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Entrepreneurs can Get Started on their enterprise thanks to free county support scheme
A new support programme for people looking to start their own business or who may have recently done so has been launched by the county council.
The Get Started scheme will complement existing start-up mentoring and loans initiatives which are making a big difference to new businesses in Staffordshire as it recovers from the pandemic.
It aims to bridge the gap between the two existing schemes and give participants extra confidence to launch or continue with their enterprise with the backing of free expert professional support.
This will involve accessing the services of appointed marketing and accountancy professionals – allowing entrepreneurs to test their business model through branding packages, market testing, website guidance and financial packages to predict profitability or to create a brand or website presence for their business.
Get Started has been launched thanks to a £60,000 county council investment. This follows evidence gathered on what additional support start-ups need by the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Growth Hub, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, which runs the current mentoring scheme.
Applicants can either be a brand-new business or one that has been trading for less than two years and be in Staffordshire (not Stoke-on-Trent).
Get Started, the start-up mentoring and start-up loans schemes all form part of the wider Staffordshire Means Back to Business programme. This is coordinated by the county council and has just received £750,000 backing from the Government through its UK Community Renewal Fund.
Anyone wanting to find out more about Get Started should email the team at: getstarted@staffordshire.gov.uk or call 01785 277355.
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Staffordshire skills and regeneration projects given the go-ahead by Government following bids to national Government fund
 Three projects to boost businesses, skills, job creation and regeneration in Staffordshire have had bids approved for a share of a UK-wide fund.
Announced by the Government today, the successful county bids to the UK Community Renewal Fund have a combined value of £1.5million. They include the county council’s Staffordshire Means Back to Business support programme.
The projects are
• Staffordshire County Council – Staffordshire Means Back to Business (£751,560)
• Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council - Carbon Reduction and Sustainable Energy Creation Programme (£219,300)
• Staffordshire University - Innovation and Productivity Pathfinder (£538,385)
The UK Community Renewal Fund aims to support and invest in communities across the country through innovative pilot programmes. In total £200million has been made available by the Government for this financial year.
Bids were submitted from a range of projects and included voluntary, community and social enterprises, business development organisations, colleges, universities, training providers and district and borough councils. Bids of up to three million pounds have been considered.
They were submitted by Staffordshire County Council on behalf on the applicants, with the Government making the final decision.
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Sustainability diagnostic tool offers bottom line boost to Staffordshire businesses
 Business leaders in Staffordshire are improving environmental efficiency and identifying opportunities for cost savings thanks to a new business analysis tool that promotes sustainable growth.
The Environmental Sustainability GROWTHmapper, which is available at no cost to eligible Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire businesses, is a comprehensive business diagnostic tool that helps identify opportunities for environmental improvement and development.
Delivered by Staffordshire Business Environment Network (sben) which is hosted by Staffordshire County Council, the network is made up of 250 businesses who either work in or are interested in the green sector. The tool is being delivered via an experienced team of trained and accredited coaches.
The Environmental Sustainability GROWTHmapper poses a series of business assessment questions to each business’ senior management team. The result is a detailed report covering relative strengths and weaknesses in key areas of sustainability, allowing the business to identify priorities for further improvements.
Through SBEN’s established relationships with environmental and sustainability professional bodies, support services, funding programs, mentors, and networks, “scope of support” is provided consisting regional and national support programs.
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