chesterfield business support

Chesterfield Digital High Street project helps small businesses to join the online revolution

The online revolution has been a key feature of the pandemic – and now small and microbusinesses in Chesterfield can embrace these digital trends in an innovative new support scheme.

The Chesterfield Digital High Street project helps those reliant on bricks and mortar to transition into an online world by creating highly visible e-commerce websites equipped with the latest forms of payment, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, and modern shopping concepts like “click and collect”.

Funded by Chesterfield Borough Council and delivered in partnership by East Midlands Chamber, it aims to support small outfits in sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure, which have been hit hardest by lockdown restrictions, to become more resilient.

Scott Knowles, chief executive at Chesterfield-headquartered East Midlands Chamber, said: “The pandemic has had a huge impact on small and microbusinesses in sectors such as retail, hospitality and leisure, which have previously relied on their physical venues to trade successfully.

“While we’re all looking forward to a return to normality as we come out of lockdown, it’s crucial these SMEs are future-proofed by creating modern websites to embrace some of the consumer trends that were already noticeable pre-Covid.

“Not every company can afford to do this, however, so we’re delighted to be playing a key role in supporting businesses in Chesterfield to establish and maintain the latest e-commerce solutions on behalf of the project funder, Chesterfield Borough Council.

“We believe the Digital High Street project will go some way to ensuring the much-loved independent businesses on our high street continue to thrive in a sustainable fashion for a long time to come.”

How the Chesterfield Digital High Street project will support businesses

The support available to businesses via the programme includes access to a Digital High Street adviser with specific e-commerce and online skills, who will work intensively with at least 120 businesses to help them develop and maintain their new or existing digital presence.

They will also be able to attend dedicated webinars, delivered outside working hours, and use marketing resources for free.

Grants of £2,200 – covering 100% of costs – will also be awarded to 50 of these businesses to help them set up an e-commerce website that is search engine optimised, with the package also including web hosting provision for a year and access to ongoing digital training.

All participating businesses can also benefit from free East Midlands Chamber membership for a year.

Councillor Dean Collins, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said: “In Chesterfield, we have lots of fantastic local independent businesses and after the last 18 months, there has never been a more important time to support them. We hope this funding will help lots of these businesses sell more effectively online, which will help guarantee their future in our town and hopefully allow them to grow.

“It’s a really comprehensive support package and I would encourage as many local businesses as possible to sign up for the Digital High Street project because it will allow them to compete in a whole new way.”

Applications can now be made for the Chesterfield Digital High Street project at www.emc-dnl.co.uk/chesterfield-digital-high-street.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , , , ,

Call to get behind #LoveChesterfield and support local businesses as lockdown eases

Businesses are being supported to boost their profile – and encourage more people to shop local as lockdown eases – as part of a new campaign showcasing everything that’s great about Chesterfield.

Independent shops, bars and eateries are among the businesses encouraged to take advantage of a new #LoveChesterfield support pack, featuring a range of free marketing materials which they can use to collectively celebrate the unique products and experiences available in the borough.

It’s part of the Love Chesterfield campaign – launched last week by Chesterfield Borough Council, in partnership with Destination Chesterfield and based on consultation with local businesses.

The pack includes a range of customisable images and resources for businesses to use on their social media, posters and window vinyl designs – all of which can be downloaded for free.

And to help shine a spotlight on what’s on offer over the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend, businesses and residents are being encouraged to use the resources to get behind a #LoveChesterfield social media day from 9am to 9pm on Friday 28 May – using the hashtag to showcase great local products and services.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Our town centre and high streets have got so much to offer, and we’re keen to do all we can to help businesses showcase their unique products and services.

“Together, we’re stronger and by working in partnership under the Love Chesterfield campaign we can really harness the appeal and attractiveness of our historic town.

“Since our launch last week we’ve had a lot of local support – our community is proud and resilient, and people have shown that they want to get out and about to help our local businesses get back on their feet as lockdown eases.”

