Business Management zone

Business Link told to stop backing bad ideas

In a scathing attack, Ajaz Ahmed, co-founder of internet firm Freeserve, said publicly funded organisations should adopt the brutally honest approach taken by the panellists on television shows Dragons' Den and X Factor and tell wannabe entrepreneurs immediately if they haven't got what it takes to succeed.

Speaking during the Venturefest Yorkshire event earlier this week, Ahmed said Business Link and groups like it should be concentrating on new enterprises with a real chance of success.

"[Public sector bodies] will indulge people with poor ideas and that's the problem," he said. "They build up false hopes and you shouldn't do that. We need to focus our efforts on the businesses that are going to succeed.

"If you want a solution, look at how they do it on Dragons' Den or the X Factor."

Ahmed also criticised public sector funded advice bodies for measuring their own success on how many people they help rather than how many succeed.

But responding to Ahmed's comments, Simon Ash, national manager at Business Link, defended the way the service deals with wannabe company owners.

"Business Link offers access to assistance for any budding entrepreneur who wants to start up a business," he told BusinessZone.co.uk. "But we equip people with information and advice, to help them decide whether or not running a business is right for them and to assess the commercial potential of their idea.

"Our focus is on helping people start up and run businesses that are profitable and sustainable, and so contribute to the growth of the economy.

"A recent study found that for every £1 spent in government funding, Business Link achieved £2.26 of additional value to the economy as a result of better business performance."

Number of comments: 1

HD-Productions.biz, 27-Feb-2008

With all the business consultants, expertise and resources at their disposal how could this happen?