ADVERTORIAL
Get ready for growth and scale up Have you got an idea to start a business? Are you wondering what’s involved in being self-employed or do you need help to grow and existing business? You can access a huge range of resources at the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) in Liverpool Central Library
B
IPCs are a free service designed to support anyone who wants to start or grow a business. Some are not for profit, some are charities, others are small business or sole trading operations right through to multi-million-pound companies. BIPCs offer a wide range of resources and a comfortable, welcoming space with free wi-fi in which to work on your business. If you have an idea and you want to protect it, you can access professional legal advice around copyrights, trademarks or patents. For anyone writing a business plan or
researching a market there are free databases providing up-to-the-minute market trends and information. You can download industry guides and explore all sorts of opportunities such as running your own pub, consultancy, café or restaurant or starting up an online business. There are how-to guides on everything from fashion, art, wellbeing and personal fitness to food, music, technology, hospitality and much more. Liverpool Central Library is a fully accessible venue. The BIPC team is friendly and approachable with a genuine passion for helping
entrepreneurs. Since being set up in 2015 over 6,000 people have benefited from BIPC support. Our Entrepreneur in Residence, Gary Millar and his team of volunteers run drop-in clinics in Central Library every Thursday from 1pm-4pm. This is a great opportunity to access free, impartial quality advice on everything from protecting your idea through to making more sales or solving a business problem. We also run a fantastic programme of online and physical events on a wide range of topics which are all completely free. These are designed to allow people to network, connect, access information, be inspired and learn valuable business skills. We’ve covered everything from podcasting to cybercrime, health and wellbeing to social media marketing and presentation training. BIPC Liverpool is part of a national network led by the British Library in London. Last year BIPC services were launched across Liverpool and in St Helens, Sefton, Knowsley, Wirral and Halton. If you would like to find out more about how BIPC Liverpool can help you with your business idea, email libraries.enquiries@liverpool.gov.uk or call 0151 233 5835; Twitter @BIPCLiverpool; liverpool.gov.uk/bipc YM Liverpool 25
