Posted on Thursday 5th December 2024
Staffordshire’s successful small enterprises are being celebrated this Small Business Saturday (7 December).
People are being urged support local small businesses across the county and find out more about the range of support available to them.
With a higher than national average start-up success rate in the county, Staffordshire County Council is encouraging those who are thinking of starting a business to get in touch to find out more about support it offers to small and start-up companies.
This includes the Get Started and Grow scheme and Succeed and Grow, and also the county council’s estate of enterprise centres, which are the ideal bases for new businesses.
Get Started and Grow provides businesses up to five years old with a comprehensive package of support to help them grow and flourish – including advice and guidance on HR, accounting, legal, social media, branding and websites. The scheme is available for all Staffordshire based companies, excluding Stoke-on-Trent.
Businesses which have benefited from support recently include Stafford-based Regenerative Health and Carefully Considered Cars in Wombourne.
People wanting to find out more should visit the Get Started and Grow webpage or contact the team at: getstarted@staffordshire.gov.uk
Succeed and Grow is a fully funded programme from Staffordshire County Council, offering micro businesses in the countryside expert advice in areas including marketing, law and finance.
To be eligible, the SMEs need to turnover under £632,000, employ less than 10 staff and have been trading for more than five years.
The county council also runs eight enterprise centres across Staffordshire, giving small businesses office or workshop units on flexible tenancies. This provides businesses with a professional set-up, meeting room space and networking opportunities. The centres are based in Stafford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Burton and Cannock.
People can enquire now about workspaces, hot desks and meeting rooms at the Staffordshire Enterprise Centres webpage.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
Small Business Saturday is a great opportunity to raise awareness and focus on our fantastic enterprises across Staffordshire which offer valuable services and create employment.
We’d also urge small businesses or those thinking of starting up to find out more about our comprehensive package of support, both through programmes like Get Started and Grow and Succeed and Grow to our estate of enterprise centres where there are many thriving and varied companies.
We have a strong record for start-up survival in the county. It’s hugely encouraging that Staffordshire is providing the right environment for small businesses to thrive, and vitally to operate successfully through the difficult first few years.
At the county council it is a priority to us to provide support to these enterprises in a targeted and relevant way, and we know it’s making a difference.”