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Councillor Kevin Blakey, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for the economy, introduces this week's business update with news of our webinar series to help business respond to the coronavirus pandemic:
Earlier this week, Cosmic hosted the first of our business continuity webinars. Thirty-two businesses joined the workshop, from a wide variety of backgrounds including food, recycled products, support services, beauticians, cookery experts and retail shops. Each participant was inspired with new ideas to trade online and take payments through the internet.
I’m delighted, but not surprised, to hear that our East Devon businesses expressed their enthusiasm and desire to support each other, providing offers of help and collaboration throughout the whole webinar.
Sign up for the next workshop on 13th May to maximise opportunities in a remote environment.
East Devon business will soon be able to book these online workshops and more:
Tuesday 2nd June – Digital Marketing made easy
Wednesday 10th June – Facebook Basics
Thursday 18th June – Instagram Basics
Tuesday 23rd June – Instagram Next Steps
In response to the current pandemic, the council continues to support local businesses with small business grant funding, with more than £37m paid out to 3196 businesses. If you have received a letter or email from us about this, please complete your claim without delay.
Any business that wishes to decline the grant should complete the online form.
On 2 May, Government announced a smaller top-up fund for certain small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grants scheme. We are currently waiting for Government to provide eligibility criteria and details of how this fund will be administered.
We are also looking at how we can support East Devon businesses to recover at the end of the restrictions, whenever that may come, and details will be published soon.
Visitors: please stay away from East Devon
Councillor Ben Ingham, Leader of East Devon District Council, appeals to would-be visitors to stay away this bank holiday weekend.
"Thank you to all the people who have so far been following the lock down guidance. You have helped to protect our communities, our vulnerable residents and kept the pressure off our local services. I must ask potential visitors to continue to stay at home in their primary residence, in their home county. Doing this will prevent the spread of coronavirus. It will protect health and it will save lives. We will see visitors again when it is safe to do so, but in the meantime please don’t come to East Devon. Thank you."
Read more
New funding to support dairy farmers through coronavirus
A new fund will enable dairy farmers in England to access up to £10,000 each to help them overcome the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Read more
Local support fund for people in financial difficulties
A Hardship Support Grant funded by Devon County Council will address economic vulnerability and financial hardship and help rebuild financial resilience. An applicant will need to meet eligibility criteria, as well as a telephone interview to discuss their needs. Applications for the fund can be made on-line. So far, the following categories have been identified as being eligible:
- Self-employed people who are not able to trade, in the interim until their tax-based grants are paid from June 2020.
- Self Employed people who started business recently and are not eligible for a grant.
- Employees whose employment has been terminated or those still in work but on short time, and where Universal Credit is not yet in payment.
- Employees laid off, but not eligible for furlough.
- Employees who are sick and either not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, or where Statutory Sick Pay represents a significant drop in income.
- People who are isolated and unable to source supplies and are not served by local voluntary help or by shielding.
- Older people who are struggling because of increased vulnerability (carers and family cannot visit etc), and again are not served by local voluntary help.
- People with little or no access to disposable income.
If you or you know someone who you feel may benefit from the fund please ask them to complete an application on-line. To speak to someone about this please telephone 01395 516551. Alternatively please send details including their phone number and email address to hardship@eastdevon.gov.uk.
Business rates revaluation postponed
Self-employed people: get ready to claim and new eligibility tool
HM Revenue and Customs have started contacting around three and a half million people who may be eligible for the government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) to explain the application process and help them get ready to make a claim. The claims service will open on 13 May, ahead of the original timetable.
HMRC have launched an online tool the public can use to find out if they’re eligible to make a claim through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
The following are required to access the tool:
• Self-Assessment Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number
• National Insurance number
Tool: www.tax.service.gov.uk/self-employment-support/enter-unique-taxpayer-reference
Guidance: www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
Bounce back loans open
Britain’s small businesses can now apply for quick and easy-to access loans of up to £50,000.
News from BEIS
Offer coronavirus support
The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are asking businesses to highlight how they may be able to help with the response to coronavirus by using their online service.
