Sell online with confidence with free product safety courses from Trading Standards
Published 10 January 2025
Advice and support
Does your business sell online products which are regulated for product safety? If the answer is yes, then you can accessย FREEย product safety courses to boost your knowledge and improve how you do business.
Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards is working with the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) to provide the offer.
It is available to all Surrey businesses who sell via websites or social media until the end of March.
Those taking part will boost their knowledge and understanding of product safety. It will also improve how you do business and boost customer confidence.
Businesses who’ve already taken part have reported:
increased awareness and education
building a relationship with the regulator,
improving future business with plans for future actions
What does free product safety courses involve?
The product safety training is open to all businesses that sell products online – from sole traders and SMEs to multi-nationals. You may also have retail premises or sell only a few items on social media.
It has three elements:โฏ
An initial conversation with a Trading Standards Officer to discuss your approach to product procurement. This includes your understanding of product safety and online trading requirements.
Free training workshops delivered by the CTSI, plus access to online materials and guidance.
A final conversation between you and a Trading Standards Officer. This establishes the impact of the training and it it has improved your understanding of consumer product safety and online trading.
No personal data or information provided by a business will be reused for any other purposes outside of the training.
And the discussions with Trading Standards officers are simply to establish if you have benefited from the training. They will not be discussing individual products or specific compliance related issue.
Or you can contact Trading Standards direct by calling 0300123 2329.
If you need more general support then the Business Surrey team can also provide free support. Get in touch via the Business Support Form.
Event alert: Idea theft ends here! Understanding Intellectual Property
Published 9 December 2024
Advice and support, Events and awards
This interactive workshop has been developed to provide business owners and entrepreneurs with the insights and information you need to understand intellectual property (IP) rights and protect your business’s IP.
This is a complimentary in-person workshop being held by Business Surrey in partnership with Surrey Heath Borough Council. The workshop will take place at Surrey Heath Borough Council offices on Wednesday 29 January, from 8.30am to 11am.
Topics we’ll cover on the day:
Introduction to Intellectual Property (IP)
The different types of IP Rights available to you
Importance of IP in todayโs economy
Practical case studies and examples of IP disputes
Basics of IP registration and enforcement
Interactive Q&A session
The workshop will be led by Laurie Heizler, from TWM Solicitors. Laurie is a Partner in the Business Law department. He has acted for clients in the technology, media and education sectors as well as for several household names in the world of consumer goods. He has extensive experience of dealing with IP matters and disputes relating to patents, trade marks, designs, copyright and confidential information. Laurie’s well-earned reputation for explaining IP matters clearly, makes him the perfect speaker to bring the topic of IP to life for this workshop. Laurie will be joined by his IP-focussed Trainee Solicitor, Grace Makungu for the Q&A part of the workshop.
By attending this workshop, you can expect to gain a stronger understanding of the principles of intellectual property rights, and how to effectively protect your business’s own intellectual property.
This event is perfect for SME owners and entrepreneurs in Surrey. There is no entry fee and no limit on the number of attendees from a single business. Spaces are limited and you must pre-register to attend. Register today to save your place.
Free support for Surrey SMEs
Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service offering free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey.
Our experts are on hand to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team via our business support form.
Event alert: Accelerate growth and win more customers
Published 12 November 2024
Advice and support, Events and awards
This interactive workshop has been developed to equip small and medium-sized businesses with effective strategies to accelerate long-lasting growth. Participants will gain practical insights and hands-on experience to stimulate their customer pipeline and drive business success.
This is a complimentary in-person workshop held by Business Surrey, in partnership with Tandridge District Council. The event is being held at Nutfield Priory Hotel and Spa (Nutfield), on Wednesday 11 December, from 8.30am to 11am.
Topics we’ll cover on the day:
Understanding your market
Crafting a compelling value proposition
Building strong customer relationships
Closing techniques and negotiation skills
The workshop will be led by Roya Croudace, a skilled Commercial Director, Founder, and Non-Executive Director with over 25 years of expertise in driving business growth, especially for SMEs. With experience spanning over 400 scale-up businesses in Surrey and FTSE 100 companies, Roya offers unique insights into creating robust and effective plans to accelerate growth, achieving measurable results, and building sustainable foundations for ongoing success.
Through her workshops and programs, Roya equips SMEs with practical tools to accelerate revenue, attract and retain customers, and boost profits.
On the day, you can expect to learn actionable strategies that drive success and build strong customer relationships, ensuring lasting impact for growing businesses.
This event is perfect for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners and entrepreneurs in Surrey. There is no entry fee and no limit on the number of attendees from a single business, but spaces are limited and you must pre-register to attend. Register today to save your place.
