Small Business Advice Week (7th – 13th September) aims to help businesses ride out the recession wave and move forward. With this year’s Week focussing on help, advice and support to enable companies to grow, the latest survey from Business Link in the East of England paints a positive picture about the post-recession future of Hertfordshire’s small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Strong survival characteristics are evident among SMEs in Hertfordshire, despite forty-five per cent of respondents in agreement that the economic slump of recent months has provided a hugely challenging market place in which to do business. More than 60 per cent of Hert-based respondents have revised their priorities to ensure that they are in the strongest possible position to do business, both now and once the recession is over. And as the UK looks towards the return of a stable economy, almost seven in 10 businesses will be making adjustments to their business plans in order to remain focused.

As more than sixty per cent of respondents consider the recession to be a short-term hindrance, the consensus is focussing on an imminently brighter economic future. Eight in 10 Herts-based respondents have taken positive steps to overcome the recession and feel they are well prepared to grow out of it. As a result of economic uncertainty, a quarter of respondents reveal renewed confidence in their business proposition and heightened efficiency within their place of work.

Pat Smith, Chief Executive of Business Link in the East of England said, “There’s no doubt that the past 12 months have presented businesses in Hertfordshire with one of the toughest environments of recent times. For many it has been a daily challenge to compete and simply exist. Faced with adversity, they have sought advice, re-focussed their business proposition and taken steps to ensure that they are as fit as possible survive. It’s therefore no surprise that Hertfordshire businesses are motivated, standing strong and ready to grow out of this recession.”

In a direct response to the current growth aspirations voiced by many businesses, Business Link has introduced a ‘Planning for growth’ workshop to its latest events schedule. Developed by one of the country’s leading change management experts, this full day session provides delegates with an inspirational opportunity to make positive changes to their sales and profit margins. The workshop is offered free of charge to qualifying businesses at a range of venues in and around Hertfordshire. For full listings visit www.bookevents.org or call 0845 601 1000.

Any small business looking for help and advice can contact Business Link on 08457 17 16 15 or visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/east.

About Business Link in the East of England:

Business Link provides information, practical advice and support to help people to start, run or grow their businesses

Our clients fall in to two main categories:

-Those running or working in established small and medium sized businesses

-Those who want to start their own business

Both client groups can access independent, impartial and, in most instances, free help and support from Business Link in the form of:

-Free one-to-one help from an experienced Business Adviser (established businesses) or Enterprise Awareness Manager (start-ups)

-Workshops and briefings on a range of business subjects such as business planning, sales and marketing, legislation, developing people

-Telephone and online support through our Regional Information and Intelligence centre

Business Link in the East of England works with businesses and entrepreneurs in the 6 counties in the East of England: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk

Business Link is a government initiative to promote enterprise, funded in the East of England by the East of England Development Agency