Mentor: Plenty of support for your projects

Q: What Government support is out there for small or medium-sized business?

A: Gregory Crott from Industry NZ's small business unit explains:

The Government established the BIZ programmes in 1998 to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow by providing them with management training and development and an information and referral service.

It established a range of BIZ providers around New Zealand and an 0800 number (0800 4 BIZinfo, or 0800 424-946) so that people could easily access its services.

The BIZ programmes are also for small and medium enterprises that need help getting access to funding.

BIZtraining, provided free, includes eight core topics: business planning, compliance, marketing strategies, finance, e-commerce, business systems, managing resources, and business and operational excellence.

Other BIZ services:

BIZ publications: The Small Business Assistance Directory lists all the organisations that provide help and support to small and medium-sized businesses; Planning for Success is a practical, easy-to-follow guide to completing a business plan; the Directory of Government Funding Programmes lets businesses and entrepreneurs know what funding may be available from Government agencies. All of these titles are available from the BIZinfo website