Free support for Surrey SMEs
Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service offering free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey.
Our experts are on hand to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team via our business support form.
Our new interactive map of Surrey businesses is now live and can be viewed here. This interactive tool provides a clear view of the range and number of businesses that have chosen to call Surrey home. It also offers a useful visual demonstration of the concentrations of businesses making up some of the key sectors of importance to Surrey’s economy.
Surrey’s vibrant and diverse business ecosystem is made up of a wide range of businesses, with global brand headquarters sitting alongside entrepreneurial startups and micro businesses. For those looking to relocate into, or within, the county, the map can be a key tool in helping to refine the search and hone in on the optimum location, by enabling the user to filter the map to filter for competitors, suppliers, research resources, co-working spaces, etc.
Filter by a range of categories and sectors
The organisations displayed on the map can be filtered by a number of key categories, including: Top 100 companies (by employee numbers); Top 100 by UK turnover; Creative industry; Cyber; Gaming; Research & innovation assets (including universities, research labs and enterprise zones); Coworking spaces, and many more. Users can also zoom in or out, and view the page as a map or satellite image.
Our toolkit of support for Surrey businesses
Whether you’re making plans for a new business location, carrying out research into Surrey’s key clusters, or investigating the opportunities within the business ecosystem in your local area, our interactive map can help. It’s one more tool in our offering to provide free and accessible support to all businesses in Surrey.
Our team of experts are available to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team to find out more via our business support form.
You can also register to receive our newsletter, packed with the latest news on support, events funding and more for all Surrey businesses.
Decarbonise your business with free support for Surrey SMEs
Published 14 October 2024
Advice and support, Funding and grants
Free support for Surrey small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to decarbonise their business is now available from Surrey County Council.
Companies with fewer than 250 employees can sign up for the support. It’s only available to those based in the boroughs of Woking, Guildford, Waverley, Reigate and Banstead, Spelthorne and Surrey Heath.
Find out how to cut your energy costs, calculate your carbon footprint and get your business to Net Zero. You could even access a loan to go green!
Scroll down to see the free support which your Surrey business could access.
A free business decarbonisation course is now up and running for eligible Surrey businesses.
The course will:
introduce a bit of business context relating to climate change and carbon literacy,
help you understand where your business’ emissions lay,
enable you to calculate your business carbon footprint;
help you become more sustainable, reduce your energy costs and cut your carbon footprint
help you define your business path to Net Zero, set targets and leverage your efforts to make your business more competitive and your products and services more desirable
empower you to adapt and build resilience to address climate change
Courses are available in person and online.
The in-person courses are:
Thursday 17 October 2024 at Guildford Borough Council
Wednesday 13 November 2024 at Surrey Heath Borough Council
Wednesday 27 November at Waverley Borough Council
Wednesday 22 January 2025 in Reigate and Banstead at Surrey County Council headquarters
Thursday 13 February 2025 in Woking
Thursday 6 March 2025 at Spelthorne Business Hub
On demand online courses will be made available from late October.
Ever wondered how much carbon your Surrey business uses?
As part of the decarbonisation course, you can find out! You’ll be given a one year licence to access and use the Climate Essential carbon calculator tool.
This will enable you to calculate your base line carbon footprint. Plus, you can see where you can make adjustments and gains to further reduce it.
It will also allow you to invest to cut your energy bills, improve your premises and be more efficient.
Loans range from ยฃ5,000 to ยฃ15,000. It can can cover up to 50% of the total project cost. You will need to fund the rest.
Projects could include lighting and heating upgrades, installing solar panels, replacing old energy hungry equipment and switching to electric vehicles.
Boost for UK startups as two key investment schemes are extended
Published 2 October 2024
Advice and support, Funding and grants
Startup funding schemes, the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Venture Capital Trust (VCT) scheme have been extended by ten years to 5 April 2035.
Government extends two leading investment schemes aimed at startups
Thousands of entrepreneurs and startups are set to benefit from the extension of two leading government investment schemes targeted at helping startup businesses get off the ground and grow.
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Venture Capital Trust (VCT) scheme were both set to end on 6 April 2025 but will instead run until 5 April 2035.
The schemes are designed to encourage investment into new or young companies through tax-relief incentives, encouraging innovation, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.
The two startup investment schemes at-a-glance
Both schemes offer incentives to investors of up to 30% upfront income tax relief and an exemption from capital gains tax on any profits made after the sale of shares.
Launched in 1994, the EIS scheme offers investors loss relief as long as shares are held for at least two years.
