Small businesses looking for appropriate business advice are being offered succour from the new online Adviser Locator service from the Institute of Business Advisers (IBA).

This free facility is designed to help SMEs track down experienced business consultants, advisers and mentors. The searchable database at www.adviserlocator.org contains details of all IBA members, showing their contact details, business experience and specialist sectors of work, and is organised by region so you can find your nearest.

The IBA, which is a not-for-profit professional body with 837 affiliates, claims users of the service are guaranteed access to only the top business advisers in the country. "Adviser Locator will give small firms easy access to business advisers who have reached the exacting standards for IBA membership,” maintains Mike Horner, chief executive of IBA. He adds that “all IBA members keep their skills up-to-date by undertaking a significant amount of training and development every year, and the IBA Code of Conduct ensures that their service delivery is professional and objective.”

There is great demand for such a service, according to Stephen Alambritis, head of parliamentary affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses: "Owner-managers seeking business support face a minefield in today's market, with such a vast quantity of business advisers, who vary widely in the standard of services they provide, many small firms are put off seeking the crucial advice they require. I believe that this service will enable more firms to benefit from expert advice and improve and develop their business as a result."

For more information on the Institute of Business Advisers, go to www.iba.org.uk.