Window Intros_Facebook & LinkedIn copy 5

Crooked Spire Facebook & LinkedIn

Businesses can follow these top five tips to get involved in the Love Chesterfield campaign (full details at www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfield/business-support-pack/)

  • Use #lovechesterfield on social media channels
  • Encourage your customers and staff to sign up for the Love Chesterfield E-Newsletter
  • Send us your news stories and promote your events and activities with us
  • Use the campaign graphics and support Love Chesterfield
  • Create graphics bespoke to your business

You can find out more and download the Love Chesterfield campaign materials at www.chesterfield.co.uk/lovechesterfield/business-support-pack/

Businesses are also being encouraged to take advantage of the wealth of support available to them from the council and Destination Chesterfield, as part of wider economic recovery plans.

The Supporting Our High Street campaign will signpost people to the latest advice, guidance and training that is available to local businesses. This includes support from a town centre engagement officer, as well as help to get set up in business online. Visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/supporting-our-high-street/ for more information.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Love Chesterfield Awards, Summer, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , ,

Promising response to Green Entrepreneurs Scheme from Derbyshire businesses

More than 130 people from businesses and community groups across Derbyshire joined the virtual launch of Derbyshire County Council’s Green Entrepreneurs Fund – a £2 million grant fund for organisations interested in developing and investing in green energy and carbon reduction schemes.

Businesses and organisations heard details about how they can apply for funding through the scheme being run in partnership with the University of Derby to help support green economic recovery across Derbyshire.

There are 3 separate funds:

Green Entrepreneurs Demonstrator Fund
£1.2 million set aside for a small number of high-quality projects from entrepreneurs wanting to establish green, alternative energy or low carbon initiatives in Derbyshire to provide community heat and power schemes. The minimum grant available through this fund would be £100,000. Applications for expressions of interest will open 1 April 2021.

Green Entrepreneurs Small Grant Fund
Grants of £10,000 – £20,000 for new and existing businesses with game changing proposals in alternative energy, clean fuel and carbon reduction. £500,000 will be made available through this fund. There will be 3 separate rounds in which to apply for funding – the first will launch on 1 April 2021 followed by further rounds opening on 4 October 2021 and then 3 January 2022.

Green Entrepreneurs Scholarship Fund
A training fund to support individuals to retrain with skills to enable them to enter the field of alternative energy. £100,000 will be made available through this fund. Grants will be awarded monthly from July 2021 onwards.

Leader of Derbyshire County Council Councillor Barry Lewis added:

“We’re championing business innovation and want Derbyshire to become a leader in the field in the development of green energy as part of our bold ambition to cut the council’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2032 and that of the Derbyshire economy by 2050.

“We believe there is a unique opportunity to bring greater benefits to local communities and the local economic conditions to create high quality jobs driven by utilising the local skills base in engineering and manufacturing.

“We’re excited to be able to offer businesses the financial support needed to help turn their ideas into reality, through game changing proposals that help to tackle climate change and impact positively on the way we all live in the future both in Derbyshire and further afield.”

Councillor Tony King, Cabinet member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, said:

“We’ve had an unbelievable response to the scheme so far from businesses and community organisations across Derbyshire.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the applications start to come in with proposals for projects to kick-start the county’s carbon reduction and alternative energy agenda and boost the local economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I would urge anyone who was unable to join the virtual launch to visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/gef to find out more.”

Professor Kathryn Mitchell DL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said:

“I am delighted that the Green Entrepreneur launch was such a success. It is really encouraging to see so much interest and enthusiasm from local businesses in taking up opportunities like this to operate more sustainably and to make a real contribution towards reducing their carbon footprint.

“We look forward now to working with the county council to deliver the scheme to our entrepreneur community, and to make Derbyshire synonymous with sustainable business.”

Find more information about the programme including application forms, timetable for grant funding and eligibility criteria.

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Funding available for Chesterfield businesses to take on remote-working interns

Small businesses in Chesterfield and Derbyshire can receive up to £7,000 in funding and support to recruit remotely-based student and graduate talent into their workforce.

The rise in remote working due to the COVID-19 pandemic means the University is now able to work with more businesses than ever before, including those who previously may not have had the office space to accommodate a graduate.

The opportunities are provided by the GRADS for D2N2 project which is part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and is part of the ESF High-Level Skills programme.

