Summary To be a good provider of business information you need to have an awareness of the broad range of abilities that cover the essential areas of business. This includes finance, marketing, sales, and customer service and how they link to and support each other. You also need to appreciate the competing demands, pressures, and […]
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Summary This is about developing your performance, in terms of your skills in providing business information to clients. The way that business information is provided can take different forms. Your practice may be focused in a particular area of business information or be more general. Whatever the limits of your current practice your aim should […]
Summary This is about disciplined reflecting on and evaluating your practice to make sure that you are providing effective and appropriate business information to clients. It is also about checking that your practice meets professional standards and identifying any improvements or developments you could make. What you need to show You must make sure that […]
Summary This is about the development and use of personal contacts and networks to help you provide a wide range of information, support and resources that are likely to be relevant to different clients’ business needs. For example, getting advice from experts, or putting people in touch with other businesses that have had similar concerns. […]
Summary This is about monitoring, obtaining and improving the materials needed to provide an up-to-date business information service. The materials may include paper-based reference materials such as books, periodicals, leaflets as well as multi-media materials, such as web-pages, DVD and CD ROMs. This unit is imported and tailored from Ento’s National Occupational Standards for Advice […]
Summary This is about handling the day-to-day administration that is needed to enable an effective business information service to be provided to clients. This includes maintaining diaries, records of client contacts and follow-up. It also includes organising and cataloguing materials, and administering activities designed to promote and provide business support services and presenting the service. […]
Summary This is about undertaking research to provide clients with the business information they need. It includes identifying sources of information, analysing information and reporting the results of the research. This unit is imported and tailored from Ento’s National Occupational Standards for Advice and Guidance unit AG 19 Undertake research for the service and its […]
Summary This is about responding to enquiries from clients for business information, asking the right questions so that you can find out what they need, and presenting the information appropriately. It includes being able to build relationships with clients, whether you are dealing with them over the phone, by e-mail or face-to-face so that they […]
Summary This is about mentoring clients to help them identify their personal development to achieve their business goals, and supporting clients in achieving them. It involves establishing a good client relationship, helping clients identify needs and priorities, providing encouragement and support to help clients maintain their motivation and carry out their plans and encouraging clients […]
Summary This involves reviewing the social enterprise’s performance to make sure it is meeting its social and commercial objectives, improving the way it is structured and run, balancing its commercial and social objectives and preparing plans to achieve financial stability and independence. What you need to show You must make sure that your practice meets […]
Summary This is about deciding the purpose, values, principles, objectives and legal structure for the potential social enterprise. It involves deciding how the social enterprise will be structured and run and developing a social enterprise business plan. What you need to show You must make sure that your practice meets the following requirements. a Advise […]
Summary This is about identifying and promoting opportunities for social enterprise. This involves recruiting and working with interested individuals and organisations (stakeholders), researching what might affect potential social enterprises and developing a proposal that describes the potential social enterprise and its likely success. What you need to show You must make sure that your practice […]
Summary To work effectively with social enterprises, you need to understand how the social enterprise sector works. This is important whether you are a general business adviser who is working with social enterprises or whether you are a specialist social enterprise adviser. It will also apply whether you are working with social enterprises at […]
Summary This is about recognising the progress and effects of a support programme offered to clients, so that any problems are dealt with quickly and appropriately. The programme may include support provided by yourself, your organisation and by other individuals or agencies that you have recommended. It is also about identifying ways that the support […]
Summary This is about developing your performance, in terms of your skills in supporting clients. There are a number of different areas of business support. These can be defined, for example in terms of: support functions (for example, marketing, finance, e-business or information technology); business sectors (for example, construction, bio-tech, retail, health or creative); business […]
Summary This is about disciplined reflecting on and evaluating your practice to make sure that you are providing an effective and appropriate support to clients. It is also about checking that your practice meets professional standards and identifying any improvements or developments you could make. What you need to show You must make sure that […]
Summary This is about developing the client’s autonomy. The client may be an individual or a team. It involves challenging, inspiring, provoking, stimulating and facilitating the client to develop new ways of working on their business and build their commitment to action. To do this you have to choose appropriate ‘consultancy’ modes when you are […]
Summary This is about enabling the client to develop realistic action plans to make changes to their business they have identified as necessary and to access any additional support and resources that may be required to deliver those changes. These changes may have been expressed in a business plan or strategy that now needs acting […]
Summary This is about enabling your clients to develop a clear picture of their business, where it is and where it’s heading. To do that they need to analyse the current performance of their business and identify their business needs. This probably involves introducing them to new and more powerful tools and approaches. What you […]
Summary This is about managing your portfolio of clients, having rapport with each of those clients, whether an individual or a team, and helping to develop their trust in the organisation you work for. This requires you to exercise skills from good listening to account management and the promotion of your organisation’s services. What you […]
Summary To be a good business adviser you need to have a broad range of abilities that cover the essential areas of business. This includes finance, marketing, sales, and customer service and how they link to and support each other. You also need to have experience or practical knowledge of the competing demands, pressures, and […]
Summary This is about developing a clear picture of the objectives of the person you are working with and making sure those objectives can be achieved. It includes knowing how to set objectives, the potential risks involved, how to manage them, what resources are required, and how to help achieve them. What you need to […]
Summary This is about reflecting on and evaluating honestly your own performance, and discovering ways to improve it through skills development. This requires you to work with others to identify your strengths and weaknesses, find out what information and support is available to help you develop a plan covering your personal and professional aspirations, and […]