Business Advisor Register

Business Support Register

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SEP is developing a national register of cf advisors for the social enterprise sector. The outputs include an on-line database of consultants and guidance notes to social enterprises on selecting, quality assuring and managing consultants.

Objectives

	To develop a database register where consultants can offer their services and set out their track record, in a form that is easily accessible and searchable, on-line and in paper form.
	To provide guidance notes to users on selecting, quality assuring and managing consultants.
	To register 250 consultants (individuals and organisations) on the register at the launch phase.

Delivery Approach

The register will not be a directory of statutory support e.g. Business Links or Local Enterprise Companies, but of specialist social enterprises individuals and organisations.

Entrants to the register will complete the application form on line and will be able to post links to their own websites, display various advertisement features and provide details of their businesses.

Entrants will be offered the opportunity to list referees who can vouch for recent work as well as being able to list portfolio details to give database users an idea of the range and scale of work the consultants have undertaken.

An important feature of the database is that it will be accompanied by guidance material on how to use consultants and business advisers. This will include information on tendering for work, drawing up delivery contracts, selection criteria and other relevant information. It is not possible to offer quality assurance of the consultants registered on the database but it is anticipated that the guidance will assist users of the register to select and appoint appropriate consultants.

The recruitment of consultants will initially focus on the business advisers supporting the hundreds of social enterprises within the membership of the SEP partners. Advertisements and features will be placed in the industry press, sectoral journals, social enterprise magazines and newsletters, inviting entries for the register. A scale of charges, dependent on the nature of the consultant’s entry on the database, will be introduced in the second year of operation.