BIPC is taking its Entrepreneur in Residence business clinic for entrepreneurs to north Liverpool. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool Central Library’s Business & Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) is taking its Entrepreneur in Residence programme out to Norris Green.

BIPC is a national network offering advice and support to aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. This network is run by the British Library and was established in 2012. It secured £13m from the Government in 2020.

Since then the BIPC Liverpool City Region service, that is run from Liverpool’s Central Library, has helped to create 1,033 new businesses and 239 additional jobs, figures from the British Library reveal. A total of 2,628 businesses have received support.

Its first Norris Green Entrepreneur in Residence business clinic has taken place today (Monday) at Lifestyles Ellergreen. It will deliver free, confidential advice and help to hundreds of people wanting to start, grow or secure their business.

The existing volunteer led drop-in clinics will continue to take place every Thursday in Liverpool Central Library.

They are run by successful entrepreneur and former Lord Mayor, Gary Millar. He is supported by almost 40 specialist volunteer mentors and they have helped him provide support to thousands of entrepreneurs since opening in 2015.

Gary and his team of professional volunteers together offer people access to specialist expertise from trademarks and patents through to marketing, finance and a whole range of other business areas.

On Monday, Gary was joined by fellow volunteers, lawyer Francis McEntegart of MC Legal and finance and banking expert Gary Beggs of Pomegranate, they are on hand to answer questions from anyone who drops into Lifestyles Ellergreen.

BIPC’s business engagement and marketing manager Geraldine Fuller said: “The Entrepreneur in Residence clinics have been a huge success and played a critical role in supporting over 2000 businesses over the last three years.

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“People come to us from all walks of life and we help anyone – from an individual with an idea needing to be protected, to a larger business needing patent advice or access to market research.

“There is a huge demand for our services from start-ups through to established businesses.

Gary Beggs and Francis McEntegart have been part of the BIPC Entrepreneur in Residence Team for several years and both have local knowledge having been brought up in Old Swan and Norris Green respectively.

Gary Millar added: “Between us we have loads of useful experience, masses of helpful connections and a passion for paying it forward. It’s free of charge, impartial, independent and no one is getting paid to help you.”