Start-up Surrey launches with expert support for entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses
Published 12 August 2025
Advice and support, Business news, Innovation
Budding entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses across Surrey are set to receive a major boost with the launch of the Start-Up Surrey programme. This is a dynamic new initiative funded by Surrey County Council’s Business Surrey service and delivered by leading business support provider The IncuHive Group.
This pilot programme will offer free, tailored guidance and practical support to residents who are preparing to launch their own ventures. It’s also available to businesses in their first year of operation.
It will guide founders step by step, with expert-led workshops, one-to-one mentoring, practical advice, and support from others on the same journey.
The programme will engage a diverse range of businesses across Surrey. It will cover key areas such as funding, marketing, finance, digital presence, and scaling strategies.
Itโs the latest initiative from the Council under its Business Surrey offer, which provides free accessible support to help businesses of all sizes to start, grow and thrive.
Matt Furniss, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, welcomed the launch, adding:
โSurrey has a wealth of untapped entrepreneurial talent, and this programme provides a much-needed platform to turn ideas into action. It aligns strongly with wider efforts to boost inclusive economic growth, support innovation, and build resilience into our local economy โ all of which provides benefits to our people and communities.โ
George Scott-Welsh, CEO of The IncuHive Group, said:
โIncuHive is delighted to bring this initiative to life. Weโve seen first-hand how the right support, delivered at the right time, can completely change the trajectory of a business.
“Weโre not just helping people start businesses. Weโre helping them build viable, resilient ventures that can generate a real income and contribute to the local economy. We are thrilled to be working with Surrey County Council to bring hands-on support and real opportunities to Surreyโs start-ups.โ
Start-Up Surrey – sign up today
The Start-Up Surrey Programme is available to all start-ups and businesses in their first year of trading across Surrey.
There’s no cost to taking part. That’s because it’s fully funded by the Council via UK government funding.
Interested in finding out more? Register for the introductory webinar on Wednesday August 27 from 11am to 12pm. Register via the Eventbrite event link.
Similar events will follow monthly throughout the autumn. Dates are available on the Business Surrey Events page.
For more information or to register for the programme, visit the IncuHive website.
Join us for this free online session, hosted by Business Surrey where weโll explore the ins and outs of marketing and communications. Whether youโre a seasoned pro or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their skills and knowledge in the field.
Ready to dive into the world of marketing?
Workshop highlights
Develop a comprehensive marketing plan tailored to your business
How defining your target audience will help you focus your marketing activities
Explore the exciting possibilities of digital marketing to make the most of your time and resources including leveraging AI tools effectively.
Event details
Date: 18 September
Time: 11:00 AM โ 12:00 PM
Location: Online
Cost: Free (Pre-registration required)
Meet your expert
The workshop will be led by Daniel Chidley, our Marketing Advisor. Daniel is an experienced business coach, mentor and director level communications, PR & marketing consultant with 20 years of experience in business. As a Chartered Marketer with the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Daniel has experience inhouse, agency and consultancy with experience across a range of industries.
In recent years, Daniel has worked with hundreds of SMEs and high growth businesses as a business coach and is accredited with the Association for Coaching. With a coaching approach, Daniel is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and business owners in adopting new strategies and techniques to improve their marketing, with a particular focus on early-stage businesses, start-ups, scale up businesses and social enterprises
Why attend?
Actionable Strategies: learn why a strategy and plan are crucial foundations on which to build your marketing activities and how to focus your efforts to help your business grow.
Expert Guidance: Benefit from Danielโs extensive experience and tailored advice.
This webinar is perfect for SME owners and entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses. There is no entry fee, and you can invite as many team members as you like. Be sure to register today to secure your spot!
Looking for a different type of business support?
We want you to grow and succeed โ and have a range of ways you can access support for your company.
Our team of experts can provide independent and impartial advice on exploring opportunities and how to tackle various challenges. Contact the team for free via ourย Business Support Form.
Browse ourย directory of business support in Surrey.ย The directory includes more than 120 local, regional and national schemes and initiatives, which can search through quickly and easily.
Find out more about what we do and how to access one of our many business-friendly services by completingย ourย Contact Us form.
Meet the Regulator webinar
Published 8 August 2025
Advice and support, Events and awards
Join us for this free online session, hosted by Business Surrey in partnership with Surrey Trading Standards. It is designed to help local businesses understand their legal responsibilities, avoid common compliance pitfalls, and access expert support.
