Are the government competing with us?
Discussion
Everywhere I look these days there seems to be some sort of quango or department of Business Link or local CoC that, in my eyes, is just too big for its boots. I don't know what anyone else thinks, but the amount of times you'll hear "actually we can get someone in to do that for free" from such an organisation really makes me worry.
My main worries concern the standard of help offered, and what it does to private companies working in the B2B sector that, to my eye, are getting squeezed out by these people. University incubators, especially, are a big problem. Endless facilities and resources, free slave labour (students) and a whole lot of need to justify them. The answer? Start up lots of businesses that can use them, so it looks nice and busy when the Vice-Chancellor walks by. As I understand it, the figures for successful businesses coming out of incubators aren't that great, so what's the point?
Also, such organisations attract a certain kind of person as an 'advisor' or whatever job title they can come up with. That kind of person isn't usually the best to give out advice IMHO, but you can get it for free, so... But what about someone working as a private consultant, who is probably better qualified, trying to get business providing the same service, but for a fee?
My point is, while these services look fantastic and give them a great look-at-us-and-all-we-are-doing-no-need-to-sack-us opportunity, the overall effect on private business can't be that good as far as I can see. Sure there should be free advice and support for start-ups, but not the free-for-all we have now. It just seems that in order to get leads and jobs as a consultant, you need to be the approved advisor for the local flavour of the month job-justifying quango. In other words, providing the service in a state capacity.
Has anyone else notced this? I'm sorry for the rant, but it just seems that the government have made sure you have to be 'one of the club' in order to work in these areas.
Did someone say Communism? 
My main worries concern the standard of help offered, and what it does to private companies working in the B2B sector that, to my eye, are getting squeezed out by these people. University incubators, especially, are a big problem. Endless facilities and resources, free slave labour (students) and a whole lot of need to justify them. The answer? Start up lots of businesses that can use them, so it looks nice and busy when the Vice-Chancellor walks by. As I understand it, the figures for successful businesses coming out of incubators aren't that great, so what's the point?
Also, such organisations attract a certain kind of person as an 'advisor' or whatever job title they can come up with. That kind of person isn't usually the best to give out advice IMHO, but you can get it for free, so... But what about someone working as a private consultant, who is probably better qualified, trying to get business providing the same service, but for a fee?
My point is, while these services look fantastic and give them a great look-at-us-and-all-we-are-doing-no-need-to-sack-us opportunity, the overall effect on private business can't be that good as far as I can see. Sure there should be free advice and support for start-ups, but not the free-for-all we have now. It just seems that in order to get leads and jobs as a consultant, you need to be the approved advisor for the local flavour of the month job-justifying quango. In other words, providing the service in a state capacity.
Has anyone else notced this? I'm sorry for the rant, but it just seems that the government have made sure you have to be 'one of the club' in order to work in these areas.
Did someone say Communism? PetrolTed said:Actually a web-based business is a good example. The web takes off as a new industry, plenty of companies and consultants spring up, ready to service this lucrative new addition to the economy - and what do HMG do? Start UK Online for Business, and do most of what these people were planning to do for no more than a form signed to say they've had a meeting with you. Or make a deal with just one company to do a certain type of work for all companies in the area, and the local Business link picks up the tab.
Can't say I've ever benefited form any of these free services...
I haven't benefited either
But being free or next to free means they are first port of call for a number of people, which is taking business away from the private sector IMHO. Also, they already earmarked any money that a motorist may have for themselves, but that's another thread...
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