- Sirius Website Image
Sirius is an advice service for small businesses established with the support of BP Chemicals. BP has a massive complex at Saltend just to the West of Hedon which dominates the local skyline. Sirius was set up as part of BP’s corporate responsibility program to put something back into local communities.
Sirius offers loans and support to help establish small businesses. The agency helped this Blog author run a small community newsletter in North Hull in 1999 by sponsoring a series of adverts. The support offered is outlined on the Sirius Website:
The type of business support offered ranges from free advice on office rentals and business administration to guidance on imports, tax, marketing and cash flow management. Sirius also signposts applicants on to other potential sources of funding and has excellent working relationships with local banks and other support agencies.
Sirius also offers loans, typically between £5,000 and £7,000 to local new or expanding small businesses. Alongside the loans, the programme offers business advice on financial and commercial matters. There have very few Sirius business failures since the loan fund was established, mainly due to our on-going support, mentoring and intensive help when things ‘get tough’!.
The loan fund is open to applications from anyone in the designated area, of Hull and Holderness. This includes Beverley, Cottingham, Anlaby and Hornsesa.