Business Advice in Essex For Local Business Support 

Our business advice helps new and established businesses… 

Start  

Create a business plan 
Develop a business plan 
Obtain funding and grants 
Find useful business resources Define or reach a target market 

Develop  

Enhance a business idea 
Improve sales strategy 
Refine marketing approaches 
Build a successful team 
Establish business premises 

Deliver  

Establish true leadership 
Reach new customers 
Diversify product portfolio 
Embrace digital technology 
Connect to business networks 

New Business?  

Thinking of starting a business or have you been operating for less than 3 years? 
 
Funded business advice is available, helping 
make your business a success. 
 
Get in touch today to book an 
appointment with one of our 
experts. 
Business Advice

Meet our Advisors 

Booked appointments with an advisor last one hour. Arrange your fully funded, confidential business advice session with a Colbea business advisor now! 

Keith Powell

Keith Powell Business Advisor 

 
Lives in Billericay and has been married for 58 years with two children and four grand-children. Keith spent 25 years in the packaging industry in a variety of jobs, finally spending seven years as a salesman.  
 
During this time, he attended night school at North East London Polytechnic (University of London) to obtain his Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. 
Following being employed in a variety of marketing and management positions in the office supplies, photographic equipment and garage equipment industries, he decided to go it alone and started his own consultancy giving advice on the selection and implementation of commercial computer systems to mainly medium sized engineering companies with accreditation and grant assistance from such organisations as PERA, 3i, Essex TEC and Business Link. 
 
Following retirement from this as his principal activity nearly fifteen years ago, although remaining in contact with some of his clients on a non-executive capacity, he joined Colbea as a Business Adviser primarily to provide one-to-one start-up business advice.  
 
He has also run business health checks on established businesses, assisted in the formation of a number of Community Interest Companies, provided support for a number of DWP initiatives under partnership agreements with other local organisations and helped businesses to obtain funding under the Start-up Loan Scheme and grant assistance LEADER, KEEP+, LoCase and the EAFRD Growth Programme and Innovate UK initiatives. He has helped more than 500 start-up business with Colbea and twice been short-listed as Enterprise Support Champion of the Year by the National Enterprise Network. 
 
For two and a half years he was also responsible for providing support on behalf of Colbea to start-up and developing businesses on the Dengie peninsula developing this new service from scratch. In the process he has worked with local government and business organisations in the area and extended Colbea’s advice services to Chelmsford and Rochford districts. He remains on the Steering Group of the River Crouch Coastal Communities Team. 
 
 
James Cracknell

James Cracknell Business Advisor 

 
James Cracknell | LinkedIn 
Frin Arnold

Frin Arnold Business Advisor 

 
Frin Arnold | LinkedIn 
Mandeep Gabhari

Mandeep Gabhari Business Advisor 

 
Since starting his first business venture of a restaurant in 1994, Mandeep not only went on to run numerous businesses within the hospitality sector, but undertook 
several charitable and voluntary roles. Including being a committee member for a regular Children with Cancer Summer event, and being a Trustee Director for both Vision Redbridge & Redbridge CVS. 
 
Entering the world of business mentoring/advising in 2003 by joining the Prince’s Trust as Business Mentor and Member of the Funding Panel, he continues working with start-ups and existing SMEs, from all sector, to guide them towards success. And joined Colbea as a business advising in January 2019 
 
As a serial entrepreneur, he uses all his skills & knowledge learnt through past experiences, for the activities of Events 
Organising/Consulting; Business Mentoring/Advising; Personal Mind-set motivation; Hospitality Consulting/Influencing; Inspirational Speaking. 
 
 
Mandeep Singh Gabhari | LinkedIn 
Jim Fanshawe

Jim Fanshawe Business Advisor 

 
Jim Fanshawe | LinkedIn 
Fran Ellington

Fran Ellington Business Advisor 

 
Fran Ellington | LinkedIn 
Alasdair Wilcock

Alasdair Wilcock Business Advisor 

 
Alasdair Wilcock | LinkedIn 
We're here to help and provide your business with the space it needs to work, learn & grow. 
 
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