Government initiative to find the 'Business in You'

The Prime Minister has launched the latest well-trailed initiative aimed at helping people to start and grow their own businesses.

Under the banner, 'Business in You', a major new campaign is planned aimed at 'inspiring people to start or grow their own businesses and helping small businesses and entrepreneurs understand the array of information and help available from the Government and private sector. It is based on the concept that there is 'a business in everyone' and that all businesses can realise their ambitions.

The Prime Minister has also announced plans to make empty and under-used Government offices available to small businesses so that they can start up and grow.

Lifeblood

The campaign features a new web portal which will bring together the resources available to business owners and entrepreneurs. Each month, the campaign will focus on a different theme relating to start ups and growth including exporting and employment and will highlight Government support available, such as the Business Link network and the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the British economy and I am determined that we, working with the private sector, do everything we can to help them to start up and to grow in 2012. I want to encourage people to go for it and make this the year of enterprise – whether that is fulfilling their dream of starting a new business or taking the leap to grow their business, to employ more staff, or to start exporting."

Welcome

The initiative was welcomed by the Forum of Private Business who saw it as an example of the Government 'rolling its sleeves up and getting stuck in'.

The Forum's Chief Executive, Phil Orford, said: "Start up businesses need all the help they can muster in order to grow and flourish, particularly in the current climate. So it's excellent to see the Government rolling its sleeves up and getting stuck in to the issue.

"We all know that for the UK economy to move forward and lift the country out of the doldrums there needs to be serious growth in the private sector.

"This is essential for the economy to rebalance itself with an emphasis on SMEs leading the charge forward. Britain has a rich history of entrepreneurship and we need to encourage more of that for that charge to see positive results."