Help for city businesses

Photo: Julie Stanford, President, Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce and Ted Kemble, Councillor for Enterprise, Brighton & Hove City Council launch the Business Lifebelt package.

Click on any of the events below to find out more about a specific Business Lifebelt event:

Brighton & Hove City Council has launched a recession relief package created to provide immediate and carefully targeted support to small and medium-sized businesses in the city. ‘Business Lifebelt’ will offer practical help and solutions to a range of businesses and sectors in the city, aiming to help them survive the economic downturn.

Developed in partnership with Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce and Business Link Sussex, the following events and clinics are FREE of charge and start in March 2009.

To make sure that the initiatives will offer the most relevant and useful help, the Chamber of Commerce is working with relevant industry specialists, support organisations and experienced business owners from within the city.

City Business Clinics – available monthly

Available to business owners, these reviews offer a personalised one-to-one session with a specialist business advisor. Sessions can include support with financial management and marketing.

Sector Workshops – March to July

Every sector faces different challenges. These special workshops are designed to help owners and their businesses survive the recession. Workshops are aimed at the following sectors: retail, hospitality, business services, creative industries, and construction & building. Delivered by industry experts and featuring local business case studies, the sessions are designed to help owner-managers stay motivated and to keep making a profit.

Meet the Professionals - drop-in event - 23rd April 2009, Thistle Hotel Brighton

On-the-spot advice from industry professionals on the current issues and challenges facing businesses. Business owners can drop in throughout the afternoon or evening for the opportunity to ask questions about:

Finance and cashflow
Cost-effective marketing and promotion techniques
Selling the right product to the right audience
Keeping your business legal and protecting yourself
Managing your staff, resources and operations
Business planning for now and the future
How to grow in a recession
Where to get more help and support

Business Lifebelt at The Brighton & Hove Business Show 2009 - 13th May 2009, Hove Town Hall

Business Lifebelt is a dedicated area within the Brighton & Hove Business Show where all the local business support organisations will be there to offer free information and help. There are consultations with business advisors and practical seminars available. Here business owners can find the right advice and meet the people who can help.

Cabinet councillor for enterprise Ted Kemble said: “There’s no doubt difficult times lie ahead. So we’ve teamed up with the Chamber to provide smaller companies with the skills to give them the best possible chance. We’re gathering some very experienced people to pass on their knowledge so I’d urge any business to take advantage of the offer."

“It’s one of a number of anti-recession measures we’re taking, which includes the Buy Local campaign supporting local retailers.”

To find out more about Business Lifebelt and how it can help your business
Visit: www.businessinbrighton.org.uk
Email: businesslifebelt@businessinbrighton.org.uk
Telephone: 01273 719097

I'm looking forward to meeting those professionals!

I'm so pleased that the Business Lifebelt events are being well-attended. It's rare for business owners to have access to free business support of this quality, and the workshops in particular are proving to be very popular.

The event I'm looking forward to is the Meet the Professionals drop-in on the 23rd April. Where else would you have access to such a variety of professional advisers, in one place, and all free? I can't remember a time when that has been available to city business owners. It's definitely one for the calendar.

(Pity about that photo, though. That's definitely not how I look in my imagination!)

Julie Stanford | Managing Director | Essential Business

President | Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce

Advocate for Women's Enteprise | SEEDA

Submitted by julie-stanford on Fri, 17/04/2009 - 17:49.