business advisory service pro help

ProHelp is a group of professional firms who have come together to provide free professional skills and expertise to community and voluntary organisations in Lincolnshire & Rutland. Each firm has agreed to provide a number of days free advice each year. These days may be spent working for just one community organisation or more likely, for several different groups. Employees of the professional firm will take on a piece of work in the firms time, approaching the assignment as they would for a fee paying customer. Professions involved are: legal, accountancy, marketing, PR, personnel, graphic & web design, architectural, structural & civil engineering, quantity surveying, chartered surveying, financial and estate agency.

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An Introduction to ProHelp

ProHelp is a group of professional firms who have come together to provide free professional skills and expertise to community and voluntary organisations in Lincolnshire & Rutland. Visit Prohelps website: www.prohelp.org.uk

Each firm has agreed to provide a number of days free advice each year. These days may be spent working for just one community organisation or more likely, for several different groups. Employees of the professional firm will take on a piece of work in the firms time, approaching the assignment as they would for a fee paying customer.

Professions involved are: legal, accountancy, marketing, PR, personnel, graphic & web design, architectural, structural & civil engineering, quantity surveying, chartered surveying, financial and estate agency.

Guidelines for ProHelp support ProHelp is likely to support the following types of project: -

Projects for community based, not for profit organisations working for the social and/ or economic regeneration of their local area.

Projects for local regeneration partnerships such as SRB partnerships. Projects for groups based in and around Lincolnshire and Rutland

Projects which are a discreet and manageable task.

Members of the ProHelp are more likely to spread their pro bono work between a number of different projects for different organisations rather than work with just one organisation.

Projects which require particular professional expertise which a member firm could deliver relatively easily and quickly.

Projects for the trading arm of registered charities if the profits generated are to be covenanted back to the charity to support its activities and make it more self-sufficient and the actual trading operation is an appropriate activity. the ProHelp Group are happy with the rates of turnover generated by the trading operation.

Projects such as business plans, feasibility studies or funding applications where ProHelp input is requested is advice on process, content and or layout e.g. what to put in a business plan, detailed professional input to a particular section e.g. initial drawings for a building conversion or help with detailed costings, comments on draft plans, studies, applications before the final document is submitted.

ProHelp member firms are unlikely to undertake to produce a complete business plan, feasibility study or funding application on behalf of community groups. Training requests where the ProHelp members can meet common needs of a number of community organisations.

Examples of projects which ProHelp are likely to support

Legal advice on lease agreements or property purchase

Advice on setting up new financial systems

Guidance on the production of business plans

Taxation advice including

VAT

Payroll issues

Outline plans and costings for new buildings or conversions

Structural surveys of buildings

Property valuations

Advice on IT hardware and software Guidance on the production of a marketing strategy

ProHelp is unlikely to support the following types of project

Projects which do not require particular professional expertise i.e. could be completed by anyone with the time.

Projects for groups who can afford to pay for professional advice.

Projects for branches of national organisations who can access either funding or expertise from other branches or the national office.

To qualify for ProHelp support, any branch of a national organisation would have to be locally constituted.

Projects which involve or likely to involve litigation.

Projects for religious groups unless the project will directly benefit the wider community.

Projects which come up on a regular basis e.g. annual audits.