SFEDI NEWS

SFEDI NEWS

The latest news and updates from SFEDI.

New Website Launch

February sees us launch our new online small business portal to coincide with our 'Wherever there's SFEDI' campaign.

Business Improvement Tool for Entrepreneurs (BITE)

Can you improve how you run your business? Check out the online tool and downloadable PDF that can help identify opportunities for improvement.

Press Room

Download the latest Press Releases from SFEDI

GoSkills becomes SFEDI qualified

Business Adviser team achieves business support standards.

SFEDI and ILM partnership announced

This announcement sees a major step forward for all entrepreneurs and small businesses across the country.

Newly Approved Standards

We're pleased to announce the availability of our newly approved range of Standards.

Ask An Adviser

Have a question about starting up or running your own business? Working in partnership with NFEA we are now able to offer access to their 'Ask An Adviser' service.

NEW Small Business Section

As part of the second phase of our web development we're pleased to announce the new Small Business section.

SFEDI and GoSkills Sign Memorandum Of Agreement

Peter Huntington, Chief Executive of GoSkills and Tony Robinson, Executive Chairman of SFEDI sign a Memorandum of Agreement in the presence of some of the representatives of the leading small business membership and business support organisations who are members of the SFEDI Lead Body.

SFEDI Executive Chairman Honoured

Tony Robinson OBE Honoured for Championing UK Entrepreneurship at the IAB’s Qualifications for Business Awards

SFEDI Online Learning Now Available

SFEDI have teamed up with The Small Business Company (www.tsbc.co.uk) to create a series of 30 online training modules that matches the 5 SFEDI Enterprising Essentials standards (6 online modules for each SFEDI Standard).

NEW Draft SFEDI Pledge

We're currently looking for feedback on our new SFEDI Pledge document. The draft document is available as a download.

National Survey of Small Business Advisers

The UK Business Adviser Barometer website (in conjunction with Barclays) are currently conducting the first national survey of small business advisers, consultants and mentors.

Government Funded Training and Support - Fight or Flight?

The FPB has been a key member of the SFEDI Lead Body since inception in 1995. Its participation on the Lead Body, along with its peers in other key small business organisations in the UK, ensures it has a strong voice in communicating what its member small business owners and those who support them need to know in order to succeed.

2008 UK Enterprise Support Awards Launched

New awards designed to recognise excellence among individuals and organisations providing support to the UK’s entrepreneurs and small businesses have been launched by SFEDI, the small business watchdog and standards setting body.

Enterprise Week 12-18th November

Enterprise Week is an annual UK-wide week of activities and events, aimed at inspiring young people (14-30) to have ideas and make them happen.

SFEDI Opens New Offices

We're pleased to announce the opening of our new central office in Newton Aycliffe.

RISE 'SFEDI' Bursary heralded a success

The provision of high quality business advice to social enterprises throughout the region is a priority for RISE. To help this to happen, RISE set-up a bursary scheme for social enterprise advisors to benefit from a 50% discount on the price of being SFEDI assessed and accredited. RISE is supporting 22 advisors to get quality approved through the scheme which opened in 2006. The bursary, which supports advisors with the costs of being SFEDI assessed, was a limited opportunity and all funds have now been committed.

An Innovative Programme for Social Enterprise

The University of Derby and EMQC Ltd are offering a unique integrated Social Enterprise programme, specifically developed to provide common language and foundations for social enterprise development.

BusinessZone Sponsors the SFEDI BAFTAs

We're pleased to announce our new media sponsors for next year's 2008 National Business Support Awards as BusinessZone.co.uk.

Business Zone

 

UK Business Forums

 

A Very, Merry, SFEDI Christmas

We'd like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Leading Government Enterprise Advisors Show Support for Sean Taggart and Describe Government Policy for Small Business Owners as Discriminatory

Two small business owners who have been leading enterprise advisers to Government; Tony Robinson OBE, founder of SFEDI, the business enterprise training and support standards setting body, and Elsa Caleb, director of SFEDI and former member of the government’s Small Business Council, have expressed support for Sean Taggart, managing director of Kent-based Albatross Travel. Mr Taggart has just resigned from the Department for Business and Regulatory Reform's (DBERR’s) Small Business Forum, claiming that the voice of small business has been ‘neutered’ in Whitehall.

‘Apprentice’ Tim Campbell to present key award at 2008 UK Enterprise Support Awards

Former ‘Apprentice’ Tim Campbell is the latest high profile name to support the 2008 UK Enterprise Support Awards to be held in April at BAFTA and hosted by the SFEDI Advisory Board.

Business Enterprise and Business Support Report Released

Research for this report was conducted during September 2007 to January 2008 with financial support from the Sector Skills Development Agency. The work was led by SFEDI directors with support from GoSkills. The research was undertaken by Stratagia, Vector Research and the Wood Holmes Group. The report does not necessarily reflect the views of SFEDI. It is presented as a contribution to the development of a Qualification Strategy for business enterprise and business support

SFEDI research highlights entrepreneur preferences for ‘informal’ skills development and business support

UK entrepreneurs and business owners believe they and their peers are their own best teachers when it comes to developing enterprise skills according to a study from SFEDI, which researches the needs of entrepreneurs and sets standards for training and support. They also cited ‘managing cash flow’ and ‘winning new customers’ as the most difficult challenges they faced. The launch of the findings coincides with a mixed response from SFEDI to the Government’s Enterprise Strategy unveiled yesterday.

InBiz Founder Terry Owens Wins Overall Champion Enterprise Supporter Award at 2008 Enterprise Support Awards

Terry Owens, founder of InBiz, which helps individuals and groups to develop enterprise skills, was judged 2008 Overall Champion Enterprise Supporter at the SFEDI Advisory Body’s Enterprise Support Awards on 17 April 2008.

First National SFEDI Enterprise Trainers

SFEDI are pleased to announce our very first ‘Enterprise Trainer’ accreditations. Following a successful pilot by our Centre of Excellence in the East Midlands, EMQC, Susan Hallam and John Owens have become the first in the country to achieve the SFEDI/ILM Enterprise Trainer Award.

Competitive Edge for Business Growth

Join a London Development Agency and Enterprise Enfield flagship programme to support potential High Growth businesses by working in partnership with a successful CEO and providing a solid business support framework.

SFEDI Announce New ICT Partnership at BAFTA

SFEDI announced at the UK Enterprise Awards 2008 that Redstone plc would become SFEDI¹s exclusive ICT Partner, building on Redstone's expertise & understanding of the IT & Communication needs of the SME business community for over 20 years.

Elsa Caleb Appointed New Chair of SFEDI

Elsa Caleb has been appointed Chair of SFEDI, the UK’s leading enterprise development and support organisation. In her new role, she will work with Managing Director Nat Hardwick to develop the support offered by SFEDI to prospective and new businesses across the UK, both through its regional network of SFEDI Centres of Excellence and its accredited advisors. Elsa has a particular focus on supporting the development of social enterprise in the UK.

SFEDI Chair to lead session at Social Enterprise Coalition Event

New SFEDI Chair, Elsa Caleb, will be leading one of the break-out sessions at the upcoming 'Business of Opportunity and Empowerment' event at London's Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Business Enterprise and Business Support Qualification Strategy Consultation

SFEDI has released its first draft of the Business Enterprise and Business Support Qualification Strategy and are currently seeking comments.

How to be a Brilliant Community Based Business Adviser

How to be a Brilliant Community Based Business Adviser, a unique and exciting reference guide for new professionals is launched on Thursday 13 November 2008.