SME News Q4 2024 / 28 Educating and Empowering Entrepreneurs Across London London Business Partnership is a non-profit making organisation dedicated to supporting the growth and sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises across London, with a particular focus on West London. Whether a client operates within the public, private, or voluntary sectors, London Business Partnership lends its expertise to create prosperous and sustainable businesses destined to succeed in today’s climate. Here, we speak with Deryck Sealy, Co-Founder and Director of London Business Partnership, as the organisation is named in the Business Elite Awards 2024. London Business Partnership was founded in 2012 by Deryck Sealy and Namia Omasta-Milson. Having spent years working for other enterprise support organisations, witnessing countless business owners struggling to make sense of complex issues such as business rates, and even more so the negative impact this lack of knowledge had on their ventures, the pair decided it was time to help. And so, London Business Partnership was born. Through this organisation, Deryck and Namia can offer more to SMEs around London than ever before, providing them with much-needed, free business support that stems from their years of combined industry experience. “Understanding the challenges ourselves, we wanted to do something to help these hard-working entrepreneurs,” Deryck tells us. “We decided to operate as an agile business model with a small team, and work in partnership with other organisations, providers, business advisors, consultants, mentors, coaches, and other experts to deliver specialist SME support.” Driven by this knowledge, London Business Partnership is committed to providing free support for SME owners in London, delivering successful business support programmes that improve local economies and support the development of business owners. Often, free business advice is synonymous with lower standards, but London Business Partnership will never compromise on the quality of its offerings. The organisation offers excellent business support programmes, covering everything from financial and funding advice to management and employment strategies. Deryck highlights London Business Partnership’s Property Advice Service as one of its standout services, a free commercial programme designed to help SMEs understand the current property market. The programme equips business owners with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed business decisions, navigate varied financial options, negotiate with landlords, and access business rate relief schemes. Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Property Advice Service programme has supported 500 London SMEs to date with its holistic approach to providing businesses with the tools to grow. The programme consists of a variety of webinars, workshops, and one-to-one sessions designed to educate, enlighten, and empower the budding entrepreneurs of London. “If you need to navigate the commercial property space, we are ready to help. Making the right choices now is the best way to avoid problems in the future; with the right resources, you can build your knowledge and avoid costly mistakes,” says Deryck. “We are often able to help our clients solve their problems very quickly. If they need additional support, we can refer them to another of our free business support programmes or to other organisations. Their feedback is typically positive, with relief that we have given them the exact information they need.” Property Advice Service has seen monumental success in aiding SME owners to successfully secure and manage their business locations. One story of such success was the vital support extended to husband and wife team, Ela and Jeremy Mundy. Owners of train station coffee vendor On The Hoof, the duo experienced rent charges for their new property despite construction work preventing them from trading. Thanks to the Property Advice Service, Ela and Jeremy worked with London Business Partnership to not only negotiate a reimbursement for one year’s rent, but also managed to retain a positive relationship with their landlord. Of the scheme’s success, Jeremy says, “London Business Partnership’s advice and guidance was second to none. Isaac Adams has been great at signposting me, and the whole team has been efficient, resourceful, and always ready to help. It’s very important for an SME to have professional experts to discuss all matters relating to property. Without the Property Advice Service, access to qualified property experts and surveyors would normally be out of our reach.” Looking ahead, Deryck tells us that London Business Partnership is focused on delivering multiple projects to aid the sustainable development of SMEs across London. Since its inception, the organisation has displayed a stringent commitment to delivering top-tier services and programmes geared towards driving success for both its clients, and the local community. For this dedication, and its significant contributions to the economy, London Business Partnership has been recognised as the Best Entrepreneur Support Company 2024 – South East England. Contact: Deryck Sealy Company: London Business Partnerships Web Address: https://londonbp.co.uk/
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