The British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7412 7901
For enquiries about our business resources and collection email our Reference team.
We support small business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors like you. Our team are on hand all day, six days a week, to help you take the right steps to start up, protect and grow your business.
Develop your ideas with our market research and company databases, learn new skills at a workshop or mini-masterclass, have a confidential one-to-one and put your questions to some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs at our inspiring talks.
If you’re an ambitious business owner, with plans to scale-up, we also offer £10,000 worth of free support through our Innovating for Growth programme. What’s more we have ten National Network Centres around the UK - so visit us today and increase your chances of business success.
Upcoming workshops & events
Mini-masterclass: Researching your business idea
How to find the information you need to start and grow your business
Get started workshop
Get the knowledge and information you need to successfully launch a business
Getting that new product to market
One-to-one advice meetings to help you take the next big step and secure your place on the high street.
Mini-masterclass: Registered design searching
Understand how registered designs searching can help your businesses succeed
Resources to help start, run and grow your business
Starting your business
Practical advice to help get your business off the ground, from business plans to market research.
Protecting your ideas
Make sure you understand the basics of intellectual property and how to protect your product, website and brand.
Growing your business
Want to go international or expand your product range? Get top tips for taking your business to the next level.
Databases and publications
Over £5m worth of current market reports from top publishers Mintel, Frost & Sullivan, Passport and more.
Free industry and IP guides
Up-to-date quality information on intellectual property and for researching key industries, handpicked by our experts.
Our research service
Pay our experts to do research for you.
Ask an expert
For established businesses, get extra help from our IT, marketing and invention experts.
Articles
Read our articles for top tips and advice on starting and growing your business and protecting your intellectual property
National Network
Find a Business & IP Centre near you.
Information clinics
Our staff provide free hour-long advice sessions to talk through your ideas in confidence, helping you to develop your business ideas and business plan
Case studies
…I was just fascinated by how much information was here and it was all free…
Imran Merza and Taz Basunia, Jealous Sweets
…One of the most invaluable things about coming to the Centre is networking with other budding entrepreneurs…
Jessica Rose, London Jewellery School
Blog posts
Deliciously Ella: How to create a business empire with a blog
Thursday, January 12, 2017Ella Woodward, founder of Deliciously Ella, chats to us about her sudden business growth and, how through the power of social media, she has created a powerful online brand.
SpareRoom: The flat-share company receiving over two million hits a month
Wednesday, January 11, 2017SpareRoom is an online matchmaking tool for finding flatmates. It is the UK's busiest flat sharing website and receives over two million hits a month.
Unruly: The online video sharing company helping brands reach an audience of 1.44 billion people
Tuesday, January 10, 2017Unruly was created in 2006 and helps brands reach an audience of 1.44 billion people, we caught up with co-founder and CEO Sarah Wood to ask her how she did it
Bloom & Wild: How this company became the UK’s top rated flower delivery service
Friday, January 6, 2017Bloom & Wild makes it possible to order flowers in under a minute, and through-the-letterbox delivery means that receiving their flowers is as easy as receiving a letter.