients in a quality business environment in a prime city location.

Location is key, you can enjoy the hive of business and leisure activity in and around the square, great road and rail links and easy car parking!  City Spirit St Pauls –  allowing you to focus on what you are good at, your business! And happy to provide unbiased free advice through our coaching service.

We are proud to support WM Women’s’ Business Centre. 

Coaching Mums
Coaching Mums specialises in supporting mums in business to start and grow profitable businesses whilst keeping their lives in balance.  Established in 2002, for the past six years we have helped hundreds of mothers to achieve more than they think they can.  Visit http://www.coachingmums.com/ where you’ll discover “virtual” training for mumpreneurs, our unique Mumpreneurs™  workshops run in conjunction with Business Link.  Subscribe to our popular free monthly ezine, “Inspire”, packed with coaching tips and inspiration especially for mums who want success with balance.

Cobweb Information
Cobweb Information finds and publishes practical information that helps entrepreneurs start up and run their small businesses.

Companexus
Companexus provides networking opportunities, access to mentors, advisors and investors from the business world, as well as support agencies specialising in issues facing women in business.

DAWN
DAWN is the hub for the new generation of entrepreneurial and professional Asian women achievers who want to realize their potential and transform their futures. If you are an Asian woman determined to advance your career and passionate about your identity whilst retaining your unique characteristics and values, DAWN is for you.

Design Council
Helping businesses become more successful, public services more efficient and designers more effective.

Directors Centre
A network and advice site for directors and owner managers.

Enterprise Nation
Enterprise Nation, the home business network website, is a free resource to help you start and grow your business at home.

Enterprise Quest
Endless tips, ideas, know-how and resources for small business and home business owners.

eOffice Birmingham
Seconds from New Street Station, eOffice is set within Birmingham’s vibrant commercial and retail core. We provide fully serviced and furnished office space which is beautiful yet ergonomic in design. From cleaning to utility bills, to the freshly cut flowers at your desk every week- everything is taken care of with no additional costs.

Financial Mail Women's Forum
The largest database of women in business, related stories and profiles, business tools and personal finance advice, a movers&shakers column and so much more.

National Business 2 Business Centre
The National B2B Centre offers consultancy and impartial advice to help small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) adopt e-business technologies and tools in the West Midlands.

Princes Trust
The Princes Trust gives practical and financial support to the young people who need it most. We help develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or training.

Profit Business Improvement Club
We run a local monthly seminar on topics to help businesses thrive! There is no joining fee - just £30 per meeting.Come along and enhance your skills in a relaxed environment with like minded professionals.

Real Business
Our mission at Real Business is to connect and inspire successful entrepreneurs in the UK and across the world; and to speak about the excitement of entrepreneurship in the direct, no-nonsense language of its real practitioners – dynamic people running their own businesses.

SEEDA
SEEDA's aim is to create a prosperous, dynamic and inspirational region by helping businesses compete more effectively, training a highly skilled workforce, supporting and enabling our communities while safeguarding our natural resources and cherishing our rich cultral heritage.

StartQuest
WCC StartQuest is an online guide which is e-mailed out over six weeks e.g researching your market, raising money, the legal aspects of start up, what information and support is available and who to tell before you start etc.

Students in Business
SIB represents the community of businesses at Coventry University being run by Students on campus. SIB provides advice and support for these students and works closely in partnership with the ‘Institute of Directors‘ who provide business mentors and guest speakers at key SIB events.
We meet every Thursday on campus in the ‘Start-Up Cafe’ from 6 - 8pm. Once a month we organise special guest speakers to focus on a particular area of business.

Tactile CRM
"Tactile CRM is an easy to use,  web-based sales and contact management system designed for small businesses. It's free to sign up, and this free account will allow up to 250 contacts to be tracked. It can be upgraded as you grow to a variety of sensibly scaled pay-plans, so for start-ups its the perfect way to keep track of those precious customers and contacts"

The Bag Lady
Aims to be a comprehensive directory where women can find other women in business when they need a service or product. Women business owners can add their listing to the directory free of charge.

The Corporate Pod

Already established as a top provider of serviced offices and meeting space within the City Spirit group of companies, the corporate pod™ is an expansion of this great product, focusing on providing virtual office solutions for the cost conscious, image conscious and those wishing to enjoy a freedom and flexibility in the way they choose to work.

Working from home can be a great option but is not always the ideal environment to meet with clients; it can sometimes be a lonely environment, missing the interaction with others normally enjoyed in the workplace.  So whether it’s meeting space, hot desking or touching base with others the corporate pod has an option for you to elevate your business to the level it deserves to be.  You will be presenting a totally professional front with solid support behind the scenes

As Members of the Business Centre Association we adhere to a code of conduct that mirrors our core values of integrity, and our intention to provide you with an excellence of service that works to create impact on your behalf.

We are passionate about supporting women in business and providing cost effective solutions to get you started.

The Rural Meeting Place
Network meetings, training courses and social events for SME's plus marketing, consultancy and business support.

UK Asian Women's Centre

UK Asian women's centre is bonding South Asian women without prejudice of their Religious beliefs, varying abilities or skills and age. It plays a vital role to support and shape women's social capitals so that women can make choices and changes for themselves, their communities and families.The UK Asian women's centre does this by building their confidence, upgrading their skills and enabling them to achieve economic independence.

Vision Works
Business Enterprise Works (BEW) is a unique programme of support designed to help people to turn their business ideas into reality and provide support throughout the early years of trading.

WiRE - Women in Rural Enterprise
WiRE is an organisation for rural women in business, offering a dynamic member package of practical and specific business services and support for women in rural enterprise including; WiRE Local Network Groups (70 across the UK) offering rural women in business the chance to network and do business with like-minded women, a quarterly glossy magazine, monthly e-newsletter and countless marketing opportunities.

Women's Marketing Forum
The Women's Marketing Forum is a community of self-emplyed women who want to learn from and share practical information on how to get more clients, more easily, and create greater business success.

You in Business
Designed and developed by a partnership of everywoman, Bank of Scotland Corporate, EEDA and Exemplas, the website brings together knowledge, expertise and tools to provide an online resource for women looking to grow their business.

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