There's a wealth of information for people wanting to take the risk out of starting their own company, says Neil Higginson

It is a common misconception that starting up your own business is for many an unattainable dream. Nevertheless, there are adults in the UK who wish for a better work/life balance, the chance to be their own boss and the desire to do something worthwhile, and would like to step out of the rat race and run their own business.

In fact a recent survey conducted by businesslink.gov.uk shows that almost 40 per cent of the UK adult population want to, or have already started, their own business.

These findings support the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2004, which shows that the UK is the most entrepreneurial of the major EU economies. The proportion of people expecting to start a business over the next three years has grown considerably from 7.8 per cent of the population in 2002 to 9.5 per cent in 2004.

For those who are interested, help is close at hand. Business Link provides access to practical and impartial support, advice and information to help businesses improve performance, access finance, and deal with regulation easily and quickly. So if you want to know more about any aspect of starting and running a business, how to grow and develop, then Business Link should be your first port of call.

For example, our Starting Up Guide covers topics such as business planning, marketing strategies, market research and business models.

In response to the growth of small businesses in the UK and the demand for more information, Business Link has recently launched a free Startup Checklist tool, which can be found here.

This easy-to-use checklist will enable you to get a list of guides and tools that are relevant to your circumstances and will help and support your business during the early start up stage. It’s free, takes just five minutes to complete, and no registration is required. Our tool can also provide relevant support to more established start ups, helping them through the initial stages of growth.

The guidance you’ll find at the end of the checklist covers all aspects of starting and running a business, including preparing a business plan, raising finance, managing your money, tax and record keeping, employing people, promoting your products and services and managing your IT and e-commerce requirements.

Business Link's website, www.businesslink.gov.uk brings together support and information from over 40 government departments such as HM Revenue & Customs and the Health & Safety Executive. It contains information on a range of business issues and interactive tools to help businesses comply with regulation and seek funding, and has over 750,000 visits each month.

The UK is ahead of most other countries in offering this range and quality of free, impartial help and advice, so it is worth investigating your options. Whether you decide to start your own business from scratch or look at an existing franchise, the possibilities are endless!

With business advisors who offer a broad range of experience, covering many industry sectors and disciplines, Business Link can provide information on issues such as funding, training and marketing that may prove invaluable in helping the UK innovate, improve, grow and become more competitive.

Neil Higginson is from Business Link West

For further information visit www.businesslink.gov.uk. In addition, your local Business Link outlet can be found by calling 0845 600 9 006.