ESF supports activities to extend employment opportunities and develop a skilled workforce. The GRADS for D2N2 project is delivered by the University of Derby as part of the High Level Skills consortium which also includes Nottingham Trent University, Derby College, Nottingham College, and Nottingham City Council.

Chesterfield small business (SME) owner Rebecca Erskine, owner of Yellow Bird Marketing and Communications recounted the benefits of working alongside the University after taking on a graduate, Maciej Rus and current University of Derby student, Freya Padmore.

The team put together a series of remotely-filmed videos showcasing the virtues of remote working and the importance of internships as a way for students and graduates to gain “a competitive edge” and “apply the skills learnt at the University to the workplace.”

Rebecca said: “I recently took on two interns from the University of Derby. I think it is really important that the University, regardless of its name, supports businesses across the county of Derbyshire and that is the benefit of this particular programme.

“I think that when people are hard-working, they deserve real opportunity in life. Very often there are things that sit on the back-burner as far as your business is concerned.

“As a small business owner, obviously what brings in the money is the billable work and that has to be your priority, but it can’t be at the expense of business development or promoting your business so the interns coming into the project have really helped me make sure that I am looking at every element of the business. Remote working has given me the perfect opportunity to get the candidates that I really wanted for the project, regardless of where they’re based.”

Freya said: “Having experience that I can talk about in interviews and my applications gives me just that competitive edge compared to some other students who haven’t had any experience yet.

“I’m working in a really small team now so we can really bounce ideas off each other. It’s just given me a much better idea about what I want to do when I graduate.

“I don’t have to commute to work anymore. I can literally just sit at my desk and everything’s there that I need. I can literally log on whenever I want to, finish working when I want to, just based on when I feel like working.”

Support available to SMEs includes organisations needs assessments, talent grants, graduate internships, Employability and Apprenticeship workshops, curriculum co-design and more.

For more information please contact driven@derby.ac.uk

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through  Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

University of Derby supports Chesterfield businesses with free recruitment assistance

The University of Derby is supporting small to medium-sized businesses in the D2N2 region to survive and thrive with free recruitment support and thousands of pounds provided in funding.

Local recipients include Community Chesterfield, and biotechnology company, Bio 8 Ltd.

Community Chesterfield is a partnership between Derbyshire Voluntary Action and the University of Derby, which aims to strengthen the voluntary sector in Chesterfield by harnessing skills from the University.

Community Chesterfield have recently hosted two interns through the University of Derby scheme, including University of Derby Media Production graduate, Hayley Beaumont.

Project Manager Charlotte Repton told us: “Using Hayley’s design skills and expertise, Community Chesterfield was able to offer branding services free of charge to voluntary organisations, which included refreshing logos and designing webpages, delivering over £1000 worth of services during her short internship”.

Oliver Peabody, General Manager of Chesterfield biotechnology company, Bio 8 Limited, said “during the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented us a time of accelerated growth, we were approached by the University as we had highlighted two new job roles within our business, a Graphic Designer position and our second Customer Service Representative.

“The funds received from the University of Derby have allowed us to buy better equipment for our new employees and offer them better training than we have been able to in the past”.

In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the University has adapted its service to provide businesses with a wide range of remote working internships.

This has enabled the team to work with more SMEs than ever before, including those who might not have had the office space to accommodate an intern.

To find out how your small to medium-sized business might benefit from the University of Derby’s support funding, email driven@derby.ac.uk

The University of Derby and Community Chesterfield supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

The GRADS for D2N2 project is delivered by the University of Derby as part of the High Level Skills consortium which also includes Nottingham Trent University, Derby College, Nottingham College, and Nottingham City Council. For more information please visit www.derby.ac.uk/rebuild

 

chesterfield college

The Unversity of Derby St. Helena Campus

Posted in Business, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Chesterfield businesses encouraged to check eligibility for grants

Chesterfield businesses are being urged to check if they are eligible for business grants which can help them cover costs during lockdown.

Detailed information on business grants is available on the Chesterfield Borough Council website. Some of the grant schemes, including the Additional Restrictions Support Grant have been available to apply for since early January, but there are still a number of eligible businesses that have not yet applied.

New information regarding the Taxi Driver Support Grant and Additional Restrictions Grant has been added to the website – eligible businesses and individuals are being urged to apply as soon as possible.

