Businesses across Tamworth, Lichfield, Cannock and East Staffordshire are being urged to take advantage of a free advice and support service before September, while the current funding is available.
More than 70 small and medium enterprises have so far benefited from a free business health check with one of the three Growth Hub Advisors who have been tasked with helping businesses in the area overcome barriers to growth and reach their potential.
They do this by providing firms with the vital connections, information and support they need to succeed and grow. As Growth Hub Advisors, Klaudia Haines, Louise Stolz and James Roberts have access to a range of services, initiatives and organisations that can help businesses in a variety of ways.
This could include support with writing business plans for start-up firms, help recruiting staff, exploring funding opportunities and accessing training and workshops in a variety of sectors.
During the last few months, Klaudia, Louise and James have been busy out and about meeting businesses at networking events and have already had appointments with more than 70 companies.
However, funding for the role is currently only available to September, so businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this really useful free and impartial service before then.
One business which has taken advantage of a free business health check session with a Growth Hub Advisor is creative graphic design agency, Design Pit, based in Elmhurst, Lichfield. As a result, Design Pit has now been referred to two new schemes.
Gareth Robertson, Creative Designer and owner of Design Pit, said: “There are lots of areas of support out there for small business and I wasn’t aware of any of them. Meeting the Growth Hub Advisor has been really useful in opening my eyes to the range of schemes and initiatives available and I would definitely recommend the service to other businesses.
“This week I will be starting a business mentoring programme through Coventry University Enterprises Ltd, which will be brilliant for me as it gives me someone to liaise with about business decisions and which direction we are going in. If you want this sort of help, you usually have to pay for a consultant, but this is fully funded and is going to be really useful going forward.
“We are also in discussions with Staffordshire University about their recruitment programme which will match us with a student who will work with us for six months, fully funded with wages paid by the university. If they meet their targets in that time, they will have a job at the end of it.”
Tamworth Borough Council is working in partnership with the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) Growth Hub to deliver the role to support businesses across Southern Staffordshire.
The advisors can provide information and signpost to a range of different organisations and schemes, such as the Higher Level Skills Match programme, which matches SMEs with work-ready local graduates, and linking with universities, such as Staffordshire University, to promote the Higher and Degree Apprenticeships scheme, which enables employers to recruit new apprentices through a free recruitment system. They also have access to a range of funding opportunities, training and workshops.
This includes the many workshops available through the Growth Hub itself and the Enterprise for Success programme, delivered by Blue Orchid, on an array of subjects from social media and marketing to tax and bookkeeping.
In Tamworth, the Growth Hub Advisors are based out of Tamworth Enterprise Centre.
Cllr Jeremy Oates, Cabinet member for Heritage and Growth at Tamworth Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to have been able to team up with the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership to deliver this really vital business support role.
“There’s so much to take in when you’re starting or running your own business that it can be difficult to find out about all the relevant schemes and support that is available. Just one sit down with a Growth Hub Advisor can change all that. You could discover something that ends up being pivotal to your success. It can also help just to talk through your business growth and direction with someone impartial looking at things from another perspective.
“As this funding is only confirmed until September, we would encourage as many businesses as possible to take advantage of this free service and get an appointment booked in with one of the team.”
To arrange an appointment with a Growth Hub Advisor, contact:
Klaudia Haines at: Klaudia-Haines@tamworth.gov.uk, or call 07528 630002.
Louise Stolz at: Louise-Stolz@tamworth.gov.uk, or 07855 106383, or James Roberts at: James-Roberts@tamworth.gov.uk, 07855 106377.
The GBSLEP Growth Hub acts as a single point of contact for business advice, funding and support for any business across Greater Birmingham, either providing support directly, or referring to specialist advice through partner organisations.
Tamworth Borough Council also offers a wide range of local support to businesses. For more information, please visit: www.tamworth.gov.uk/business.
Contact Linda Ram on 01827 709571, mobile 07791 782802, or email: Linda-ram@tamworth.gov.uk or Michelle Eldred on 01827 709572, or email: Michelle-Eldred@tamworth.gov.uk.
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