Starting or developing a business can be both exciting and challenging. Whether you’re launching a new venture, running an established business, or looking to grow and expand, we provide access to key sources of advice, support, and guidance to help you succeed at every stage.
Bury Means Business works closely with local, regional and national support services to make sure you access funded specialist advice to make your ambitions become a reality.
The following below organisations can provide you with up-to-date, appropriate and relevant advice and support.
To speak with us about the support available to help you start, sustain or grow your Bury business email investin@bury.gov.uk. (link Bury Offer)
Regional/Local Services
The Growth Company's Business Growth Hub supports businesses at all stages of their growth journey with a broad range of services. They offer expert one-to-one and peer-to-peer business support, events, specialist programmes and advisors, funding and much more Business Growth Hub.
Have you always wanted to start your own business, or need help to grow it?
Build A Business is an innovative new project aimed at small businesses, entrepreneurs and anyone thinking of starting their own business.
It’s running in libraries across 8 Greater Manchester authorities, offering tailored help to support new businesses.
Build A Business – Supporting Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs in Manchester
Online, on-demand programme launches new course to help time-strapped business leaders
The free programme is a partnership between Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Bolton, University of Manchester, and the University of Salford.
OPEN SME is fully funded by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Business Growth Hub, and there’s no cost to access the programme.
Business Compliance Support offers free regulatory and compliance support and signposting to small and medium businesses across Greater Manchester, allowing them more time to focus on growth.
The service works alongside existing regulatory services teams providing support on environmental health, trading standards and licensing regulatory functions for businesses and includes support with food safety, product safety and labelling, fair trading, consumer rights, food labelling and premises licensing.
Find out more by visiting www.gmbcs.co.uk or email info@gmbcs.co.uk
Provide business support to companies of all shapes and sizes, through a range of sector-based membership services and networking opportunities.
Combines expert research and knowledge in growing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The Centre provides a wealth of business support services, including training and development specifically for SMEs based in the North West of England.
Web: Centre for Enterprise | Manchester Metropolitan University (mmu.ac.uk)
Providing training, networking and ongoing opportunities for social entrepreneurs in the North West.
Alliance MBS is one of the world's leading business schools with six global hubs and attracts the most talented executives to world class leadership programmes.
Web: Alliance Manchester Business School UK - Undergraduate, Graduate & MBA Degrees | Alliance MBS
Strategic Talent Partnerships
Every organisation faces unique challenges and objectives. A Strategic Talent Partnership with Alliance Manchester Business School gives you access to expert resources and talent to help you future proof your success.
Web: Strategic Talent Partnerships | Alliance MBS (manchester.ac.uk)
At the University of Bolton, they pride themselves on being different. They have a diverse and non-traditional student demographic, and they have years of experience of collaborating with businesses, public sector organisations and charities, applying their knowledge to deliver real support and impact.
UOB are keen to grow their industry connections to continue to make their teaching reflective of the challenges and real-world problems that businesses face day-to-day.
Web: University Group Business Services | University of Bolton
Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub
Barclays are bringing together experts in digital and cyber security from the public, private and academic sectors to help Greater Manchester’s digital security startups to innovate and grow.
Manchester City Council has selected a consortium led by Barclays Eagle Labs to operate the new Greater Manchester Digital Security Hub (DiSH). DiSH offers growing digital security businesses and the wider Greater Manchester community with access to business support, mentoring, dedicated growth programmes, training, and career opportunities through a consortium of Barclays Eagle Labs, Plexal, Lancaster University and The University of Manchester.
Better Business for All (BBfA) is a government scheme designed to create partnerships between businesses and regulators with one key aim – to help businesses get regulation right first time.
It can prove difficult to explain regulation and why it’s so important. So the BBfA partnership has been examining how regulators currently communicate with private industry, and how services can be improved to address the issues facing local businesses.
Web: Business – BBFA
Situated in the heart of Greater Manchester's dynamic business and technological sector, Salford Business School offers practical knowledge, forward-looking skills, and expert insights to nurture their learners and support industries. They are proud to collaborate with a wide range of businesses, from SMEs to large multinationals, fostering growth and productivity.
Salford Business School | University of Salford
Working with Business
Industry collaboration is the Salford Business School's single strategic priority.
They believe in making a tangible contribution to industry, improving opportunities for all stakeholders and living by strongly held social justice values.
Their work with global brands, SMEs and public bodies has put them in the top ten universities in the UK for consultancy.
Bury VCFA is a local organisation providing volunteering and development support to the VCSE sector in Bury.
The King's Trust enterprise programme helps young people age 18-30 to develop skills and knowledge to launch and grow a new business, using free training and mentoring from specialist experts.
National Services
Business Companion offers free, impartial legal guidance for businesses.
Web: Business Companion.
Responsible Business Network, businesses coming together to tackle a wide range of issues that are essential to building a fairer society and a more sustainable future.
There is national support and advice available too – the Gov.UK website has information and resources for starting a business - https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business, Business.gov.uk - Find the right support for your business
Help people start and grow their businesses by putting them in touch with other business owners, by providing access to the best tools and resources, and by sharing their own knowledge.
Web: Enterprise Nation.
The 10,000 Small Businesses programme, for a business or commercially-focused social enterprise that has been trading for at least 12 months, employs between 5 - 40 staff and is scalable and poised for growth.
HM Revenue & Customs offers a free e-learning tool that advises on the tax and National Insurance issues involved in starting your own business. The package includes learning checks and videos as well as links to further advice on YouTube and the Gov.uk web sites.
Step by step guide to Starting and Finance a New Business.
A Government website matching businesses with mentors.
Web: Mentors Me.
Shell LiveWIRE is the UK's largest online community for young entrepreneurs aged 16 to 30. You can get information about the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, plus a wide range of free articles, tools and resources that will get you started.
Web: Live Wire Shell.
Government exporting site.
Help businesses get funding, get a mentor and get ahead.
Web: Virgin Startup.
X-Forces support service leavers and their families to start up businesses across the UK with Government backed Start up Loans, mentoring and support.
Web: X Forces.
Barclays Scale Up UK Programme
The Barclays Scale Up UK Programme addresses the core challenges businesses, founders and their senior management teams face in scaling, by providing a bespoke, hands-on approach to help you accelerate your business' growth.
The NatWest Accelerator is a free UK wide programme supporting entrepreneurs grow, scale and access funding.
Innovate UK EDGE is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s deep investment in the pioneering businesses that drive economic growth. It is a publicly-funded service available to all high potential small to medium sized innovation-driven companies, including Innovate UK grant winners.