Councillor Jean Innes, cabinet member for business transformation and customers, said: “These grants are a vital lifeline for local businesses, and I would encourage every business owner to apply. This funding can be used to cover a variety of costs including rent on business premises and other bills.

“Our team are working hard to process these payments as quickly as possible but it’s vital that eligible businesses apply in order to access this funding.”

The process to apply for business grants through a secure online form and applicants will need to submit some evidence, including bank statements, when applying.

There are currently five different business grants available to apply for online:

– Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG-C) – for businesses that have been forced to close due to national lockdowns or local restrictions.

– Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG-O) – for businesses linked to the hospitality and leisure sectors that have remained open but were severely affected by tier 3 restrictions between 2 December and 30 December 2020.

– Additional Restrictions Grant – a discretionary scheme for businesses that are not able to claim a Local Restrictions Support Grant – Closed (LRSG-C) but have been severely impacted by national or local restrictions.

– Closed Business Lockdown Payment – a one-off top up grant to support businesses that have been forced to close during national restrictions from 5 January 2021.

– Taxi Driver Support Grant – a one-off payment to support local taxi, private hire and contract drivers who are licenced to trade in the borough of Chesterfield.

Find out more about these grants and apply online by visiting: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/bsg

anzacs chesterfield

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

Celebrating Chesterfield’s STEM ambassadors

Educators, businesses and local authorities across Chesterfield have been working together in recent years, as part of efforts to encourage more students to consider further study of STEM subjects and progression into related careers, inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals.

To help with enthusing and engaging our young people, STEM Ambassadors volunteer their time and expertise to promote STEM to young people in original, creative and practical ways. They also work to support the STEM curriculum in schools, raising awareness of careers and supporting activities in the community. Ambassadors cross all ages and backgrounds, representing a vast spectrum of different employers.

Chesterfield businesses can get involved in supporting STEM careers in a number of ways:

  • Sign up as a STEM Ambassador at https://www.stem.org.uk/
  • offering tours of your workplace for students and teachers
  • delivering talks to groups of learners in schools about your organisation and job opportunities
  • mentoring students doing projects
  • networking with students and teachers
  • setting a project related to your sector
  • doing mock interviews
  • filming a video of you at your workplace
  • and much more!

What are the benefits of being a STEM Ambassador?

  • Engage and develop your employees
  • raise your profile within the local community, whilst also expanding your regional and national media presence
  • promote your apprentice roles directly to local schools and colleges
  • support your recruitment efforts, boosting your future technical and graduate pipeline
  • offer specific and sector careers information to young people and their influencers

Meet the Ambassadors

Here are a few examples of how STEM ambassadors are helping to drive forward the future workforce here in Chesterfield:

Name – Lindsay Rowe

Company – AECOM

Position in company – Senior Mechanical Engineer

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

To me, being a STEM ambassador is an opportunity to raise awareness of alternative careers, share my knowledge about the world of work and show young people that there really is something out there for everyone and there is more than one way to achieve your goal.

What it means for your business.

STEM ambassadors not only raise awareness of our industry in general, but they show students that they don’t have to move to London and the big cities to follow an exciting and rewarding career in engineering. Our company name and brand becomes more widely known and we get recognised as a company that students want to apply to when starting on the career ladder. Ultimately this makes it much easier for us to hire the people we need to continue growing our business.

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

I’m always happy and proud when I see children being inspired to think differently about the type of work they might like to do in the future. My proudest moment though was when I finally got to attend a careers event at my son’s school, he was the reason I started volunteering in the first place.

Name – Ann Fomukong-Boden

Company – Kakou CIC

Position in company – Co-Founder/Director/Principal Electronic Engineer

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

Being a STEM Ambassador is my opportunity to give back to my community and also encourage people to see how creative the STEM subjects are. I got into engineering through my love of music. The STEM subjects play a huge part in every aspect of our lives – even the fun things! I also like to challenge people’s stereotype of what an engineer is or looks like. Most people I meet rarely guess my profession from my appearance.

What it means for your business.

