Growth Vouchers ... helping SME’s access strategic advice.

Growth Vouchers help SME’s access strategic advice to grow their businesses and offers up to £2000 match funding along with a free initial business consultation.  The funding may be spent in the following areas:

• Raising finance and managing cash flow
• Marketing, attracting and keeping customers
• Making the most of digital technology
• Improving leadership and management skills
• Recruiting and developing your staff

 

Apply online at www.gov.uk/apply-growth-vouchers or for further details please contact www.enterprisefirst.co.uk

Mandate Fraud - Please share with your accounts departments

Please be aware of the following fraud, two businesses locally have been victims of this crime in the last 10 days.

Companies should be aware when receiving letters from suppliers notifying them of changes to the suppliers bank details (even when on a professional letterhead).

Always follow this up with a call to your supplier to validate its authenticity.

Please click the link below for more details
http://www.channel4.com/news/fraudsters-reap-millions-with-simple-scam

The Social Enterprise Fund 2014-15 has now launched!
 
All the information you’ll need including the Guidelines and Application Forms are available at http://www.wssen.org.uk/social-enterprise-fund-2014-2015/
 
There will also be some FREE information workshops about the Social Enterprise Fund. These will be held at the following times and locations:
 
•         Centenary House, Worthing - Tuesday, July 8 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm
•         County Hall, Chichester - Wednesday, July 9 from 10am to midday
•         County Hall North, Horsham – Friday, July 11 from 10am to midday

If you would like to book a place on one of the workshops above please email social.enterprise@westsussex.gov.uk with your full name, a contact telephone number and the location of the workshop you’d like to attend.

Please note that there are a limited number of spaces and places will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Business Growth Grants are available to any business in the Coast to Capital region who want to increase turnover and profits, but need additional finance.

Grants are available from £5,000 to £250,000 and it is expected that the grant will form no more than 25% of the total costs of the growth plans. Companies that are awarded a grant are expected to create new jobs as a result nof increased business.

During the clinic session development advisors will be available to provide expert advice on growth plans and help businesses with making a successful grant application.

It is advisable that businesses wishing to attend book a slot in advance, however there will also be a drop in clinic between 10.00am and 4.00pm and we will assist as soon as an advisor is available.

To book a slot or find out more information about the scheme please contac t the Business Growth Grant Programme manager, Hayley Shepherd on 01403 333840 or
rgf@coast2capital.org.uk

Depending on your interest we may consider holding further clinics in other locations within the Coast to Capital region over the next few months. If you would like to register your interest for either of these future clinics please email Hayley Shepherd on rgf@coast2capital.org.uk

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

 

Are you a small to medium sized business with a dilemma that needs a SOLUTION?

Would you welcome ADVICE from a world renowned expert?

Are you keen for your employees to be more business savvy?

 

Would you like them to have a greater awareness of the challenges you face as a boss?

 

We’re currently producing a brand new cutting edge business series for a major UK broadcaster and are looking for small to medium size businesses who’d be interested in taking part in a project designed to uncover hidden talent and promote greater understanding of the challenges of running a business at all levels of your company.

We are interested in small to medium sized companies with approximately 30+ employees.

The business owner will work with a well-known entrepreneur across a number of weeks, exploring and testing out fresh strategies to suit their business.

We are keen to focus on businesses in the leisure, services, food, retail and manufacturing sectors. Ideally, we are looking for companies that are open to explore new ways of transforming their business and making them more profitable.  

This is an exciting opportunity to be featured on a prime time series and to create innovative ideas with one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs.

Please contact lucie_rose@victorytelevision.com or on 0207 406 3057 to find out more information about this exciting new project.

About Victory Television

Victory Television is an independent production company with a background in both factual and entertainment programmes, most famous for producing Who Wants to Be  a Millionaire and, more recently, Tough Young Teachers for the BBC.

Patrick Woodward of Voiceovers and Audio Production interviews Worthing and Adur Chamber members and guests at the AGM in April

Listen Now!

Dementia Friends Session for Local Businesses

With numbers of people with dementia rising rapidly, dementia is receiving lots of media attention – many businesses are realising that they should know about it and how it affects their customers.
Having a better understanding of dementia and the small things that you can do to help someone living with dementia will benefit your business in many ways such as:

• Having the opportunity to stand out and have staff wear the Dementia Friends badge
• Helping to make your community more dementia friendly
• Providing better customer service through understanding

A free Dementia Friends session will be held on Tuesday 20th May 1-2pm at the Town Hall Worthing. To book a place please ring Chris Moon-Willems on 07505103955

Worthing Churches Homeless Projects urgently need donations of good quality furniture and bric a brac.  If you work in larger offices, please could you see if you can arrange an office collection for us which the van could then pick up?  Other than that if you could deliver items to one of the shops (117 Montague Street or 26-28 Strand Parade) we would really appreciate it.

 

If you need anything collected, please contact Paul on 01903 219745.

BUSINESS LIAISON EXECUTIVES
For the new Business Navigator Growth Hub
Part Time– Fixed Term for 1 year
Salary: £16,500 for 25 hours per week

Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce (as lead partner of a consortium including Chichester Chamber, Brighton & Hove Chamber) would like to invite applications for three Business Liaison Executives. One will be based at each of the partner organisations in Chichester, Worthing and Brighton.

These new roles are as a result of an exciting new initiative to deliver the Business Navigator Growth Hub business support signposting service.  The main job purpose is to raise awareness of support that is available to help businesses start up and grow by determining their requirements.  This will involve reaching out to businesses, answering enquiries, provide sign-posting information, fulfilling requests, following up the enquiries and maintaining a database.

The right candidate will have excellent communications and IT skills, and an understanding of business support services and how they contribute to business growth. You’ll be highly self motivating, and be able to proactively meet the targets for referrals and businesses engaged.

To find out more, and to apply please see the full job description here and email your CV and a covering letter to: Abby Moreton, Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce membership@businessinbrighton.org.uk
Closing date is 27th April



On behalf of the Greater Brighton City Region

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