Led by Phil LeShirley, Trading Standards Specialist, the session will cover key areas such as product safety, consumer rights, and how to engage with regulators early to protect your business and build customer trust.
Workshop highlights
What Trading Standards does (and doesnโt do)
Product safety, food standards, and fair trading
Consumer rights and refund rules
The EASY 123 scheme for early-stage businesses
How to engage with regulators before problems arise
Event details
Date: 28 August
Time: 11:30 AM โ 12:30 PM
Location: Online
Cost: Free (Pre-registration required)
Meet your expert
The workshop will be led by Phil LeShirley a Senior Trading Standards Specialist with over 24 yearsโ experience in the field.ย He is responsible for business partnerships at Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards, and has had great success at building relationships with corporate clients and trade bodiesย
He has significant expertise in general product safety and also delivers delivers a wide range of training courses to businesses.
Phil and the team at Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards are seen as exemplars in their field and are multi award winning.
Why attend?
Actionable Strategies: learn why getting consumer right will help your business grow.
Expert Guidance: Benefit from Philโs extensive experience and tailored advice.
This webinar is perfect for SME owners and entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses. There is no entry fee, and you can invite as many team members as you like. Be sure to register today to secure your spot!
Looking for free business support?
Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service providing free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey.
We want you to grow and succeed โ and have a range of ways you can access support for your company.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Need new or upgraded skills to adapt to new ways of working? Or do you just require advice on how to access funding and grants? Our team of experts can provide independent and impartial advice on exploring opportunities and how to tackle various challenges. Contact the team for free via our Business Support Form.
Browse our directory of business support in Surrey. The directory includes more than 120 local, regional and national schemes and initiatives, which can search through quickly and easily.
Find out more about what we do and how to access one of our many business-friendly services by completing our Contact Us form.
How to start a business on a budget
Published 6 August 2025
Advice and support, Thought leadership
Starting a new business can be exciting and rewarding. However, if not properly planned and budgeted for in advance, it can also be a drain on your finances. This is especially the case if you are self-funding the business from savings or a small business loan (known as bootstrapping) instead of securing funding from venture capitalists or other investors.
If you are bootstrapping your business, here are 3 practical tips on how to start a business on a budget.
1. Work out your needs and reduce unnecessary costs
Assuming you’ve already carefully planned and researched your business idea to ensure it is viable and that there is a market for it, the next thing you’ll need to do is assess what you’ll need to actually set it up and run it.
In addition to business tools, equipment, and initial set-up costs, such as regulatory or licensing fees, you’ll also need to know your ongoing overheads, such as material costs, cost of premises (if applicable), inventory, salaries, admin, etc.
In short, you need to know how much you need to generate a profit by taking into account all the costs and expenses you’ll incur running your business.
It’s important during the start-up phase that your business budget is spent wisely.
It may be tempting to spend money on nice-to-haves, but at this stage, you should only buy what you absolutely need. If you need to purchase business tools and equipment, you could consider re-loved or refurbished equipment. Not only will it save you money, but it is a sustainable business option that can go toward your net zero goal.
Also, consider working from home at the start-up phase to lower overheads if you can.
Now is also a good time to be strict with your outgoings and reduce unnecessary expenditures such as pricey subscriptions to services or apps you no longer use.
2. Adopt a low-cost marketing strategy
You’ll need to market your business so people know you exist.
Marketing can take up a huge chunk of a business’s budget, but there are low-cost and free marketing strategies you can use to make your business visible. For an in-depth framework to help you build your own tailored marketing strategy, check out our free Marketing Toolkit.
Online – social media and website
Building a social media presence is low-cost and effective. You can also do this organically instead of using paid advertisements. Research which platforms your ideal clients are using, and start with the one they use the most.
You can then post content to promote your business and also attract your ideal customers with content that interests them and is relevant and helpful.
If you have an SEO-optimised website, you can use it to market your business effectively. Your website doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive, either. There are low-cost and even free options available. If your website isnโt SEO-optimised, do some research into how to optimise it yourself. There are lots of free online resources available from reputable sources like Hubspot to help you do this without having to pay an expert to do it for you.
In addition to showcasing testimonials, products and services on your website, you can start a blog and develop a content marketing strategy to increase website visitors. For example, you can share your helpful SEO-optimised blog content on your social media channels to drive traffic to your website.
Print and out of home
Another low-cost marketing option that may be suitable for your business, is to create and print leaflets at home and distribute them locally by posting through letterboxes, leaving leaflets at suitable venues, and posting them on public noticeboards. These can include a link to your website or social media channels, you could also add a QR code linking to the same.
