main content Business Opportunity Profiles

What are Business Opportunity Profiles (BOPs)?

BOPs provide small businesses and those thinking of starting a business with an invaluable range of guides to starting up over 350 different business ideas. Each BOP represents a practical source of information to help with a business or marketing plan.

Information covered includes:

• the business idea
• the start up costs
• the market
• regulations
• training/qualifications
• key contacts and sources of further information

BOPs are updated monthly at an average rate of around 11 per month (each BOP is updated at least once every two years). New titles are added each month, commissioned using feedback from end user businesses and the business adviser community.

Examples of BOPs which have been recently published or updated

CV Writer
Dating Agency
Independent Record Label
Kitchen Designer
Mobile Phone Retailer
Nursing Home
Pest and Vermin Controller
Rehearsal Studio
Rock, Pop and Jazz Musician
Travel Agent
Travel Writer

How can you obtain a BOP to help with your business idea?

BOPs can now be accessed online in any of the borough’s libraries.  Just ask a member of staff to log you on to a People’s Network computer so that you can search the BOP database yourself.

While you are searching the BOP database, why not see what other valuable information is available?   When you log on to the BOP database you can also access a comprehensive and versatile research resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs that contains over 3,000 fact sheets, reports and small business guides.  These include:

• Business Information Fact sheets - over 300 how-to guides and practical small business checklists
• UK Market Synopses - guides to trends and opportunities in over 60 UK market sectors
• Useful Contacts - a directory containing contact details for organisations of interest to anyone involved in setting up or running a business
• Business Legal Library - clear and concise explanations on over 300 current laws and regulations facing small businesses.

For further assistance in developing your business idea why not contact Business Focus?  Their advisers are also able to access the BOP database on your behalf.  Telephone 0845 466 4700 or email info@business-focus.co.uk

For further information on BOPs or other local business support please contact the Business Information Service on 020 8461 7897 or email: business@bromley.gov.uk