We have a community engagement programme called Social Fuse. We produce and facilitate creative-arts based STEM activities for our community. Social Fuse provides us with the opportunities to meet new people, build networks and collaborate on diverse, interesting projects that we may not have been aware of through our normal engineering activities. It brings variety to the business and we get to interact with young people, teachers, parents and organisations that we may have not otherwise encountered.

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

To be honest, I feel a sense of pride whenever I volunteer, especially when you see someone who is new to an activity suddenly have that moment where it all starts to make sense and they realise that they understand something that they previously thought was difficult.

A stand-out moment was being chosen by the British Science Association to be one of their inaugural Community Leaders in recognition of my time volunteering within the community. As part of that I went to the Houses of Parliament to give expert testimony at the APPG on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM. That day I also discovered that the Houses of Parliament use some equipment that I had designed – which brought a smile to my face.

 

Name – Julie Eley

Company – Ready4Work/School of Thought

Position in company – Co-Founder

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

It is a privilege to engage with young people, not only to give them information about different careers but also to offer hope especially in uncertain times.

What it means for your business.

We have set up a project called School of Thought so we can promote the Automotive Industry to young People. If it wasn’t for STEM we wouldn’t be able to do this, so this helps us tell everyone about the great Industry we work in, dispel myths and to build the pipeline for the next generation of Employees

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

Letting Young People know that there are different routes and that University isn’t the only choice. Personally, seeing some students tell me about their project of building a go kart, and seeing how excited and knowledgeable they were, I found it really inspiring

Name – Emma Knight-Strong

Company – Green Arch Consulting

Position in company – Owner

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

I am proud to be a STEM ambassador. I am passionate about my field and want to ensure that young learners understand what skills they need to have in order to follow their own dreams. I personally believe that a STEM ambassador is a person who can use their enthusiasm for their chosen profession to inspire young people to think about the huge range of possibilities available to them if they continue in STEM subjects. It’s less ‘teaching them a specific job type’ and more about showing them how STEM can help them be resilient and adaptive to a constantly shifting job market.

What it means for your business.

 It allows more people to understand the type of business that I am in and introduces learners to a sector that is still relatively new

 The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

Having a teacher say to me that the three young girls who had been asking lots of questions usually never said a word in class and he was amazed at how engaged they were with the activity.

Name – Tom Mowbray

Company – Rolls-Royce

Position in company – Sub-System Design Engineer

What it means to be a STEM ambassador.

I find being a STEM Ambassador is a great excuse to share my excitement for Engineering with inquisitive minds. When I host STEM activities with kids it really is a two way exchange, whereby I’m sharing some insights about Engineering whilst setting challenges, and in return I get to see how young minds tackle the problem set. There’s some beautiful creativity that is quite inspiring.

What it means for your business.

“Our activities are designed to demonstrate the life-long opportunities that STEM careers can offer, helping to secure a future talent pipeline for ourselves and the wider industry. We hope that our education outreach programmes will inspire people to study the STEM subjects and show them the life-long opportunities that STEM careers can offer.”

https://www.rolls-royce.com/sustainability/performance/target-progress.aspx?reach-6-million-through-our-stem#reach-6-million-through-our-stem

The proudest moment you have had from volunteering your time

I have participated in a variety of activities with children aged 7-18; covering topics such as friction, power and motion in primary ages through to GCSE maths tutoring, careers days and A-level mentoring. The range of options to get involved and the overwhelmingly positive feedback makes me proud to be involved.

For more information about the STEM Ambassadors scheme, you can contact the Derbyshrie Education Business Partnership (DEBP) on 01246 212535 or visit their website: https://www.debp.org/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Blog, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

University offers free funded consultancy to local businesses

The University of Derby is offering businesses in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire funded consultancy free of charge as part of its commitment to helping the region thrive.

The consultancy service will give companies the opportunity to work alongside the university’s research and technical team to bring innovative new solutions to their organisation.

The project can relate to any area of business and support will be tailored toward the individual needs of each organisation. This could include getting a different perspective on a new idea for your organisation, or if your company is faced with a business problem that you would like support with.

Some of the areas which the University has already developed solutions for include:

  • Business processes and efficiencies
  • New product development
  • Identifying future opportunities
  • Marketing and market insight.