VCTs, which were then introduced in 1995, are companies listed on the UK stock exchange. They invest in early-stage trading companies on behalf of investors. Dividends received from VCTs are tax-free.
Since the launch of the EIS in 1994 the two schemes have delivered significant impact and success with over ยฃ41 billion raised to date.
What’s in it for startups?
This ten-year extension will benefit startups and help provide access to startup funding by providing investors with the confidence to continue to invest into high-risk, early-stage businesses. Early stage investment of this type is a vital element in supporting long-term growth and the development of the economy on both a regional and national scale.
Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service providing free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey, including startups.
Our team of experts can provide independent and impartial advice on accessing startup funding and grants, as well as other sources of support for startups. Contact the team for free via our Business Support Form.
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
Find out more about what we do and how to access one of our many startup-friendly services by completing our Contact Us form.
Event alert: Unlocking funding opportunities for Surrey SMEs
Published 25 September 2024
Advice and support, Funding and grants
This in-person event aims to empower SMEs in Surrey by providing them with the knowledge and tools needed to access funding opportunities and grow their businesses. By bringing together experts and entrepreneurs, we hope to foster a supportive community that drives economic growth and innovation.
Discover the essential knowledge you need to unlock funding for your business in this half-day event designed by Business Surrey specifically for SMEs in Surrey. We are delighted to be delivering this event in partnership with Mole Valley For Business.
Come along to hear three of Business Surreyโs expert speakers sharing the essential information that can help you find and secure the right type of funding for your business.
This is an in-person event, being held at Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking, on Wednesday 23 October, from 9.00am to 12.30pm.
What to expect on the day
The morning will begin with arrival and refreshments from 9 to 9.30am, followed by presentations and Q&A opportunities. Following the presentations there will be a Marketplace and Networking session.
Topics we will cover on the day include โDemystifying SME funding: An overview of available optionsโ, โGovernment grants and incentives: how to leverage public fundingโ, and โPitch perfect: how to present your business to investorsโ.
Each presentation will be delivered by one of Business Surreyโs respected business advisors, who are all experts in their fields.
The final Marketplace and networking session will offer attendees the additional opportunity to make new contacts and speak directly to a range of funding providers to find out more about the types of funding on offer to SMEs.
Agenda for the event
9.00 to 9.30 – Arrival & refreshments
9.30 to 11.45 – Presentations and Q&As
11.45 to 12.30 –ย Marketplace & Networking
12.30 – event ends
This event is perfect for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners, entrepreneurs, financial advisors, and business consultants in Surrey. It aims to empower SMEs in Surrey by providing them with the knowledge and tools needed to access funding and grow their businesses. By bringing together experts and entrepreneurs, we hope to foster a supportive community that drives economic growth and innovation.
There is no entry fee and no limit on the number of attendees from a single business, but spaces are limited and you must pre-register to attend. Register today to save your place.
Free support for Surrey SMEs
Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service offering free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey.
Our experts are on hand to provide tailored advice to help your SME grow and succeed. Get in touch with a member of the team via our business support form.
Business blog: Back to School – 5 ways to kickstart your business this autumn
Published 9 September 2024
Advice and support, Thought leadership
As the leaves begin to change and the air turns crisp, the back-to-school season offers a perfect opportunity for small business owners across Surrey to refresh and refocus.
Just as students return to their studies, itโs time for you to get back to business with renewed energy and strategic planning.
William Wilsnagh, one of our expert business advisors, has five practical tips to help you kickstart your business this autumn.
1. Take stock of your Annual Goals – and set new ones for the quarter
Having worked in business for 20 years in South Africa, September was normally a time when we dusted down our flip flops. In Surrey, Iโm becoming accustomed to this time of year requiring wellington boots.
Regardless of the temperature outdoors, the start of a new season is an excellent time to review your annual goals.
Assess your progress so far and identify areas where you may need to adjust your strategies.
Setting new, achievable goals based on the SMART framework for the upcoming quarter can provide a clear roadmap and keep your team motivated. Clear actions and timelines based on this are essential, broken down into weekly, monthly or quarterly segments.
Whether you’re increasing sales, launching a new product, or improving customer service, having specific targets will help you stay focused and measure your success.
If youโre looking for free and practical support, then weโre more than happy to help. Just get in touch via our business support form.
2. Open yourself up to learning
Just as students are diving into new subjects, autumn is a great time for business owners to embrace learning. Consider taking a course, attending workshops, or reading industry-related books to enhance your skills and knowledge.