The personal touch
And don’t forget how effective word of mouth can be, so let all your family, friends and wider network know about your new venture and get them to support you, too.
Finally, adding a personal touch to all your customer interactions can go a long way to building brand loyalty, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. For example, if you sell a product online, you could add a personalised handwritten thank you to the delivery note, or if you do business face to face, provide a simple loyalty card or discount on their next purchase.
All this will go toward building a good reputation, which is invaluable.
3. Make use of free online resources and tools
You can use free online tools to help you manage day-to-day business processes such as invoicing and accounting, project planning, appointment setting, graphic design for content, and many others that are available.
By automating business workflows with free online tools, you are not only saving money but also freeing up your time from tedious admin tasks so you can focus on running a profitable business.
Free online business groups and forums, including those on social media platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn, are also worth researching. They can connect you with other people in your field or industry and can be powerful networking tools. They can also be a treasure trove of valuable free advice on running your business on a budget.
There may even be collaboration opportunities you can leverage. For example, you can work alongside other businesses to increase your visibility or barter and trade with them for services, to further reduce your overheads.
Unlock the Future with Business Surrey’s AI Toolkit
Published 27 May 2025
Advice and support, Innovation
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a luxury reserved for large corporations. Small businesses, too, can harness the power of AI to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and drive growth. In recognition of its importance, we have partnered with experts at the University of Surrey to create a cutting-edge AI toolkit designed to help small businesses embrace this transformative technology.
Why AI matters for small businesses
AI offers numerous advantages for small businesses, making it an essential tool for staying competitive. By automating routine tasks, AI frees up valuable time for employees to focus on strategic activities. It can also provide insights through data analysis, helping businesses make informed decisions and identify new opportunities. AI-driven customer service solutions can also enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, even leading to increased revenue.
What’s included in the Business Surrey AI toolkit?
The toolkit takes the form of four video modules, each building on the last.
Video 1: The Foundations of AI
Covering how AI developed, and explaining some of the commonly-used jargon associated with AI.
Video 2: People-centred AI
Focusing on the impact AI is having on our day-today lives, explaining how โ with human oversight โ it can be used to support automation in tasks like interpreting data, making meeting notes and reviewing job applications.
Video 3: Applications of conversational AI
Explaining how the development of large language models means AI tools can play a key role in how businesses will have conversations in multiple languages in the very near future – with very real potential for businesses that export and trade internationally.
Video 4: Business view of AI
Focusing on applying the learning to your business – eg identifying fraud in financial services, supporting idea generation in the creative industries, or training and upskilling employees in any sector.
Why implement AI in your business?
Embracing AI is not just about keeping up with the latest trends; it’s about future-proofing your business. As AI continues to evolve, businesses that adopt this technology early will be better positioned to adapt to changes and seize new opportunities. The Business Surrey AI toolkit is your gateway to understanding and leveraging AI, ensuring your business remains competitive in the digital age.
Get started today
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your business with AI. Download the Business Surrey AI toolkit today and take the first step towards a more efficient, productive, and innovative future.
Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 now open to Surrey farmers
Published 21 May 2025
Advice and support, Funding and grants
The Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 is now open. It means farmers in parts of Surrey can secure a six-figure cash injection as part of wider efforts to boost growth in the county.
Surrey County Council is offering capital grants of up to ยฃ120,000 to support innovative ideas to drive diversification in agriculture.
The aim is to help farmers in the districts of Tandridge, Guildford and Waverley to generate new income streams while increasing the long-term sustainability of their estates.
Ideas could include establishing farm shops, developing agritourism, generating sustainable energy or cultivating new crops and livestock.
Applications can be made direct via the Business Surrey website, and close at the end of June 2025. .
It will be a competitive process. And the focus is on supporting a small number of large-scale, high-impact projects in eligible areas. Match funding is encouraged though not mandatory.
Matt Furniss, Surrey County Councilโs Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: โAs committed custodians of much of Surreyโs fantastic countryside, farmers play a key role in everyoneโs way of life, producing the food we eat, managing our unique landscapes and creating employment in our rural communities.
โThis fund is intended to support a small number of farmers to diversify and explore new commercial opportunities, supporting them to generate more income while supporting broader prosperity in our rural communities.
โIt forms part of our wider commitment to drive sustainable growth across Surrey while ensuring no one is left behind.โ
What is the Rural England Prosperity Fund?
The Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 is integrated into the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is government funding which supports productivity and prosperity in places that need it most.
