New Telford businesses can receive start-up support at showcase event
New enterprises are being invited to a showcase event inspiring them to make their mark on the business landscape in Telford and Wrekin next week.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s Enterprise Telford team are working in partnership with The Marches Growth Hub Telford and the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce to deliver the free event on Wednesday 13 July between 9am-12noon at AFC Telford United.
It targets anyone who is keen to start a business but hasn’t started trading and newly established businesses including social enterprises and those in Telford and Wrekin which are less than three years old.
The event will highlight major programmes and start-up packages which can help local businesses succeed and will also include guest speaker presentations from local companies and national organisations.
They include successful local business owners Joe Lockley - Director of Bright Star Boxing Academy and a 2021 recipient of the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) and Tim Luft, Luft Technologies Ltd Executive Director & Dealmaker for the UK Government Global Entrepreneur Programme.
Other businesses and organisations supporting the event include Shropshire-based business start-up and expansion experts Good2Great, the Natwest Business Builder Programme and Biz Britain, the Start Up Loans delivery partner.
Representatives from the X-Forces Enterprise Programme and Armed Forces Business Partnership and The Prince's Trust, which provides financial assistance for people aged 18 to 30, will also be in attendance.
Up to 60 people have already registered from across the Telford and Wrekin borough and more tickets have needed to be released for the event, which is also a great opportunity for business owners who are at a similar stage of their business life to network with each other.
Councillor Lee Carter (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration and the High Street, said:
“As a council which is on your side, supporting local businesses and helping them to succeed remains a key focus.
“This event is the perfect opportunity for newly formed local businesses, or those which are just starting out, to find out more about the support which is available to them.
“People can hear first-hand about the success of other local businesses, their journey and the lessons they have learnt along the way.
“Hopefully, attending this event, will motivate businesses and owners in the early stages to continue on their journey and aspire to be a great success.”
Richard Sheehan, Shropshire Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, said:
“The Shropshire Chamber is delighted to be involved in this initiative around business start-ups.
“Traditionally, we’ve always known that start-up is the life blood of the future business community, so it’s really important that were engaged with it and involved with it.
“I think we also can not underestimate the challenging times faced coming towards us now and traditionally in circumstances like that we see more business start-ups than ever.
“Ensuring that we all come together, collaborate and give everybody who starts a business the best opportunity to be sustainable is absolutely the right thing to do so we look forward to welcoming everybody to the event in the near future.”
Ren Kapur MBE, CEO and Founder of X-Forces Enterprise, said:
"We’re thrilled to be part of this excellent new initiative and aim to inform and inspire members of the Armed Forces community in the Telford & Wrekin Council area with a complete handrail of start-up and ongoing support designed specifically for this audience’’
You can register for your free place at the event here which takes place on Wednesday 13 July (9am-12noon) at AFC Telford United, New Bucks Head, Wellington, TF1 2TU.
