About us
TBAC was established in 1985, one of 300 Enterprise Agencies across the UK.
TBAC is a non-profit making Company limited by guarantee. There are no shareholders, and no profits. Furthermore directors and mentors are unpaid.
TBAC is the oldest established business support organisation in Oxfordshire.
25 years of service to the small business community in Oxfordshire
Originally based in Osney Mead, TBAC spent ten years in Seacourt Tower, before returning to Osney Mead in about 1998. During this time TBAC was funded by BusinessLink, and its precursor the Training and Enterprise Council. There was also support from the local authorities, the high street banks, and many private businesses, including some who recognised their success had been partly due to the help of TBAC when they started up. TBAC counsellors operated the Enterprise Kickstart program which helped start hundreds of businesses in Oxfordshire, many of whom still operate today, and some have grown into large Companies. During this time TBAC built up an excellent reputation for helping new and growing businesses across Oxfordshire.
Unfortunately public sector funding dried up, and most Enterprise Agencies folded. TBAC struggled on, partly helped by a newly set up property division which rented small premises to start-up businesses.
Eventually in about 2002 the counselling had to stop due to lack of funds, but the directors continued to operate the business centres.
In 2007 Mike Jennings approached the directors with a view to taking on the responsibility for TBAC. In the 1990’s Mike had been a director of, and also a counsellor for, TBAC and his Company, Jennings of Garsington Ltd, was the first local private company to sponsor TBAC, back in 1987.
During 2008 Mike organised and built up the TBAC Centres, and in 2009 the new mentoring service began with 5 mentors trained by Kim Hills Spedding, who had been Chief Executive Officer of TBAC during the 1990’s.
The costs of running the service are met by successfully letting the business centres, and by the goodwill of supporting organisations led by Jennings of Garsington Ltd who have committed to ensure the future of TBAC. If you would like to be part of this fantastic organisation then please get in touch with Mike Jennings on 01865 893305. We are looking for:-
Mentors. You have to be running a small business, preferably from start up and for many years, in order to qualify. Our mentors offer their experience above all else. They need to empathise with their clients
Sponsors in kind. If you can give us anything free or at low cost then join our growing list of sponsors, which include OXLink who have set up this website for free.
Sponsors with cash. If you love what we are about, and want to give something back to the local business community please consider a cash donation.
Business Centres. We are looking to open business centres in every town in Oxfordshire. If you know of any premises then please let us know. If you are a landlord and can do us a good deal we are particularly interested. Profits from the letting of these premises are used to cover the admin costs of the mentoring service.
Business Centre Managers. Anyone able to look after business premises. Our centres do not have a resident centre manager, so we are looking for people to help. It is not an onerous task, and we think it could be combined with running a small business from a centre, at a reduced rent.
Sponsors
TBAC is supported by
- Jennings
- B-Line
- OXLink
- Critchleys
- Barretts Self Storage
- Carlton Industrial Controls
- Dataprint
- STL Communications Ltd
- Barclays Bank
- The Oris Group
- Omfax Systems Ltd
‘Brendon was brilliant. He understood our business and its challenges in minutes and made specific, concrete suggestions without making us feel like we were idiots for not having done it earlier.’
Mentor: Brendon Cross Client: Michael Palij