In Surrey, this means the Rural England funding is only available in three of the 11 districts. These are Guildford, Tandridge and Waverley.
The Rural Fund is a rural top-up to UKSPF allocations. And it supports activities that specifically address the particular challenges rural areas face.
The Rural Fund sits alongside existing Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) schemes, including the:
The Surrey element of the Rural England Prosperity Fund is a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to progress plans to drive growth. If you have any questions then contact the Business Surrey team.
But we recognise that some rural business owners may not be eligible. Or they may need additional help, either via email, phone or face-to-face.
Ashley Field, Resilience Lead for Surrey County Council, working in the Emergency Management and Resilience Team writes this month’s blog on Business Continuity.
You may not know, but this week is Business Continuity Week! It’s crucial for Surrey business owners and employees to understand the importance of business continuity and how to improve your resilience, but what does this mean in practice?
Business Continuity
I like the definition from the Business Continuity Institute, which defines business continuity as
“The capability of an organisation to continue the delivery of products and services within acceptable time frames at a predefined capacity during a disruption.”
Did you know that nearly one in five businesses suffer a major disruption each year? There have been some high-profile disruptions in the past few weeks, including the severe cyber-attack on M&S, which forced them to suspend online orders and halt recruitment. TfL also experienced a power outage that caused major disruptions across the London Underground network, affecting multiple lines and causing delays.
Business continuity planning ensures that your business can continue to operate during and after disruption. The goal is to minimise the impact on operations and enable quick recovery.
Assessing impacts and risk
The first step in business continuity planning is to identify your critical activities through a business impact analysis (BIA). The BIA estimates the impacts of disruption over time to establish the organisation’s response, recovery priorities, and the resource requirements.
The next step is to conduct a risk assessment and identify potential threats to your business. What would happen if you had an IT network failure, and your customers could not contact you or pay for your products/ services? What would happen if you had no access to your offices or premises or key documents or products were destroyed in a building fire?
Once you have identified these risks, itโs necessary to assess their potential impact on your operations. This will help you prioritise which areas need the most attention.
Developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
A comprehensive BCP is essential and should outline the steps your business will take to continue operations during a disruption. Key components include:
Roles and responsibilities
Key contact details
Outline how the plan will be activated – when, by whom, how?
Critical functions/activities to be recovered, timescales and recovery levels needed
Actions to be carried out
Clear communication process
Process for standing down and returning to business as usual
A top tip is to regularly review and update your BCP to reflect any changes in your business operations or the external environment. This will help ensure that your plan remains relevant and effective.
Training and Testing
Once your BCP is in place, it’s important to train your employees on their roles and responsibilities during disruption. Regular training sessions will help ensure that everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Additionally, testing your BCP through simulations and exercises will help identify any weaknesses and areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Creating a culture of resilience within your organisation is key to effective business continuity. Encourage employees to be proactive in identifying risks and reporting any issues. Building strong relationships with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders can enhance your business resilience. Collaborate with your partners to develop joint continuity plans and ensure that everyone is prepared for potential disruption.
By taking proactive steps to enhance your business resilience, you can ensure that your business is better prepared to handle disruptions. During this Business Continuity Week, why not take the time to assess your current plans, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies to strengthen your resilience.
Sign up to our newsletterย for regular updates on support, funding, business news, and events for all Surrey businesses.
Economic Growth Fund webinar now live
Published 8 May 2025
Advice and support, Funding and grants
Interested in applying to the Surrey Economic Growth Fund? A webinar providing top tips to support your bid is now available to watch.
Businesses, employer representative groups and partner organisations are all invited to apply for investment from the new Economic Growth Fund.
Up to ยฃ7 million is available for this financial year. Grants will be awarded to those demonstrating how they will boost economic outcomes for the people, places and businesses of the county.
More than 110 people attended the Economic Growth Fund webinar held today (8 May, 2025).
Applications for the first round are now open, closing at the end of May. Apply via the formย on the Business Surrey website.
Watch the Economic Growth Fund webinar
Watch the webinar in full by clicking on the play button below.
Business Growth Grantsย support companies of all sizes to scale up and create jobs. Match funding of between ยฃ10,000 and ยฃ50,000, covering 50% of project costsย is available.
Theย Innovation Spaces Fundย focuses on physical infrastructure, such as training hubs, collaborative workspaces, and testing facilities. Minimum bid of ยฃ50,000.
Theย Future Surrey Fundย is open to anyone, including partners โ such as employer representative groups, local authorities, research institutions and schools. Applications should focus on innovative ideas that can scale while delivering economic impact in Surrey.
