Business bank

External

Finance

Planning

Business bank

Introduction

Welcome to the Business section of the Virtual Bank of Biz/ed. In this section we look at the help that banks can offer business by helping them plan their business start-up and provide finance to help them grow. We also look at the impact of the external economic environment on business and ways they can help reduce any negative effects of government policy.

Follow the links below to browse the section you are interested in:

• External business environment - use this section to find out about the different types of government policy, the role of the Bank of England in the management of the economy and the meaning of all the different economic indicators (unemployment, economic growth and so on).
• Finance - this section looks at how businesses can raise finance to help start and run the business.
• Business planning - in this section the Virtual Bank offers some help and advice on how to plan for a new business. What should be the legal structure of the business? How do I write a business plan?

Each section has explanations, relevant theories and worksheets. Don't forget that the site also has a full glossary and you can search In The News at any time for news about money, interest rates, banks, the Bank of England or perhaps the euro.

There is also a teacher's guide giving some advice on how to get the best from the site.