A Halesowen marketing expert is helping enterpenuers with start-up advice as part of the Government’s £30m Growth Vouchers scheme.

Dawn Mallett, managing director of Ocean Blue Marketing, will help start-ups and SMEs to take on board advice at an early stage via a purpose-built marketplace.

The new Growth Vouchers scheme offers guidance and subsidies of up to £2,000 towards the cost of the advice to successful applicants.

Mrs Mallett said: “If we can help start-ups in the local area take their businesses to another level whilst keeping an eye on cash flow for example, it will set them in good stead to become sustainable businesses contributing to the long-term prosperity of the local community”.

“The Growth Voucher marketplace will hopefully mean taking advice becomes an integral step for people forming a new business, leading to enhanced sustainability and economic growth.”

The Growth Vouchers programme is also being run as a randomised control trial (RCT) by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Cabinet Office’s Behavioural Insights Team.

The programme will run until March 2015 and to apply for a voucher go to www.gov.uk/apply-growth-vouchers.