The University of Derby offers a wealth of expertise in a range of industries, from science and engineering to the arts and professional business services. The academic team are at the forefront of the latest industry developments, offering the highest standard of insight and research.

By taking part in the scheme, organisations will receive up to 40 hours of consultancy, and £500 towards any consumables that may be required.

Cara Roberts, Business Advisor at the University of Derby said: “We invite any Chesterfield business interested in exploring the opportunity to access our funded consultancy to contact us today, we look forward to reviewing how this could deliver real benefits to their organisation by addressing challenges or supporting innovation.”

If you would like to find out more about the University’s business consultancy services, or discuss working in partnership with them, Contact the Business Enquiry team on 0800 001 5500 or businessgateway@derby.ac.uk 

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

University of Derby St. Helena campus, Chesterfield

 

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

Chesterfield businesses get Shop Appy

Chesterfield businesses can now sign up to the Shop Appy web platform for free.

Shop Appy is a one stop, local, online support platform which enables customers to see what local shops and services have to offer, all in one place. 

Many independent businesses in Chesterfield have been looking at new ways to adapt and innovate during the Covid lockdowns. Chesterfield Borough Council has partnered with Derbyshire County Council to help businesses take advantage of the fast growing Shopappy.com.

The Derbyshire Economic Partnership, which is made up of Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council and other district councils, has paid for the membership fee to the ShopAppy.com platform for local businesses. This free membership will last until November 2021.

As part of the Supporting Our High Street campaign from Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, is a new push to get more Chesterfield businesses to sign up for free to Shop Appy.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Shop Appy is another helping hand for our businesses. Many have already adapted, and offer click & collect or delivery services, but the option to have Shop Appy free until November 2021 is a great addition to their business offer.

“As part of our campaign – Supporting Our High Street – we are promoting the benefits of taking advantage of this offer for businesses to use Shop Appy for free. Our businesses need our support now more than ever. Shopping online, but making the local choice, and using our favourite local businesses is what we must do.”

Chesterfield Borough Council is working with businesses to encourage sign up to the Shop Appy platform. Any business needing support with Shop Appy can contact the council’s town centre engagement officer, Rebecca Bland, by emailing Rebecca.bland@chesterfield.gov.uk

Businesses can register for Shop Appy at www.shopappy.com/vendor

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , , , , ,

D2 Business Starter Programme set to continue into 2021

A pioneering project aimed at helping people across Derby and Derbyshire to start their own business will continue throughout 2021 to support workers affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The D2 Business Starter Programme was launched in January 2017 to help people move into self-employment and develop their ideas into commercially viable businesses.

Through a series of themed workshops and one-to-one support from expert advisers, the programme aims to equip participants with the practical knowledge and skills they need to get up and running.

The programme is funded by Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council and delivered by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), the region’s leading business organisation.

So far, it has supported more than 1,000 people and helped to create more than 190 new businesses and 220 new jobs. More than 10,000 hours of free support have been provided to those taking part.

Due to the success of the scheme, it has been extended into 2021 and an online taster session, to give would-be entrepreneurs the opportunity to find out more, takes place between 4pm and 5pm on 27 January.

Paul Stuart, the Chamber’s head of enterprise, said: “The D2 Business Starter Programme has been a huge success since launching in 2017 and has helped many people across Derby and Derbyshire to take the leap into self-employment and start their own businesses.

“We’re delighted to be able to continue to offer this free support throughout 2021, to help even more people follow their dreams and make their business ideas a reality.”

What does the D2 Starter Programme involve?

An individual, tailored package of support is offered to each person taking part in the programme. It includes one-to-one mentor support and a series of workshops, led by experienced professionals and designed to complement the mentoring sessions.

Workshops include subjects such as an introduction to self-employment, marketing, business planning, book-keeping and social media.

The next workshop programme kicks off on 3 February.

There are no costs for those taking part. The only eligibility criteria are that people wishing to access the programme’s free support have a Derby or Derbyshire postcode and the desire to start a business.

Derby-based CRZyBest, a maker of eco-friendly bespoke jewellery, gifts and accessories, was one of the first businesses supported by the programme.

Its founder, Claire Zwozny-Bestwick, enrolled on the programme to learn more about the fundamentals of starting a business, finance, sales and marketing, along with setting short and long-term objectives and developing and refining a business plan.

