Published: February 1st, 2023
Dave Courteen, Marches LEP Small Business Champion, says the Marches Growth Hub can help almost every business in the region to grow and prosper in 2023.
The Marches is a great place to do business.
I run two health clubs in the region – one in Shrewsbury and the other in Hereford – and it is an absolute pleasure to be a part of the business community here.
One of the reasons that this region is so successful is the tremendous amount of work carried out by the Marches Growth Hub. The hub is the business support arm of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and brings together an unrivalled wealth of help, support, advice and access to funding.
So, if you’ve not yet used the hub – either through the website or the three physical bases in Hereford, Shrewsbury and Telford – here are five ways it might be able to help your business.
- Start-up support
Last year the Marches Growth Hub helped more than 800 people start a new business. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and launching a new venture, the hub is an unmissable resource. Our experts can help point you in the direction of funding opportunities, highlight workshops and events which can widen your knowledge, tell you about networking opportunities to meet fellow entrepreneurs and offer the expert advice and support which plays such an important part in keeping you going when everything is new and a little daunting. Our local hubs want you to succeed and will do everything they can to help get your dreams off the ground.
- Support for established businesses
Whether you need help accessing funding to grow, developing new innovations or even planning to export for the first time, the Marches Growth Hub is the place to turn. It doesn’t matter what size or sector you are in or what stage of growth your business is at, we can offer a single point of information and guidance on business grants, loans, support, advice and just about anything else you might need.
The future is Green and every business needs to do everything it can to reduce its emissions, use energy as efficiently as possible and achieve real sustainability. The Marches Growth Hub can offer fantastic support for your business as it moves towards a Net Zero future, with access to innovative funding programmes such as the Marches Energy Grant, which offers cash support to help you cut both your energy use and your emissions. There are a whole range of resources the hub can help you access, and we even have our own Energy Champion in Gordon Coppock and senior energy projects officer in Tim Yair.
There is no lonelier a job than running your own business. Our growth hubs understand this and provide access to a rich selection of events, workshops and networking opportunities to make sure you can keep your skills up to date, meet with people going through the same things that you are and share your experiences and knowledge with fellow businesspeople. Workshops offer the chance to learn something new or brush up on your skills and there is always something on offer to help keep your eyes on the business prize. Check out our regularly updated events programme to see what’s on close to you.
We all know finding the right people with the right skills at the right time is proving incredibly difficult in the current economic climate. The Marches Growth Hub can help. We have a wealth of advice and support available to help you find the right staff – from getting the job specification and description right, interviewing techniques, checking references, through to employment contracts and payroll guidance. Whether you are employing someone for the first time or taking on extra staff, our Support Finder can help point you in the right direction.
So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with the Marches Growth Hub today and discover how we can help you to make your business thrive.
