The Marches Growth Hub Shropshire is offering, 12 hours, fully funded support for Shropshire based business owners.

The support is provided by our business and finance specialists and covers areas such as,  managing finances, developing business plans and accessing funding.

What's on offer?

Business Growth and Strategy – our  adviser can provide  guidance and support in completing grant & finance raising applications, organisational structure, strategic planning,  creation of new revenue streams and much, much more.

How do I get started?

To register your interest in this programme please email marchesgrowhub@shropshire.gov.uk

Please include:

• Name: 
• Business name & address:
• Telephone:
• The area of support you are looking for:

Eligibility

The 12 hours specialist support is open to businesses that have been trading for more than 12 months and are based in the Shropshire Council area.

The programme is funded from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with Shropshire Council.

In this 90 minute webinar, Louise will take you through the fundamentals of Chat GPT and will outline how you can use it in your business.

Find out -

• What it is and why it is important
• Which platforms to use
• How to leverage the power for your business
• What to watch out for
• Canva and ChatGPT
• Q and A

How to make ChatGPT work for your business Tickets, Wed 17 May 2023 at 09:30 | Eventbrite

Are you struggling to make your business stand out from the crowd?

What does your brand portray to your customers?

How do you convey what your brand is all about?

This interactive workshop will help you find the answers to these questions and much, much more.

Your brand can be one of your most valuable company assets.

An effective brand can help build sales, develop innovation, build relationships with your customers and other stakeholders.

What will be covered?

The importance of a clear brand

How and what your branding communicates to your customers

Why branding is so much more than just a logo

How to identify a brief for the branding (or refreshing) of your business

Communicating your brand - reviewing key messages

How to create a brand strategy that works

Positioning your brand in the market place

Q&A

Is your brand working for you? Tickets, Fri 26 May 2023 at 09:30 | Eventbrite

The Friday Hub is Shropshire’s biggest, regular, FREE, business networking event. Every Friday 9.15-10.15am

You can register here if you've not before https://bit.ly/G2G1FriHub

The law of Ridiculous Opposites

In business we’re always looking to win the hearts and minds of those around us to help us sustain growth and realise our dreams and ambitions. To achieve this, we can’t afford to be shy and we need to be prepared to confidently ‘set our stall out’ to attract new customers. But in doing so, it’s amazing how often people break the law of ‘ridiculous opposites’. Simply put, if the opposite of what you say is ridiculous, then it doesn't need saying. In the Friday Hub this week, we will explore this simple concept and look at how you can describe what you do, why you do it and how you add your own unique blend of features in a way that adds value to your customer in a way that is meaningful to them. This goes way beyond the basics of 'doing the job' which, frankly, all our customers expect and gives your customers compelling reasons to say yes.

As usual there are plenty of opportunities to meet others and discover the power of sharing and solving together - this is a gentle and light-hearted yet business focused group where you can be sure to finish your week on a high...

 "Good things happen when you bring good people together"

You can hear Johnny explaining what the Friday Hub is all about here: https://vimeo.com/734666973/437b29363c

The next face to face event is on the 26th May in Bridgnorth.  Find out more and register:

https://good-2-great-8499938.hs-sites.com/friday-hub-roadshow

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just released a crucial report warning that the actions we take over the next 7 years will determine the future of humanity on earth. There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a sustainable future for us all, and we are just not acting fast enough. This warning from the IPCC follows hot on the heals of UK parliamentary reports from the Environment Audit Committee and MP Chris Skidmore's Review of Progress on Net Zero. Both reports called for accelerated action in the UK.

The good news is that there is still time to act, and we can all look forward to a bright and healthy future for humanity and our planet if we take the right decisions now.

This year, we’ll be holding our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 17th May, 5pm, at the University Centre in Shrewsbury (UCS). The AGM at 5pm will be followed at 6pm by an event at which we’ll be discussing what we can do to speed up progress in Shropshire. We’ll be joined by an array of experts and a panel of local decision makers. This is a great opportunity to have your say, and find out how we can all work together to solve these problems locally.

The panel will include:

• Philip Dunne, MP (Member of Parliament for Ludlow and Chair of the Environment Audit Committee)
• Councillor Carolyn Healy (Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services at Telford & Wrekin Council)
• Councillor Ian Nellins (Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Climate Change, Environment and Transport at Shropshire Council)
• Councillor Julian Dean (Chair of the Shrewsbury Town Council Climate Change Committee)
• Lawrence Kinnersley (Trustee, Shropshire Wildlife Trust)

The panel will be chaired by Jess Walton from the Marches Energy Agency, a founder member of Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire and a ZCS Trustee.

Accelerating action on the Climate and Ecological Emergencies Tickets, Wed, May 17, 2023 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

Providing support to local educational and charitable organisations is fundamental to Aico, the European Leader in Home Life Safety. During the month of May, Aico will be taking applications from local causes to secure a week of volunteering from colleagues to complete a community project.

Aico colleagues volunteer their time in the local community, from preparing food and sorting out donations to painting fences and gardening work, they spend their time giving back and making a difference in their local communities.

Creating safer communities is a key value to Aico who throughout the year seek out local causes such as charities and schools for their colleagues to visit and carry out jobs those organisations would normally have had to pay contractors to complete.

Aico understands that in some cases, time can be far more valuable to these causes and since the launch of Aico in the Community in 2018, colleagues have carried out over 4,000 hours of volunteering.

Always looking for new charities and causes to spend their time supporting, Aico are now looking for an organisation within Shropshire to offer a full week of volunteering, where colleagues can use time to complete a project. Maybe your organisation has an unfinished outdoor area or an events room that needs some attention or finishing detail, if so, get in touch.

Community Liaison Jane Pritchard is excited to find out what projects will be put forward, adding “I am really excited to be able to support a local project in this way. Our colleagues are always keen to get involved in volunteering opportunities and we are all looking forward to giving our time to help others and make a real difference.”

Applications will be open to all local causes within Shropshire including charities and educational organisations. To find out more, please email sustainability@aico.co.uk for details before the 19^th of May 2023.

To find out more about Aico in the Community, please visit: www.aico.co.uk/in-the-community

Ready to look at the EV options for your Business?

Electric Car Guide is a non-commercial EV guidance site that offers a wealth of information on electric cars. We support businesses with educational guides and resources to help them transition from petrol cars to electric cars.

Our Business EV info hub features in-depth guides and actionable steps that businesses can take to adopt electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

You can find guides and resources on a whole range of topics such as:
A Guide to HMRC EV Mileage Rates
Benefit in Kind (BIK) Rules for EVs
A Guide to Electric HGVs
Getting an Electric Van for Your Business

Visit the hub to find out more and to access our full range of support.

Business EV Information Hub - Marches Growth Hub