Business Link Yorkshire closed its doors for the last time in November.

As a result, a legacy report was published, packed with vital intelligence intended to be helpful for anyone thinking of developing business support services.

The 'Learning Legacy' document reveals key learning points from Business Link Yorkshire's experience over the last four years, including; demand for business support, business trends across the region and considerations for future development.

The report has been made available to local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP's) and other interested parties. 

Its findings - gathered through formal independent evaluation, customer surveys and feedback from front-line staff - showed

● The likelihood of high levels of demand for business support across Yorkshire and the Humber - and the key challenge of helping businesses understand what support is available and how to access it.

● Significant differences across the region in the types of businesses taking up support and the kinds of services that they use - particularly notable in the different types of innovation and training that businesses undertook.

●  A consistent demand for support with business planning, managing finances, accessing finance, HR, sales and marketing and strategic planning.

● High levels of demand for events covering raising finance, starting a business, HR and employment, social media, sales strategy and market planning.

● An increase in women seeking business support, and a growing interest in using social media as a potential means of business development.

● An appetite for networking and collaboration among businesses.

● A rise in businesses exploring international trade.

Those thinking of starting a business were heavy users of Business Link Yorkshire's website and on-line services and a significant number reported that they would not have started without some form of more personal support and events.

Business Link Yorkshire Chief Executive Helen West thanked all those who were involved with the organisation since it began. She said;

"Our legacy report attempts to capture our experience and our learning, both good and bad, in an open and honest fashion. The progress we made over our four years was a huge tribute to everyone involved, whose dedication and commitment, particularly over the last 18 months, have been extraordinary.

"I'd also like to acknowledge the grit and creativity of those thousands of business customers who we've worked with in Yorkshire and Humber. In a really challenging economic climate they have shown the determination to innovate, work smarter, find new markets and develop new products to bolster their position for the future."