Graphic and home link: Betterbusiness 0191 461 8000
RSS
Better Business Magazine
Graphic: link to magazine page and subscription offer

The Knowledge - The Resource - SME Organisations

Alliance of UK Virtual Assistants
A non-profit organisation with a searchable database organised by skills and location.
E: info@allianceofukvirtualassistants.org.uk
W: www.allianceofukvirtualassistants.org.uk
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
It can provide a list of chartered certified accountants in your area.
2 Central Quay, 89 Hydepark Street, Glasgow, G3 8BW
T: 0141 582 2000
F: 0141 582 2222
E: info@accaglobal.com
W: www.acca.org.uk
Association of Management Education and Development (AMED)
AMED is a professional network for people in individual and organisation development. Its network helps members to develop themselves and other people, as well as to make an even greater contribution to innovation and good practice in the workplace and the wider environment.
12 Station Road, St Ives, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE27 5BH
T: 01480 493 253
F: 01480 493 259
E: office@amed.org.uk
W: www.amed.org.uk
British Chambers of Commerce
An umbrella organisation for local Chambers of Commerce.
65 Petty France, St James Park, London SW1H 9EU UK
T: 020 7654 5800
F: 020 7654 5819
E: info@britishchambers.org.uk
W: www.chamberonline.co.uk
Chartered Institute of Marketing
The CIM is the world's largest marketing organisation offering leadership, knowledge and expertise for everyone involved in the marketing process.
Moor Hall, Cookham, Maidstone, SL6 9QH UK
T: 01628 427 500
F: 01628 427 499
W: www.cim.co.uk
Chartered Institute of Patent Agents
It offers free half-hour advice clinics (by appointment only) for inventors with one of their registered patent agents. It also provides free information packs on their members and the kind of service they offer.
95 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1DT, UK
T: 020 7405 9450
F: 020 7430 0471
E: mail@cipa.org.uk
W: www.cipa.org.uk
Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development
Information about employment law, training, employee relations recruitment and talent management, diversity and equality, and performance management.
151 The Broadway, London, SW19 1JQ
T: 020 8612 6200
F: 020 8612 6201
W: www.cipd.co.uk
Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Offers various services for both PR practitioners and businesses needing one.
32 St. James's Square, London SW1Y 4JR
T: 020 7766 3333
F: 020 7766 3344
E: info@ipr.co.uk
W: www.ipr.org.uk
Chartered Management Institute
The champion of management, the Chartered Management Institute shapes and supports the managers of tomorrow.
3rd Floor, 2 Savoy Court, Strand, London, WC2R 0EZ T: 020 7497 0580
W: www.managers.org.uk
Executive Woman
For women who really do mean business. Tips and articles on a variety of topics from flexible working to executive living.
Saleworld Publishing, 2 Chantry Place, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 6NY
T: 020 8420 1210
F: 020 8420 1691
E: angela@execwoman.com
W: www.execwoman.com
Federation of Small Businesses
The FSB is a non-political lobbying organisation aimed at promoting and protecting the interests of owner/managed businesses. It also provides members with various benefits.
Sir Frank Whittle Way, Blackpool Business Park, Blackpool FY4 2FE, UK
T: 01253 336 000
F: 01253 348 046
E: membership@fsb.org.uk
W: www.fsb.org.uk
Flexibility
They bring together research and opinion about innovations in employment practice, organisational development, technological change and public policy. 15 Geldart Street, Cambridge, CB1 2LX
T: 01223 304 792
F: 01223 304 855
E: info@hop.co.uk
W: www.flexibility.co.uk
Forum of Private Businesses
The Forum of Private Business, FPB is the UK's leading campaigning business pressure group. FPB's mission is to influence laws and policies that affect private businesses and provide members with the support they need to grow profitably. It also provides members with various benefits
Ruskin Chambers, Drury Lane, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6HA, UK
T: 01565 634 467
F: 0870 241 9570
E: info@fpb.co.uk
W: www.fpb.co.uk
The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers is the largest bookkeeping institute in the world. It promotes and maintains the standards of bookkeeping as a profession, through the establishment of a series of relevant qualifications and the award of grades of membership that recognise academic attainment, working experience and competence.
1 Northumberland Avenue, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5BW.
T: 0845 060 2345
E: info@bookkeepers.org.uk
W: www.book-keepers.org
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
They will put you in contact with registered chartered accountants in your area.
PO Box 433, Chartered Accountants Hall, Moorgate Place, London, EC2P 2BJ, UK
T: 020 7920 8100
F: 020 7920 0547
W: www.icaew.co.uk
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
It will be able to give you a list of registered accountants in your area of Scotland.
CA House, 21 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh, EH12 5BH, UK T: 0131 347 0100
E: enquiries@icas.org.uk
W: www.icas.org.uk
Institute of Credit Management
This sets professional standards in credit management. It also provides training in all aspects of credit management from risk assessment to litigation. The ICM offers a specialist consultancy service to help companies develop sound credit management policies and systems.
The Water Mill, Station Road, South Luffenham, Leicestershire, LE15 8NB, UK
T: 01780 722 900
F: 01780 721 333
E: info@icm.org.uk
W: www.icm.org.uk
Institute of Directors
Membership spans the spectrum of business leadership, from the largest public companies to the smallest private firms. Membership of the IoD is individual - each member joins the IoD in his or her capacity as a director. Members receive a variety of benefits including information, advice, training, conferences and publications to help them maximise their potential.
116 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ED, UK
T: 020 7766 8866
F: 020 7766 8833
E: enquiries@iod.com
W: www.iod.com
Institute of Management Consultancy
Offers a free client support service for businesses wishing to hire a consultant. You provide details of what you want, then they provide a short list of the candidates.
3rd floor, 17/18 Hayward's Place, London, EC1R 0EQ, UK
T: 020 7566 5220
F: 020 7566 5230
E: consult@imc.co.uk
W: www.imc.co.uk
Institute of Patentees and Inventors
Provides information and advice for lone inventors. Members also include patent agents, marketeers and others who can offer advice on intellectual property rights, originality searching, manufacturing practices, presentation techniques, funding and other subjects relating to the exploitation of an invention.
PO Box 39296, London, SE3 7WH
T: 0871 226 2091
F: 0208 293 5920
E: ipi@invent.org.uk
W: www.invent.org.uk
Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM)
Harrier Court, Lower Woodside, Bedfordshire LU1 4DQ
T: o1582 840 001
F: 01582 849 142
W: www.ismm.co.uk
Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys
ITMA is the professional body for trade mark attorneys in the United Kingdom. Registration of trade marks can be complicated so it pays to get advice from a trade mark attorney. Excellent website with how to register, why register, international marks, infringement and passing off. The site also allows you to find members by region.
Canterbury House, 2-6 Sydenham Rd, Croydon, Surrey, CRO 9XE
T: 020 8686 2052
W: www.itma.org.uk
Lawyers for Your Business
Run by the Law Society, Lawyers For Your Business is a network of 1,200 solicitor firms in England and Wales offering specialist advice to small and medium-sized businesses.

