Stoke-on-Trent Fledgling Business Growth Grant
Stoke-on-Trent City Council, through Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, is offering a new Fledgling Business Growth Grant of up to £5,000 to eligible Stoke-on-Trent businesses, who have started in the last 2 years.
The grant will be aimed primarily at those businesses that have received little previous government support and will target new fledgling businesses looking to deliver growth and recover from the adverse effects of the pandemic.
- Published in Finance & Funding
Profile Plus
Profile Plus provides a range of opportunities designed to help you promote and develop your business to members.
- Published in Membership
The Information Technology Business Enhancement Programme
What is the ITBEP?
The Information Technology Business Enhancement Programme (ITBEP) is aimed at Small and Medium enterprises, including Sole Traders, based in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent. These businesses will receive advice and information on using Information Technology to become more efficient and productive. Businesses will be supported to maximise their digital potential and competitiveness, enabling sustainable growth.
Who is running ITBEP?
The ITBEP will be delivered in partnership by Staffordshire County Council and the Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce. The Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce will employ two Digital Advisors through this programme.
How is it funded?
The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund until March 2023.
How will it work?
When a business has signed up for the programme a Digital Advisor will visit them at their place of work (or virtually) and carry out an audit of how they are using Information Technology. This will include website, social media, software and cloud services, as well as other areas. Following the audit, a report will be produced detailing recommendations of how the business could better use Information Technology, the business will receive a copy and the County Council will receive a copy to assist with evaluation purposes.
The Digital Advisor will have a follow up meeting with the business to check on progress and to offer support. The timescales for the follow up meetings will be discussed with the business at the initial meeting. The advisors will be available before and after the follow up meeting to support the business.
If there is a lack of Broadband available, the business will be signposted to the Superfast Broadband project at Staffordshire County Council, to see if there are any Government or commercial options to have the infrastructure installed.
How does this fit in with the bigger picture?
The ITBEP proposal aligns positively with the objectives and priorities of the National Industrial Strategy and the emerging Local Industrial Strategy for the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Local Enterprise Partnership area.
This is reflected further in the government’s UK Digital Strategy which seeks to help every UK based business be more productive through the adoption of digital technologies, by maximising existing support programmes and identifying gaps in provision and overcoming barriers to adopting digital methods.
- Published in Marketing & Digital Innovation, Start-Up & Grow
Trade Credit Insurance
Protect your income on overseas trading.
Whether you are trading in the UK, established internationally, or expanding into new markets, cash flow is a critical element of your commercial well-being. Issuing an invoice to your business customers does not guarantee payment on time.
Chamber Credit Insurance helps protect your business from bad debts and late payments and supports you when invoices are not paid. You can minimise your risk when exploring new markets and gain access to market expertise from Euler Hermes, the world’s largest credit insurer. Protection in three easy steps:
• The Chamber Credit Insurance team will work with you to set appropriate credit limits for your customers
• If there is a serious delay in payment from one of your customers, you will receive assistance in collecting the debt where appropriate, through the collections service
• If the debt is not collectable, for example because of insolvency, then your claim will be processed swiftly to ensure that your cash flow is not adversely affected.
Special offer for all Chamber members: Members can access 10 free credit limit opinions with Chamber Credit Insurance. With a value of £250, your 10 free credit limit opinions will allow you to immediately see the creditworthiness of new and existing customers.
You can use your free credit limit opinions to assess domestic or international customers and prospects – and gain valuable insights for your sales and marketing strategies.
To find out more call 0800 197 1298 or visit www.chambercreditinsurance.co.uk
- Published in Finance & Funding, International Trade
Experian Business Express Credit Reports (Subscription)
Credit Check your customers and suppliers with Experian Business Express credit reports.
Staffordshire Chamber members/customers are entitled to a Free Trial and 20% discount on the product subscription.
Experian Business Express has one of the most predictive scoring models in the industry, which lets you easily determine the creditworthiness of your business’s customers and suppliers. Based on Experian’s scoring model, Business Express can help you predict business credit risks and failures within the next 12 months.
Once set up, you’ll have immediate access to all the data you need to make the right decisions for your business. Our commercial credit reports provide the most complete and in-depth analysis of a business’ credit information.
Features include
- Business information including credit scores and limits
- 3 years account summary
- CCJ information over the last 6 years
- Basic monitoring service
- Non limited business reports
- Parent and ultimate holding companies
- Directors and links to other business interests including shareholders
- 3 years’ worth of full financial information
- Payment data for Limited and Non-Limited businesses
- Ownership – Group structure, shareholders & director search facility
Login and visit the member area to receive your discount here.
- Published in Finance & Funding
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub
A free diagnostic service covering all aspects of your business whatever stage you are at.
The Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub encourages different business support partners to work together to ensure that they put the needs of the client business first. As part of the Growth Hub service, experts from the Chamber are available to provide face-to-face advice to local businesses and to signpost them to specialised support such as HR, finance and funding, marketing, growth and starting a business.
As part of the Growth Hub service, experts from the Chamber are available to provide face-to-face advice to local businesses and to signpost them to specialised support such as HR, finance and funding, marketing, growth and starting a business.
Call 0300 111 8002 or visit www.stokestaffsgrowthhub.co.uk
- Published in Start-Up & Grow