CBASS, or Complete Business Advisory Solutions, is a new approach to business advice and support for SMEs and micro businesses across the UK.

We’re a network of advisers, business mentors, consultants and experts, mainly based in NW England. Most of us run our own businesses. We’ve come together under the CBASS banner to offer straightforward information, a lot of signposting and plenty of bespoke advice to business owners who need help to take their next steps.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – Aristotle

This website is where it all starts with a wide range of shared experiences and networking events, downloadable worksheets and guidance, webinars and links. You’ll find a lot of links to information about everything from grants and loans to UK business policies and paperwork. There are resources to help you write a business plan, create a budget or develop your marketing strategy too.

Then, if your business needs more guidance, more information or more advice, we have CBASS business consultancy packages that are bespoke to you, your business and what you need.

CBASS has taken this approach because we understand how SME business owners and new start-ups tick.

You don’t have time to go through loads of different websites and documents. You need to be able to find up-to-date information quickly that supports your small business. And, ideally, that business support should all be in one place and designed for your situation.

That’s where the CBASS website resources come in.

We also understand that you’re wary of bringing in a consultant and creating extra costs and hassles. There’d be no guarantee that you’d get on or that they’d understand the core of your business. But you realise that you need help from someone who knows what they’re doing.

It’s a big ambition but we believe CBASS and its networking approach can offer you exactly what you need.

CBASS can deliver business advice across the UK and even over a wider geography using virtual communications. In fact, we can help you succeed in growing your business wherever you are in the world.

This is where it gets a bit fishy – if you’ll pardon the phrase.

Seabass swim in shoals when they’re young and only swim off on their own once they’re fully developed. They know that they need to learn from each other and swim together to keep safe and make progress.

Seabass are hard for fishermen to catch. It’s all about reading weather conditions, knowing the local environment and picking out the best spots to fish. It often seems like the seabass get away because they understand all these factors better than the fishermen.

So expect some mixed metaphors and different perspective as CBASS is all about swimming with the shoal.

We’re aiming to build a shoal of fish that share a common direction. You might be small fry looking for encouragement or a wise old fish wanting to share your experience – everyone’s welcome.

• If you just want a chat through things, by all means just get in touch by email or call us at CBASS and we can explain how we work to support SME business owners like you.
• If you prefer a 1-2-1 meeting, we are more than willing to meet virtually or face to face for a free, no obligation consultation. A CBASS consultant will listen to your business story, explore your challenges and discuss your future plans. Then we can see which direction you could be swimming.
• You may wish to attend one of our webinars, events or networking group sessions and get a taste for how we swim. Please just register through our events page.
• And you might find it useful to sign up to our regular newsletter. We include the latest information on how to grow your business, share case studies and relevant articles along with links to resources that may be able to support you and your business, including business grants and support programmes. If that sounds useful, please sign up here.

Finally, if you believe you are an expert in your field, have relevant business experience and you are willing to share it, warts and all, please do get in touch with us at CBASS. We know that there are plenty of people out there who are keen to help other business owners reach their potential – we’d love to hear from you.