To apply, youโll need to demonstrate how your bid delivers against the three priorities in the refreshed economic strategy. These are workforce and skills; business growth; and economic infrastructure in Surreyโs communities.
Thereโs a two step process for all three areas, starting with an expression of interest.
Marketing toolkit now available to Surrey businesses
Published 19 March 2025
Advice and support, Business news
A marketing toolkit to help Surrey businesses start, grow and thrive is now available via the Business Surrey website.
As part of our work to support businesses of all sizes across Surrey, we’ve developed a series of online training videos focusing on promoting and selling companies to customers.
Marketing is one of the most requested areas of support that we receive from Surrey businesses.
And this toolkit will help increase your understanding and confidence around marketing techniques while developing a bespoke approach to grow your customer base and increase sales.
You can access the toolkit in just a few clicks by completing the form on the Marketing Toolkit page.
What is the Business Surrey marketing toolkit?
The Marketing Toolkit videos are hosted by members of the Business Surrey team in conversation with specialist adviser Daniel Chidley. He has over 20 years of experience in supporting businesses of all sizes with marketing support.
The four videos cover a range of topics on a “learn as you go” basis.
Each one comes with a DIY worksheet document available for downloading. These can be completed as you go – meaning the learning can be directly applied to your own business.
Two completed case studies are also available to provide help and inspiration.
The videos are designed to be watched as a series and cover:
Marketing Strategy
why a strategy and plan are crucial foundations on which to build your marketing activities.
Understanding Your Customer
defining your target audience, identifying the channels you need to use to reach customers, and creating content to use in your communications
Marketing Technologies
focusing on media channels, the importance of a website and social media โ plus customer relationship management tools.
Your Marketing Action Plan
covering off budgeting and how much you should be spending, while also looking at who should carry out marketing activities.
The toolkit has been funded by UK government as part of our Surrey Growth Hub service. The videos were filmed at Tannery Studios in Send by Lamplight Media.
Need additional support?
The Business Surrey Marketing Toolkit uses technology to provide a different way of providing bespoke business support.
But we recognise that some business owners may need additional help, either via email, phone or face-to-face.
Made Smarter expands to the South East to drive UK manufacturing forwardย with digital technologies, innovation and skills
Published 18 March 2025
Advice and support, Funding and grants
The Made Smarter Adoption programme is set to revolutionize the manufacturing landscape for SMEs and makers in the South East of England.
After operating successfully in the North West since 2019, and further expanding to cover the North East, Humber and the West Midlands, it is now rolling-out to the South East from April 2025.
This initiative is targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have a manufacturing element to their business. It aims to provide them with the tools and support they need to embrace digital technologies so they can improve productivity, boost their bottom line and achieve long term sustainable growth.
The Made Smarter Adoption programme โ backed by world-renowned businesses and funded by UK government, is focused on digital transformation delivered by specialist advisors. Applicants can get access to a range of personalised support to help them make everyday improvements to their operations and improve their competitiveness.
Advice, skills and workforce support, plus funding
Made Smarter can support businesses in a number of ways, including:
Funding: up to 50% match funding available to help business implement new technologies
Skills: training and development opportunities for those working in the sector. This includes workshops, mentoring and expert advice
Sustainability: promotion and adoption of energy-efficient technologies to reduce environmental impact and enhance reputation with customers.
Coverage in the South East
The South East programme covers a wide area, with Surrey County Council acting as the lead and coordinator. The regions included are Berkshire, Brighton & Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Medway, Oxfordshire, Solent, and Surrey.
Manufacturing SMEs and makers within the South East area of coverage are encouraged to register their interest now in preparation for when the programme launches in April 2025. Once the programme is live, the Made Smarter team will contact registered businesses to start the process with a free, personalised assessment carried out by a Technology Adoption Specialist advisor.
By leveraging the support and resources offered by the Made Smarter Adoption programme, SME manufacturers and makers can boost their productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability, securing their future in the digital age.
Business Surrey is Surrey County Councilโs service providing free and accessible support for all businesses across Surrey.
Whatever your business, our experts are here to help you succeed by providing access to quality resources, expert local knowledge and professional insight. Our offer incudes:
An easy-to-useย support directoryย with more than 120 national and regional schemes.
You can also register to receive our regular newsletter, packed with the latest news on funding, events, free training and support for all Surrey businesses. We’ll be including regular Made Smarter updates in the newsletter and on this website.
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