City of Westminster

Business Information Points

Give your business the edge with the quality information you need...

Four Business Information Points (BIPs) across Westminster offer excellent resources and networking opportunities for business.

The largest Business Information Point is at Westminster Reference Library

You will also find new Business Information Points at Church Street, Pimlico and Paddington Libraries.

  • Watch a short film about how useful BIPs can be
  • Find out what useful reference materials are avaiable to you (marketing, legal, finance, tax)
  • Find out about useful events and networking opportunities for businesses in Westminster
  • Take a look at some additional resources available to anyone who has a Westminster library card
Extra Extra... Business opportunity for Westminster Residents



Are you currently unemployed and living in Westminster? Got an idea for a business you would like to explore?  Like to find out if self-employment and running your own business is for you? Email bip@westminster.gov.uk to find out about the free business advice, coaching and one to one training sessions available to help you take your first step into self-employment. Proof of status and ID required.

The value of Business Information Points

"Groups in Westminster are incredibly lucky to work in a borough with the best business information in London. There is no better place than the library for finding information about markets and opportunities than the Business Information Points. Even better, it’s all online, with much information available from home or office via the 24/7 Library. For any group or organisation who runs or needs training resources,  Learning Nexus, an online e-learning platform has a wealth of information to help them and their clients as well, with courses on computers and IT skills, recruitment &, interview skills, health & safety, food hygiene regulations and more. So what are you waiting for......!"

Nigel Wilkinson - social enterprise consultant working at the Abbey Community Centre in Westminster

Watch a clip from the BBC and see how successful Westminster entrepreneur Ben Reynolds used the BIPs to start and grow his business...

All Business Information Points offer:

  • A selection of books on starting a business, marketing, finance, taxation and business ideas

  • Business opportunities and practical step by step advice on how to start and run your business from Cobra – the complete business reference adviser

  • Market reports and industry overviews from Keynote, Cobra and Datamonitor 360 Marketline

  • Grants and funding opportunities from Grantfinder, the UK's leading grants and policy database

  • A database of products and services from Kompass Worldwide

  • Online access to Experian for finding business contacts and company information and to create mailing lists

  • Online independent learning from Learning Nexus, ideal for small businesses with up-to-date courses on recruitment, health & safety, employment legislation and more

  • Access to current and past news coverage via Newsbank and Library Press Display
The BIP at Westminster Reference library also offers:
  • A wealth of back-up resources, including over 50 trade and financial journals, plus all major daily papers, with current and past news coverage via Newsbank and Library Press Display

  • Access also to Mintel market reports, UK Tariff online and more

  • A research & mailing list creation service for just £35.00 per hour (email bip@westminster.gov.uk)

Whether you are taking your first steps as a future entrepreneur, or have a well-established business and are looking for new ideas or current information, Westminster Libraries will be able to help.

Events and networking

The Business Information Points hold regular events and workshops providing valuable networking opportunities. All events are free.

Upcoming events can be viewed and booked at Eventbrite, or you can check out the news & events pages for each library.

To receive advance notice and invitations to all events, sign up to Eventbrite or email us at bip@westminster.gov.uk to be added to our events mailing list.

Supporting resources

Too busy to visit the library? Once you have a library membership card you can access many of our business resources from your home or office via the 24/7 Library.

Westminster's specialist library collections provide a wealth of back-up resources:

  • You can use the Law collection at Westminster Reference Library (backed up by related online resources) for case law, legislation, expert analysis, journals, current awareness and key law books.

  • Westminster Reference Library also houses your local European Public Information Centre, where you can find out about trading in the EU, business opportunities, funding and legislation

  • Westminster City Archives holds a wide range of sources of interest to business users such as architects, solicitors, estate agents, media, publishers, probate researchers, interior designers, antiques dealers and auction houses. Amongst the archives are the records of a number of important Westminster businesses, including Gillow furniture makers and Liberty and Jaeger fashion houses. A paid research service is also available to business users.

  • The Performing Arts and Art & Design collections at Westminster Reference Library are particularly tailored to support everyone working in Westminster's booming cultural industries. They include visual references, art sales information, details of forthcoming events and trade fairs, advertising and PR directories, contact information for theatre, film, TV, video and commercials production industries. The Knowledge, PCR, The White Book, and the Year Ahead are some of the most popular titles held.

  • The nationally recognised Music Library at Victoria Library complements the Performing Arts collection, with relevance to a wide range of music industry and related topics.

See also

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