The deadline to apply for free business support is this week

The application deadline for young Staffordshire businesses to apply for free support under the county council’s Get Started and Grow scheme is this week. 

Under the scheme, businesses up to five years old can apply for government-funded help delivered by local specialists. 

The deadline to access the support this year is Friday 16 February. 

There are still slots available for the following support packages: 

·         HR - Learn about how to deal with disciplinaries, grievances, redundancies, performance and dispute issues. Also get advice on hiring people, management training programmes and employment contracts. 

·         Accountancy - Get help to plan your growth and manage your money. This includes guidance on cashflow projections, profit and loss balance sheet forecasts, digital bookkeeping systems and general accounting advice. 

·         Legal advice – Specialising in contract law, help can be given towards terms and conditions, contracts of sale and non-disclosure agreements through to company structure and shareholder agreements. 

·         Branding and logo design – Bring your brand identity to life and make a lasting impression with a new logo, captivating designs, a fitting colour scheme and bespoke typography. 

·         Website development – Create a visually stunning and functional website along with vital tools such as contact forms, blogs and newsletter sign up forms. 

Philip White, Deputy Leader of Staffordshire County Council and cabinet member for economy and skills, said: “We have helped over 215 businesses so far and, with just two days to go before the deadline, I really hope more local business owners make the most of the free support we are offering under the Get Started and Grow scheme. 

“As a small business owner myself, I understand that bespoke support like this can really make all the difference when you are starting out. 

“The uptake we’ve had with the scheme so far is testament to its success and our ongoing commitment to investing in the growth of Staffordshire’s businesses.” 

Partially funded by the UK government through the Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Get Started and Grow offers businesses up to five years old the help they need to start-up or stay-up. 

Businesses wanting to access support this year must apply before 16 February 2024.  

Apply now by filling out this simple 10-minute application and expect to hear back within a week.