Birketts provides expert advice to entrepreneurs via Guardian business panel
A partner at Birketts was selected to deliver expert advice to growing businesses and entrepreneurs across the UK in a Q&A session hosted by The Guardian.
The online Q&A session was organised by the Guardian as part of the Prime Minister’s ‘Business in You’ campaign – a partnership between private enterprise and Government to encourage the entrepreneurs of the future and to support business growth within the UK’s 4.5million small businesses.*
Jeanette Wheeler, partner in our Norwich office, was invited to join the distinguished panel of experts for the online question and answer session which allowed up-and-coming business stars from across the UK to access a wealth of advice at their fingertips.
“The online advice session was an interesting insight,” said Jeanette. “It’s clear that issues around the creation of business plans and funding are pressing concerns for start-ups alongside the need for industry specific technical advice.”
Jeanette, who specialises in employment law and regularly provides advice to employers and senior executives, added: “One key employment theme which emerged from the session was the need for entrepreneurs to try and work flexibly or part time in paid employment while trying to find time to start up and run their own businesses. Employers are not always sympathetic to flexible working requests so this can be a real challenge.
“There have been calls for the Government to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees regardless of the reasons for the request and the coalition Government has consulted about this but it remains to be seen whether this measure will become law.”
Alongside Jeanette on the panel were Rajeeb Dey, CEO and founder of Enternships.com and founder of StartUp Britain and Clive Lewis, head of enterprise at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
*4.5 million small businesses in the UK at the start of 2011 according to the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
