New business centre for smaller enterprises

04 07 2005 United Kingdom

A new £1 million business centre for entrepreneurs will open next year at the British Library, with funding from the London Development Agency.

The British Library has successfully piloted a Business & Intellectual Property Centre which offers one of the largest collections of market research reports in the world. A wealth of valuable resources is available already and the next phase is due to be completed in Spring 2006.

Over 25,000 researchers and business people have used the Centre in the 12 months since it first opened, at the main British Library site between London’s Euston and Kings Cross stations.

The Centre is open now with resources and subjects that include:

Market research reports, directories and company annual reports
Reference books, trade and business journals
Manufacturing, distribution and retailing across many sectors
Transport, food and beverage markets, financial services, energy, environment and other sectors.

The Library's extensive intellectual property resources include its collection of 50 million patents from 40 countries. Staff are on hand to help you identify material relevant to your research.

There is also help if you cannot visit the Library in person. A free business enquiry service provides up to half an hour’s research time for quick enquiries.

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: "The British Library has an unrivalled global reputation for its quality and comprehensiveness as an information resource.

“The Business & Intellectual Property Centre will help ensure the full extent of the Library's expertise is readily available to the business community."

The next phase will offer

Special events on setting up and running a successful business
Meeting rooms and a networking area
Workshops on market research and using intellectual property resources to check if ideas are novel
Wireless Internet access (WiFi) for connecting to the Internet and email from the Centre, with a pay-as-you-go access service if required.

Previous events have included the 'Silk Road to Success' for Asian businesses and the sell-out ‘Mothers of Invention'.

For more information about the resources, services and obtaining a Reader's Pass - please visit the British Library’s website (page opens in a new window)

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