Business Adviser

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £35,000

Typical Hours

37 to 39 a week

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How To Become a Business Adviser

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship
applying directly
specialist courses run by private training organisations

College / University

You could do a foundation degree or degree in:

business management
business enterprise
marketing
project management

at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You can start by doing a junior management consultant apprenticeship.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You can apply directly to employers if you've got proven experience like running your own company, or working in management, finance or human resources.

You'll need to show a wide range of skills, including marketing, finance, planning and project management. You'll also need to be good at building a network of contacts.

Other Routes

You could build up your knowledge and skills by doing business support and mentoring qualifications, for example, like those offered by the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative.

Qualifications include:

Level 3 Certificate in Enterprise Coaching
Level 3 Award in Enterprise Mentoring
Level 5 Certificate in Professional Business and Enterprise Support Services

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

business management skills
analytical thinking skills
knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
knowledge of English language
to be flexible and open to change
the ability to use your initiative
customer service skills
the ability to work well with others
to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to day duties may include:

looking at clients’ business ideas to see if they have potential
helping clients to develop business plans
advising on sources of finance and grants
helping existing small businesses with problems, like finding ways to reduce costs or improve marketing
referring clients to other specialists if necessary
networking with the business community and enterprise organisations
monitoring clients’ progress
running advice workshops and seminars

Working Environment

You could work at a client's business or in an office.

Career Path & Progression

You could be employed by a local business support organisation or by a national organisation like the Great Business support line.

You could also get involved with community or social enterprises and charities that support business start ups, or do freelance work.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

You can use online social media, like LinkedIn, to promote yourself, build your network and display recommendations from colleagues and clients.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs for professional development, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about working in business advice from Business is Great and your local Growth Hub.

Restrictions & Requirements

You’ll need professional indemnity insurance.