In summary
Webinars, networkings and expos are all upcoming this spring, do take a look at our newsletter and explore our events page to see what's available to you! Read more to find out about other business support on offer in the area too.
Featured news and events
‘Fuel Your Business Growth’ Webinars
The UK Export Academy are hosting a new series of webinars titled ‘Fuel Your Business Growth’. These will run throughout March and April, and will cover essential topics to help small businesses expand their reach and grow their profits.
Topics include:
- Choosing the right social media for your audience
- Is debt funding the right option for your growth ambitions?
- What does great marketing look like?
- How to recruit the best people to your business
- How can equity funding help you finance your growth plans?
- Driving more sales through understanding your customers better
- Understanding the funding landscape
- Converting social media followers into leads
- How can AI and smart technology help grow your business
These will be hour long interactive sessions and are completely free to attend.
Find out more and register here>
South West Women in Business Virtual Networking
Our monthly South West Women in Business has merged with Devon and Cornwall’s Women in Business Virtual Networking! Come along for a welcoming hour of networking.
This friendly networking session will take place 10:30-11:30am on Tuesday 18 March – book onto it here!
In other news
Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise
The Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise aims to help creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality.
As well as 12 months of business support, the successful entrepreneurs will be awarded up to £20,000 to start or grow their creative enterprise and access to further funding and investment opportunities. The total prize fund is £60,000 which will be shared between 5 winners.
The competition is open to people with a well-thought-out idea or with an enterprise that has already launched. It can be not-for-profit or commercial and you must be able to demonstrate that the enterprise is within the creative industries or will create a clear service in support of the sector.
Find out more here>
Swindon Business Expo April 2025
Join hundreds of local businesses at the Swindon Business Expo which is taking place on Thursday 24th April 2025 at the Hilton Hotel, Swindon.
Enjoy the opportunity to openly network with over 300 attendees from across Wiltshire and the South West at Swindon's largest business show, whilst exploring the exhibition packed with a variety of local exhibitors showcasing their services and promoting their latest products.
As well as a busy exhibition, there will also be free seminars and workshops from South West's leading keynote and business speakers as well as a speed networking session.
This event is completely free to attend - simply pre-register online today!
Still in the news
Send less business waste to landfill and more to a good cause
A Good Thing is a not-for-profit, volunteer run organisation that makes it easy for businesses to donate unwanted items to local charities, providing businesses with access to nearly 3,000 charities across the UK.
A Good Thing is free for businesses to make donations of up to 3 small (less than 5m3) items per month, up to a value of £1500. For larger or high value donations there is a small fee.
According to a recent study, approximately 1.2 million desks and 1.6 million office chairs end up in landfill each year. The study couldn’t count the amount of IT equipment, branded merchandise, surplus products and other items that also go to landfill.
A Good Thing is a simple-to-use app that makes donating easy. Using the app, you input what you have, where you are, what timeframe you’re working to and whether you have any preferences as to the charities you’d like to support. A Good Thing then does the matchmaking by finding a local charity that has a need for what you’re offering.
Wiltshire Business Support Programmes
Wiltshire Council are offering four different business support programmes through their Business fit for the Future programme.
- Fit for Growth is a programme led by BIC innovation offering one to one support to help your business to grow
- Fit for Start Up is designed for new businesses and is accompanied by grant assistance to help you to get going
- Fit for net zero helps you to understand your business’ carbon emissions and provides a free energy survey
- The Rural Hubs Programme supports businesses in rural Wiltshire to help them to grow.
You can find out more about all these free schemes here.
More news and activity near you
Get in touch
Your local contact for Somerset and Wiltshire is Beth Doel. If you'd like more information about the topics above, or if you have news about this area that you'd like to share, please get in touch.
- email us: [email protected]
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