Over the past year, she has moved the business full-time into a purpose-built workshop in her garden, as well as investing time in developing her website and social media presence in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and   diversifying her product offering to suit a more online audience.

Claire said: “The support I received was really useful in giving me the confidence and the skills to follow my dream of setting up in business.

“It also provided a vital support network and has enabled me to keep accessing advice and support to continue to grow the business.

“The past year has been all about adapting what I do to what’s been happening in the world, so I’ve had the time to learn some new skills and focus on improving my website and online presence.”

Business founded by furloughed employee receives support from D2 Starter Programme

Coffee lover Matthew Hilton-Webb, meanwhile, founded his business, The Cloth Filter Co, while on furlough from his job in nature conservation in the High Peak, last summer.

He manufactures and sells handmade coffee filters online and enrolled on the programme in September. His business took off after a major coffee roastery in London placed a bulk order for his products and started recommending them on social media.

Matthew said: “The programme gave me a good grounding in the basics of running my own business and helped fill in some gaps in knowledge.

“I love coffee and tried making my own cloth filters after seeing a few videos online about the difference compared to paper ones.

“I had a lot of time on my hands because of the pandemic, but quickly realised there was a gap in the UK for the products I make, so what started as a hobby quickly became a full-time business.”

Businesses wanting to find out more and register for the online taster session can do so at www.pushthebuttontoday.com.

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , ,

Derbyshire Institute of Sport offers Chesterfield companies the chance to Inject Olympic know-how into their business

Imagine the difference it would make to your business if you could recruit a team of high performance experts to boost happiness, wellness, productivity and resilience.

That’s what Derbyshire Institute of Sport is offering as part of its new Thrive programme – an EXTRA package of benefits launched in Chesterfield this month for current and new business sponsors.

DIS is a Community Interest Company on a mission to develop, inspire and support champions. Since 2012 it has helped many talented young athletes to become world-class. It receives no Government funding and relies on business sponsors to keep the cost of its support services as low as possible for athletes who already face high costs and sacrifices to pursue their dreams.

Managing director Chloe Maudsley, said: “We have been looking closely in recent weeks into how we can better support our community and help protect and improve people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing. We’ve now put together Thrive, a package that gives all our sponsors access to our team of experts and coaches.

“They have supported elite athletes and professional sports stars to become world class and now they can lend their support to our business sponsors to help them boost workplace wellness.”

Key benefits include:
• Access to an online, weekly group exercise session.
• Access to a monthly ‘lunch and learn’ online health and wellbeing workshop.
• Online physiotherapy screenings and nutrition consultations.
• Discounts on team development days.

Chloe added: “These new benefits are on top of the existing promotional benefits of being a DIS supporter.”

UK Government guidelines say that adults should aim for 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Yet, an estimated 11 million people in England (that’s 24.6% of adults) are doing LESS than an average 30 minutes activity a week. A study in the Lancet found that spending eight hours a day sat at a desk increases the chance of early death from diseases such as cancer and heart disease by 60%.

Regular, moderate exercise reduces that risk. It also boosts mood levels and, along with healthy eating and lifestyle choices, it can help you enjoy improved sleep and reduced anxiety levels.

Head of Athlete Development at DIS, Laura Wake, who is a former Commonwealth Games athlete, said: “If your staff members are working in various locations, some from home, it’s easy to feel disconnected and isolated. Coming together online for an exercise session can build relationships and improve everyone’s mood, as well as their health, leading to a more optimistic view of life.

“If you have people coming back from furlough, some team activity online can help them feel part of the team again.”

During the first UK lockdown, a Sport England survey found that an average of 63% of respondents said exercise and physical activity had been an effective way of helping them manage their mental health, as well as benefiting their general health. One of the current DIS sponsors is Ilkeston-based logistics firm Lobina Transport.

Managing Director Luigi Lobina said: “Being a sponsor has given us some great stories to tell online and we’ve had some energising and exciting team-building experiences in the office thanks to DIS athletes and coaches.”

Derbyshire Institute of Sport supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , ,

Stay informed

Keep up to date

Dont miss out on all the latest news, updates & special offers.

Signup to our newsletter