Share the impact coronavirus is having on your organisation
Tell BEIS how the outbreak is impacting your business. Please send your intelligence to intel@beis.gov.uk. Commercially sensitive information will be treated accordingly. Please note that this inbox is only for receiving intelligence and does not provide business advice.
New Webinar: Managing your business during coronavirus: reporting, regulations and tax
Register to join this online webinar on Thursday 7 May to find out more with guidance on reporting, regulations and tax, including: right to work checks, filing reports and accounts, tax – Time to Pay scheme.
More webinars taking place on 7 May:
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – How to make a claim
Coronavirus COVID-19 Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme
Closing certain businesses and venues
‘Closing certain businesses and venues in England’ guidelines have been updated to further clarify the requirements of The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.
Skills support for the workforce and redundancy
Skills Support for the Workforce
Brush up on your digital skills for business. Increase efficiencies and improve workforce productivity online through a funded, tailored training package.
Skills Support for Redundancy
Employers facing the prospect of an organisational restructure can contact SSR for information and guidance about how the programme can tailor support to individuals, relevant to their training needs to support them back into employment. A variety of funded skills training packages can now be accessed remotely, from the Learner’s home environment.
Donate devices to help those digitally excluded
DevicesDotNow are targeting the 1.9 million households who don’t have access to the internet and are digitally excluded during the coronavirus pandemic.
The DevicesDotNow campaign is asking businesses to donate tablets, smartphones and laptops, as well as connectivity in the form of sims, dongles and mobile hotspots.
More than 100 free Learn Devon online courses now available
Learn Devon, Adult and Community Learning course provider, has pulled out all the stops to launch more than 100 free online courses.
These new online learning courses cover three main subject areas – employability, wellbeing and digital skills – and they are part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. They have been designed to support people who may have been made redundant or are currently seeking work, for vulnerable people currently self-isolating, volunteers supporting people during the pandemic, as well as local businesses.
Learn Devon are developing more courses based on the current needs of local businesses and communities. You can browse the courses and enrol on the Learn Devon website or call 0345 155 1014.
FREE training from HAYS
HAYS are providing a complimentary suite of online training modules designed to improve remote working practices and increase productivity, you are able to hand-pick parts of the training which may be of interest, including: remote professional excellent, wellbeing ‘be your best self’, health and safety.
The training modules are free just ‘sign-up’: www.Hayslearning.co.uk
Digital skills latest
Check out all the latest news and training on digital skills from the Heart of the South West Digital Skills Partnership
Enterprise Nation: Getting Started with Canva
When: 07/05/20 10:30 - 11:30
What: Learn how to set up your brand assets, customise templates (including changing colours and adding your own images) and download or share your finished work.
Register here
Digital Taunton: How to Make your Livestreams Better
When: 07/05/20 19:30 - 21:00
What:Tips, tools and tricks on how to make your next livestream or webinar stand out and feel more professional.
Register here
Tech South West Awards Launched
Tech champions, heroes and innovators will be recognised at the annual Tech South West Awards.
The awards will feature a new Hero Award to recognise the contributions by people and organisations across the region’s tech community to aiding the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, from data-tracking work to switching to making PPE for key workers.
The awards are now open for entries at www.techsouthwest.co.uk/awards with the deadline Friday July 24. Shortlists will be announced in September, with details of the awards ceremony to be announced in the summer.
Useful links
Coastal Communities Alliance provide support and advice for arts, cultural and creative organisations on the English Coast.
For the latest East Devon updates following the Coronavirus outbreak, see www.eastdevon.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19
One to one business advice tailored to suit individual business needs, call 0800 592 872 or visit the Heart of the South West Growth Hub website: www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk
Find out what support you can get for your business: gov.uk/business-support
Useful guidance from Devon and Cornwall police regards travelling for work: www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/covid-19-coronavirus/covid-19-faqs/
Advice for small businesses and self-employed people is available from the Federation of Small Businesses www.fsb.org.uk/campaign/covid19.html
For the latest Government information on coronavirus, see: www.gov.uk/coronavirus
For the latest NHS information on coronavirus, see: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19
Stay up to date by subscribing to our business update. Visit public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKEDDC/subscriber/new, add your email address and choose the ‘business’ topic
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