Winning Business 2009 - 10th November at Drayton Manor

Winning Business 2009 came back to Drayton Manor this year, with over 500 business people attending the exhibition, networking and informative seminars.

All of the 14 seminars, including 2 master classes were completely free, covering areas of sales, marketing and the use of new social media.

Over 50 businesses took the opportunity to exhibit, increasing their reputation and boosting sales.

If you are interested in exhibiting next year, please contact Kim Newton @ Business to Business on:

Tel: 02476 236290

Email: enquiries@winningbusiness.org.uk

Staffordshire County Council Loan Fund

Small businesses in Staffordshire can now benefit from a new loan fund set up to help keep them afloat and protect jobs in the local community.

The new Staffordshire Business Support Fund was approved by Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet in October , but has now officially opened for business.

The County Council is investing £500,000 in the fund, which will be matched by a further £500,000 from the European Regional Development Fund, via Advantage West Midlands.

The cash is being delivered by the Black Country Reinvestment Society (BCRS), a specialist not-for-profit lender established with the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in mind.

Existing businesses in the county, with up to 50 employees, can now apply to BCRS for loans of £10,000 to £50,000.

Launching the new partnership, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Economy, Skills and Enterprise, Mike Lawrence, said the need for quick access to finance was essential to the local economy. He add

“Many well-run businesses have been finding it increasingly difficult to stay afloat through the recession. Quite often customers may fail to pay on time, but suppliers still need to be paid. The ability to keep cash flow running will determine whether the business survives or fails – and if it fails, that means jobs lost within our local communities.

“We said in our manifesto ahead of this year’s local elections that we would develop a loan fund to support smaller businesses. We’re pleased to be able to work in partnership with BCRS, which has a strong track record in lending to SMEs.

“We’re grateful that the European Regional Development Fund, managed by Advantage West Midlands, has been able to double the amount of funding available. This partnership will pump £1million of public funding directly to supporting local businesses and retaining local jobs at a time of great need.”

Paul Kalinauckas, Chief Executive of BCRS, explained the application process:

“If a business has a need for working capital, and can show us a viable business plan, then the first thing to do is to get in touch with us. We’ve made the application process straight forward. Businesses can register their interest using our online fast-track enquiry form.

“We understand the need for a quick decision, and we’re looking forward to helping Staffordshire businesses through the recession and into recovery.”

Businesses interested in applying for loan funding can contact BCRS directly on 0845 313 8410 or complete an enquiry form at www.bcrs.org.uk.