Staying updated with the latest trends and technologies can give you a competitive edge and inspire innovative ideas for your business. Encourage your team to do the same, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
With the change in season, itโs an ideal time to shake up your daily routines. Evaluate your current processes and identify areas where you can improve efficiency.
Implementing new routines can help streamline operations and boost productivity.
Whether itโs adopting new software, reorganizing your workspace, or setting aside time for strategic planning, small changes can make a big difference in your overall performance.
4. Get to know new people
There’s no greater back to school feeling than not knowing people in new surroundings. But networking is crucial for business growth, and autumn presents numerous opportunities to connect with new people.
Attend local business events, join industry associations, or participate in community activities to expand your network.
Building relationships with other business owners, potential clients, and industry experts can open doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
Surrey is blessed with a vibrant business networking scene and there are dozens of events taking place across the county which are listed on the events section of Business Surrey website.
5. Promote your activities and events
If youโre doing new and exciting things or hosting events this autumn, make sure to leverage them to their fullest potential.
Use social media, email marketing, and local advertising to spread the word and attract attendees.
Hosting workshops, seminars, or community gatherings can position your business as a leader in your field and provide valuable exposure.
Engaging with your audience through events can also strengthen customer relationships and build brand loyalty.
And if youโre looking to spruce up on marketing tips, weโre hosting a free event early in October which is focused specifically on mastering marketing. Sign up here.
Free “back to school” business support
By taking these steps, you can harness the energy of the back to school season to propel your business forward.
Embrace the opportunities that autumn brings and set the stage for a successful and productive quarter. Happy autumn, and hereโs to your business success!
And, if youโre looking for some free tailored advice then our team of experts are available to talk to. Get in touch via the business support form on our website.
Navigate the Business Lifecycle with free webinars for Surrey SMEs
Published 2 September 2024
Advice and support, Events and awards
Navigate the Business Lifecycle with a series of free webinars designed by Business Surrey specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Surrey.
Over four engaging sessions, weโll explore essential topics to help your business thrive at every stage of its journey.
Each session will consist of a 45-minute presentation followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. Our expert speakers will share practical insights, real-world examples, and actionable tips.
The sessions will take place from October 7 to 11. They are titled:
Click on the links above for more details and then sign up via the dedicated Microsoft Teams link.
Each session in the Navigate the Business Lifecycle series will be led by a respected business advisor who is an expert in the topic.
Anyone can sign up to the sessions. You can dip in to one session, attend a couple or even sign up to all four.
They are perfect for those who have just started a business or those who are looking to take their Surrey business to the next level.
Are you a Surrey business looking for free 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 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.
Introducing Work Wise employment support programme for jobseekers
Published 29 July 2024
Advice and support, Business news, Skills and workforce
Businesses are invited to get involved in Work Wise, a free employment support programme aimed at jobseekers aged over 16 who may struggle to get into work due to health issues or disability.
It has been designed to empower and bolster the local workforce, by providing support to jobseekers and improving their employment opportunities, and by supporting businesses to increase their workforce diversity and fill vacancies.
The programme is being delivered by Surrey County Council in partnership with Surrey Choices, Richmond Fellowship, Get Set UK, Surrey Welfare Rights Unit and Citizens Advice.ย
Employment support for individuals
Individuals who register on the scheme will be paired with a dedicated employment specialist. For scheme participants who are already employed, their dedicated specialist will support them to stay in work, and for jobseekers, the specialist will assist with their job search and applications, assisting with CV writing, interview preparation and benefits advice.
Work Wise support for businesses
Surrey County Council will work with suitable businesses and employers in the County to help deliver the Work Wise programme. The Council can support businesses by helping to identify suitable roles, matching jobseekers to skills gaps, and importantly, providing training and advice to develop inclusive employee support services which benefit both employee and employer.
Mark Nuti, Surrey County Councilโs Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Public Health said:
โMaking job opportunities accessible to everyone is very important to us. However, we know that people with disabilities or health challenges often face big challenges when trying to find work, so Iโm delighted we are launching this initiative, providing vital employment support for those who need it most. Work Wise marks a significant step forward in improving job opportunities and breaking down barriers, empowering residents whilst helping to reduce unemployment rates, and fostering successful futures in our communities across Surrey so that no one is left behind.โ
Businesses interested in taking part in the Work Wise scheme to help fill vacancies and get support to become a more inclusive employer can find out more here: www.surreycc.gov.uk/workwise
Looking for free support and advice for your Surrey business?
Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service providing free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey.
Find out more about what we do and how to access our many business support services by completing our Contact Us form.
Or you can browse our directory of business support in Surrey. The directory includes more than 120 local, regional and national schemes and initiatives providing support, guidance and help with funding.
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