A new company has been established in Birmingham which aims fill the business support void in the wake of government cuts.

Six specialist advisers have joined forces to launch Business Tank – set up to help SMEs improve their bottom line with advice and mentoring, effective planning and securing access to grants and finance.

Chris Adams, Paul Basil, Shuba Gupta, Sandra Harding, Gary Mather and David Norris have pooled more than 120 years’ experience and have clients from manufacturing and engineering, construction, logistics/distribution, financial services, creative and digital sectors signed up.

Business Tank is also keen to work with local authorities in delivering business support for companies unsure where to go for help.

Birmingham City Council has already enlisted its assistance to undertake the Business Recovery Advice Initiative, aimed at supporting retailers affected by disturbances seen in the summer of 2011.

“With Business Link disappearing and major public spending cuts, companies will be forgiven for feeling isolated and uncertain about where to go for high-quality support,” said Gary, who is a specialist in marketing, innovation and strategic planning.

“What makes us stand out is there are lots of individual advisers out there now looking for work, but I believe that there are very few who are both professionally and SFEDI accredited (the UK quality standard for delivering business and enterprise support).

“I’m sure there’s also nothing else like Business Tank when it comes to such a comprehensive skills set, cross industry experience and our contacts book.

“Clients in Coventry and Warwickshire can work with one, two or all of the team depending on their requirements and this is certainly proving an attractive offer for firms.”

Business Tank’s commercially- run team works across the Midlands, providing a mix of business development, project delivery, coaching and mentoring and assistance with access to finance.

The six professionals have worked with more than 3,000 firms over the past 20 years, with the emphasis being on practical hands-on support to improve sales, launch new products and offer solutions to cash flow issues.

Sandra said: “We really get under the skin of the business and look to build long-term relationships where we can solve problems and grow with them.”