A county council programme is offering fully funded marketing or social media support to help small businesses get the competitive edge this festive season.
The Get Started and Grow scheme run by Staffordshire County Council has already supported over 250 businesses from the county, and local digital experts are on hand to help more organisations benefit.
The programme is open to any small business based in Staffordshire (uand under five years old – but spaces are limited, and businesses are encouraged to apply straight away.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Martin Murray has described the scheme as a ‘real opportunity’ for SMEs to get the skills they need to capture holiday customers.
He added: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the Staffordshire economy and many need to make the festive period a real success.
“The Get Started and Grow programme is the way to get those skills and valuable insight to make that happen.
“Harnessing the power of social media in particular is crucial as the holidays approach, so I’m urging small businesses to apply now.”
Ben and Michelle Haycox from Rugeley-based Panelscape benefited from the Get Started and Grow expert marketing support last year.
Michelle said: “Social media was not one of our areas of expertise, so the support we received was absolutely invaluable. We’ve been able to grow our audience and get the products and services we offer to the public and local businesses in a way that we’ve never been able to do before.
“The very best thing is that it’s so simple to access the support – it really is easy to apply in just a few minutes, and they come back really quickly, which is particularly useful when you’re a new business with a lot to juggle.”
- To find out more about Get Started and Grow, click here.
