Twenty thousand small businesses are set to receive up to £2,000 of support from firms like Duncan & Toplis thanks to a new Government scheme.

Duncan & Toplis, a leading firm of chartered accountants and business advisers, and its sister company Queensgate Management (East Midlands) LLP are listed on the Enterprise Nation Marketplace website and will be offering strategic advice and guidance as part of the Growth Vouchers programme.

Qualifying businesses can use their voucher to help pay for assistance with their finances to allow them to grow.

Duncan & Toplis and Queensgate Management can offer advice and consultancy on raising finance and managing cashflow.

The advice could be used to develop a financial strategy for growth, raise additional finance, secure new investors or improve a company’s financial management skills.

The Enterprise Nation Marketplace is part of the Government’s £30m Growth Vouchers programme, which launched on 27^th January 2014. The aim of the programme is to test how best to help small businesses grow through the use of subsidised business advice.

Businesses looking for advice can apply online and some will be selected to receive a voucher for up to £2,000 to help pay for in-depth strategic advice and business support in one of five specialist areas:

• raising finance and managing cashflow
• recruiting and developing staff
• improving leadership and management skills
• marketing, attracting and keeping customers
• making the most of digital technology

“The margin between success and failure for a small business can be very narrow, and timely, expert advice can make a crucial difference,” said Damon Brain, a Partner at Duncan & Toplis.

“We know that our clients find our strategic business advice extremely beneficial, but sometimes small businesses can’t afford the best advice without some assistance.

“That’s why we applaud this new scheme as it will give a real helping hand to the entrepreneurs and SMEs that are the backbone of British business.”

Small businesses which receive a voucher have to match the amount with their own funds before finding a Growth Voucher adviser to work with.

Growth Vouchers cannot be used to subsidise practical advice on how to tackle specific tasks relating to running a business, but should be spent on strategic advice that will lead to growth.

If you would like to talk to Duncan & Toplis about the Growth Vouchers programme contact Damon Brain by emailing damon.brain@duntop.co.uk or by calling 01522 507000.

Notes to editors

• Duncan & Toplis was established in 1925 and has since grown into one of the largest independent firms of chartered accountants in the Midlands.
• The firm was named ICAEW East Midlands Medium Accountancy Firm of the Year in March 2014.
• Duncan & Toplis appears in the top 30 UK accountancy practices list published by Accountancy magazine.
• The company has 10 offices throughout the East Midlands: in Grantham, Boston, Lincoln, Louth, Melton Mowbray, Newark, Skegness, Sleaford, Spalding and Stamford.
• Duncan & Toplis offers a wide range of services to small to large-sized family businesses, from accountancy, audit and tax to payroll, human resources and computer services.
• The business employs around 350 staff, of whom 85 are currently engaged in professional training.
• For more information about Growth Vouchers visit https://marketplace.enterprisenation.com/

For media information please contact:
Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
07780 735071
jez@weareshootingstar.co.uk
[Duncan68vouchers]