Lawyers For Your Business offers free half-hour consultations. Areas that could benefit from legal expertise are employment law, contracts, leases, business structure or finance.

Some firms don't consult solicitors for fear of large legal bills, by which time any remedy still available is likely to be expensive. Early consultation is advisable if there is legislation to be complied with, or important legal documents such as contracts to be prepared.

They also have some excellent step-by-step guides you can download:
  • Setting up in business;
  • Employing staff;
  • Leased business premises;
  • Contracts with customers and suppliers;
  • Raising money for your business;
  • Structuring your business;
  • A guide to health and safety;
  • The A-Z guide of plain English business and financial terms.
T: 0870 606 6575
W: www.lawsociety.org.uk
Magenta Circle
Self-employed UK Consultants' Network.
W: www.magentacircle.co.uk
Professional Contractors Group
The trade association that represents the interests of freelancers.
W: www.pcg.org.uk
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
It will recommend chartered surveyors in your area over the phone, or provide a short list by post, to help you with property valuations, rating appeals, lease renewals, rent reviews etc.

RICS runs a Small Business Scheme to assist small businesses with commercial rent reviews. Under this scheme you and your landlord can get an independent expert to settle the amount of rent you have to pay. The expert will be an unbiased professional who can explain how the scheme works and will give both sides a fair hearing.

The scheme is run by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveryors (RICS) and the Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers (ISVA).
RICS Contact Centre, Surveyor Court, Westwood Way, Coventry, CV4 8JE
T: 0870 333 1600
F: 020 7334 3811
E: contactrics@rics.org
W: www.rics.org
Telework Association
Advice on the implementation of new working practices, particularly remote working.
T: 0800 606 008
E: enquiries@telework.org.uk
W: www.tca.org.uk
UK trade associations
The business sectors that individual trade associations represent may be unique but the organisational issues that they face are not. Since its formation in 1997, the Trade Association Forum has been encouraging the development and sharing of best practice among UK trade associations and promoting the role of effective trade associations to government, industry and the wider public. It is also a gateway to UK trade associations and business sectors.
W: www.taforum.org
Working Families
Campaigns for the rights of working parents. They also publish a bulletin for employers and a newsletter for parent members and sell useful publications relevant to working parents.
1-3 Berry Street, London EC1V 0AA UK
T: 020 7253 7243
F: 020 7253 6253
E: office@workingfamilies.org.uk
W: www.workingfamilies.org.uk

If you have found The Resource useful, why not talk to us about including it on your own web site? Call us on 0191 461 8000 or e-mail enquiries@better-business.co.uk